Review Detail

Go the Distance by Jen Calonita is the latest installment in Disney’s Twisted Tale series. This time the story focuses on one of my favorites, Hercules, and twists the story at the end of the tale. What if Hercules wasn’t allowed to become human to live with Meg? Instead, what if the gods sent Meg on her own quest and allowed her to become a god? To me, this question needed to be explored. It was something I had wondered as a child. If Hercules parents loved him so much and went through all that to bring him home, why couldn’t they convert Meg as well? Go the Distance fleshes out Meg’s character in a way the original cartoon did not, giving life and depth to the choices she made both prior to meeting Hercules and after.

Told mainly from Meg’s point of view, I found myself rooting for Meg in a way that I hadn’t before. We see her vulnerabilities, the trials she’s already faced in her life, how she wound up working for Hades in the first place, and the way she falls in love even when she really doesn’t want to. My heart broke learning about her childhood, her first love, and how everything is ripped from her. The part that truly broke me is how she expected it to be ripped from her at every turn. No part of Meg’s life had shown her that some people stay. That was heartbreaking.

The plot of this one was muddled, and the pace was inconsistent. I struggled to finish it. Meg is given her task by Hera, first to find Athena’s lost lute and if she can do that, then the rest of her quest will be revealed. At this point of the story, Meg is doubting her love for Hercules, questioning if she wants this opportunity, which makes her determination on the quest ironic. Flipping between past and present with little transition left me lost, thinking I’d skipped a page by accident. Not only that but it distracted from the present plot Meg was facing. Eventually the flashbacks tied into the present day for Meg, making sense and giving clarity to the story.

Overall, while I didn’t love Go the Distance, I did enjoy it enough to finish the story. I’ll admit that I did skim through some chapters, only reading dialogue to find out what I might be missing. Meg is a strong character both in cartoon and on paper. I loved seeing more of her story here. If you enjoy retellings and mischief making gods, you will enjoy this one.