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peculiarbooklover · 3 years

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⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

*****5 Stars!

“Love means opening your heart to another, no matter the consequences.”

First off I would like to thank Disney and NetGalley for allowing me to read an arc of this book, I am so honored to be given a chance to give an honest review for this book.

Go the Distance is a continuation of Disney’s Hercules but with a new twist, what if Zeus refuses to allow Hercules to live out his life on Earth with Meg? Hera comes up with a fair solution and that is to offer Meg a chance to prove her worth and earn a spot among the Gods on Mt. Olympus. This offer sends Meg off on a hero’s quest that will not only prove her worth to the Gods, but it will force her to do some soul searching herself and put her face to face with a past that she wished to keep buried. Now she must see if she has the ability to overcome her past and come to understand the true desires of her heart.

This book is written so beautifully and written with the perfect pacing, I was hooked the moment I finished the first chapter. Hercules had always been one of my all time favorite Disney movies and the start of my fascination with Greek Mythology, I had watched it so many times I had nearly worn out my poor VHS tape. I found that this book was able to answer so many questions I’ve had floating around inside my head for years, which only added to my love for this book. Growing up I always found Meg to be such an interesting character with her sassy and sarcastic attitude, she was so unlike every other Disney heroine. As I grew older I had come to realize how relatable her character truly was, I was always left wondering more about her. What brought her to this point and formed her core beliefs and attitude towards life and love? I absolutely love how this book was able to go into detail about her childhood and how she was brought up and how that upbringing made her into the person she was in Hercules.

Her character development throughout this book was so profound and much needed; her issues of commitment were put on full display and what brought them about and made them take root. Throughout her journey I loved seeing her peel back the layers of these issues one by one and put them on display for the readers--it made her so vulnerable and even more relatable than she had been in the movies. As children love was so straightforward and simple in our eyes, and as we grew older we realized that it was messier and more complicated than we expected, so if you were a fan of Meg when you were younger I think you’d very much enjoy reading this book as an adult. There is something very special about relating to a character you’ve loved so much as a child now as an adult. Like Meg we’re forced to question ourselves in adulthood and come to a similar understanding of what we want in life and what path we should take to get there. The process of understanding our own hearts is a quest in itself, just like the quest Meg had undertaken.

I also loved the author’s ability to really get into each character; everyone was so perfectly written, in my mind I couldn’t help but read all the dialogue in the story in their voices. It felt so authentic to the movie yet also so unique. This brings me to another one of my favorite points of the story and that’s Hades. Not only was he so perfectly written, I couldn’t seem to get James Woods' voice out of my head while reading his parts, I love the character arc she had set out for him. With my love of Greek Mythology came a very intense fascination with the tale of Hades and Persephone, I remember when I was younger I was always a little upset that they never added Persephone into the story. So, when Persephone made her appearance in this book it made me so beyond happy! I loved seeing her love story with Hades play out in this particular universe, it was so unique and fun to be able to read. The way Hades and Persephone seemed to compliment each other so perfectly really brought the moral of this story to light--if someone like Hades could open himself up to love and allow himself to not only be vulnerable around the person he loved, but placed his trust in the palm of her hands, why couldn’t Meg be able to do the same with Hercules? Hades loved Persephone and that didn’t make him weak despite his reputation, it only made him stronger with her at his side. Thus proving that love does not make a person weak, it only makes them so much stronger than they had been alone.

The title of this book, Go the Distance, was such an appropriate choice for this story because everyone has to go the distance in their lives to be able to not only find their true authentic self but to find the place where they belong in this world, just like both Meg and Hercules had done the same. Going the distance might be hard and scary at first, but one must have faith and follow their own individual path to get the answers they seek.

This book was such an absolute delight to read, it brought back so much nostalgia from my childhood and I enjoyed being able to connect to this book and the characters in a new way. This is a book I would highly recommend to everyone, especially if you have a love for Hercules and Greek Mythology. It was such a positive and enchanting read and not one I would be able to forget.

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peculiarbooklover · 3 years

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⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

*****5 Stars!

“If you have big ideas you have to use big words to express them.”

Anne of Green Gables is about a young wild, imaginative, talkative orphan with romantical views on life and the world around her; adopted by a pair of unmarried siblings, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, who wanted an orphan boy to help around the farm and instead were given a greater gift than they could ever imagine. Despite the mix up, Anne brings warmth, joy and love not only to Green Gables but to the small village of Avonlea and all that inhabit it.

This book was written so beautifully and written at such a perfect pace, I found myself burning right through it. Anne Shirley was such a relatable character--the way she saw the world in brighter shades of colors than everyone around her and allowed her imagination to warp the world into something of beauty; as a writer I found this quality to be a very relatable one. The way the author describes her boundless imagination down to the very detail was beautiful, I found myself imagining each and every word she had written so clearly. It almost felt as if she had transported me to Avonlea with her descriptions. Anne is a character filled with such warmth and acceptance, albeit a little over dramatic at times, though it only added even more charm to her character. She was a character you couldn’t help but love.

Matthew and Marilla were among some of the most loveable characters in this story; Marilla with her hard and rational exterior but a soft and loving heart hidden underneath and Matthew with his endearing shyness and habit of spoiling Anne whenever he could. I couldn’t help but love these characters instantly, they were both so selfless and compassionate with the capability to love so deeply.

This has always been a very special book to me, it was one that my grandma would read to me often growing up. I can remember cuddling up beside her on the sofa and the world of Avonlea coming to life and consuming my mind and heart, leaving such a huge impression on me. As I reread this wonderful book I couldn’t help but feel happy nostalgia as I thought back to those days with my grandma that meant so much to me.

I would highly recommend this book to everyone, especially if you want to read something very positive and filled with warmth and acceptance of being your true authentic self.

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peculiarbooklover · 4 years

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⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

This series was an absolute pleasure to read and will always be a top favorite of mine! Capturing The Devil was the perfect finale for such an amazing series! With a powerful female lead like Audrey Rose, a young woman in the 1800s who chooses to walk down the path of forensic pathology--following her passion despite what society may think of her, it’s so utterly inspiring! She is the perfect idol for all young goth girls everywhere, ensuring the readers it is perfectly fine to follow the eccentric passions of your heart--to be your original and authentic self despite what others may think. Then there is her wickedly handsome partner in crime, Mr. Thomas Cresswell with his brilliant powers of deduction and his uncanny skills at coming up with the perfectly (hilariously so) inappropriate quips.

Audrey Rose and Thomas’s relationship is one to aspire, they complement each other so perfectly thus making them the perfect team both in life and in work. The passion between them was by far the most touching aspect, the way Thomas gives Audrey Rose the room she requires to grow and make her own choices and the undying love and respect between them both is beautiful. I also admire the way Audrey Rose would gladly die for her Thomas, just as he would gladly do the same for her. Their love is limitless and Kerri Maniscalco describes it so perfectly in each of her novels!

The entire series is a masterpiece, it’s one I’d highly recommend if you’re interested in not only history and gothic romance, but also theories of unsolved murder cases in history. I absolutely adore the way Kerri Maniscalco is able to weave history within fiction and make a very compelling and fascinating story! These books most certainly keep you on the edge of your seat wondering what’s going to happen next and it keeps the gears in your mind churning to come to a final conclusion before you reach the end of the book.

This book had my heart racing as I turned page after page, I could hardly pull myself away. It also had me in tears in both of sorrow and joy due to my connection with both characters--a feat that does not happen often when I’m reading. I loved every second of this book and can’t wait to read whatever Kerri Maniscalco writes next. Thank you so much for writing such an amazing series that has become so dear to my heart!

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