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A review by peachyguro
Go the Distance by Jen Calonita
2.0
Just underwhelming.
This book wasn't bad or god awful. Nothing like that. It just didn't fit right into how interesting the premise was. The execution was lackluster.
I felt like Meg wasn't even the same character that I loved in the movie, so it was hard to even imagine this being here. There were moments (the not-so-obvious moments) where I felt like, "okay, I believe this to be the one and only Meg" but then it just falls flat, and I'm back to not feeling like I'm reading the same character anymore.
There were a couple of moments that kept me wondering what Meg would do next, especially with the orchid, which I enjoyed a lot. Most of the plot is predictable, generic and just something I read through with no feeling tied to it. The Persephone plotline was a nice bonus on there. The only time I really felt something was with Thea in the end, where she's calling out to Meg as she's leaving the underworld. The way I nearly cried ahaha.
My biggest let down with the book was with the reunion with Aegeus. Not sure if this goes hand-in-hand with a different retelling of Meg's life, but I really didn't enjoy the reunion. I didn't like that the whole reason she gave up her soul was because of a misunderstanding. The whole time thing is nice, but it really hurts the emotions I felt with Meg as a whole. In a way, it almost hinders her character for me. But then again, the way Meg is portrayed feels like it hinders her character.
Overall, I had high hopes for the premise and I reduced it to not disappoint myself - AND YET, I am still disappointed. Keeping in mind of who this was meant for on top of just trying to vibe with this book wasn't really enough to let me enjoy this. Sucks, but again, not the worst thing I've read.
This book wasn't bad or god awful. Nothing like that. It just didn't fit right into how interesting the premise was. The execution was lackluster.
I felt like Meg wasn't even the same character that I loved in the movie, so it was hard to even imagine this being here. There were moments (the not-so-obvious moments) where I felt like, "okay, I believe this to be the one and only Meg" but then it just falls flat, and I'm back to not feeling like I'm reading the same character anymore.
There were a couple of moments that kept me wondering what Meg would do next, especially with the orchid, which I enjoyed a lot. Most of the plot is predictable, generic and just something I read through with no feeling tied to it. The Persephone plotline was a nice bonus on there. The only time I really felt something was with Thea in the end, where she's calling out to Meg as she's leaving the underworld. The way I nearly cried ahaha.
My biggest let down with the book was with the reunion with Aegeus. Not sure if this goes hand-in-hand with a different retelling of Meg's life, but I really didn't enjoy the reunion. I didn't like that the whole reason she gave up her soul was because of a misunderstanding. The whole time thing is nice, but it really hurts the emotions I felt with Meg as a whole. In a way, it almost hinders her character for me. But then again, the way Meg is portrayed feels like it hinders her character.
Overall, I had high hopes for the premise and I reduced it to not disappoint myself - AND YET, I am still disappointed. Keeping in mind of who this was meant for on top of just trying to vibe with this book wasn't really enough to let me enjoy this. Sucks, but again, not the worst thing I've read.