Almost There (Twisted Tales) by Farrah Rochon

Book Review Nov 09, 2022

My review

3/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I've come to really enjoy the Twisted Tales series, and the fact that I can work through them in any order I want to. Tiana's tale in The Princess and the Frog is a great story of determination and understanding what really matters in life, so I was excited to see what the series had decided to do with her.

I must admit I was left a little disappointed by the turn of events in this story. While it is totally believable that Tiana would be tempted by the idea of seeing her father again, it felt like a u-turn on all of her personal growth throughout the film (the end of which is where this story begins) for her to do a deal with the Shadow Man. There were several moments were Tiana seemed to have forgotten the important lessons that her original trip down the Bayou had taught her and I found myself frustrated on several occasions.

The romance with Naveen was also lacking considering the amount of charm and chemistry between them in the source material. While I understand that the story meant that they couldn't have the relationship they had in the film, the leap to what they had in the book felt too distant and sycophantic from the ease and equality I had known them to have before starting the book.

What this tale did offer was a chance to see both more of Tiana's father and a different side of Tiana's best friend Lottie. I appreciated both additions as they gave depth and meaning to smaller, but still vital, characters from the film.

It was an easy, enjoyable read, but ultimately I feel it fell into the trap of straying too far from the source material. When characters are already established, you have to be careful with how you play with them, and this book plays with them a little too much for my liking.

Book blurb

When the notorious Dr. Facilier backs Tiana into a corner, she has no choice but to accept an offer that will alter the course of her life in an instant. Soon Tiana finds herself in a new reality where all her deepest desires are realised - she finally gets her restaurant, her friends are safe and sound, and, perhaps most miraculous of all, her beloved father is still alive. But after a while, her hometown grows increasingly eerie, and Tiana must work alongside Naveen and Charlotte to set things right - or risk losing everything she holds dear.