How Far I'll Go: A Twisted Tale

by Keala Kendall

NATIONAL BESTSELLER What if Moana broke the heart of Te Fiti?

After a devastating battle with Te Kā, Moana’s worst fears are the heart of Te Fiti is in ruins, Maui is frozen in volcanic rock, and darkness threatens to envelop her beloved home. Desperate to fix things, Moana stumbles upon an island already crumbling under the blight. All life is gone, save one sole survivor—a young woman named Noe.

Moana is relieved to find another wayfarer, even if this stranger is more than a little intimidating. Better still, Noe has an idea how to fix the using the tears of Te Fiti, gems infused with the goddess’s essence. The catch? The tears are said to be scattered throughout the realm of monsters.

Banded together, Moana and Noe set a course for an impossible mission to find the powerful lost tears. Will Moana be able to restore the heart amid secrets and monsters? Or will the blight overtake everything Moana holds dear?

Genres: Fantasy, Retellings, Young Adult, Fiction, Adventure, Audiobook, Fairy Tales

Audible Audio

First published September 2, 2025

About the author

Keala Kendall (pronounced: kay-ah-luh) is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of How Far I’ll Go and Nobody Gets Left Behind in Disney's A Twisted Tales series, and That Which Feeds Us: A Hawaiian Gothic. Hapa Native Hawaiian, she is a cofounder of Pacific Islanders in Publishing and a past organizer of the Books for Maui charity auction.

Born in Honolulu, raised on Molokaʻi, she now lives as part of the Native Hawaiian diaspora in Los Angeles. To learn more about Keala, visit her at kealakendall.com or @kealakendall on Instagram and TikTok.

Reviews

[Books_and_Crafts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely phenomenal! Keala Kendall does a stunning job of capturing our Moana and guiding her through this epic journey of self worth! I loved it!

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fav quote!

“How can the ocean connect us if we separate ourselves from it”

OMG y’all don’t know how much I worship this book series. These people that write them are geniuses every last one of them. Going into September 2nd I was like why would you release the tinker bell and this book at the same time. Now I’m like so everyone can enjoy them both tandomly 🥹🥹🥹.

I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this book being a new author and I couldn’t read any previous would cuz it doesn’t exist lol. Let me tell ya Keala didn’t upset me. I LOVED IT 😍. Moana’s tale was so fun. I mean talk about a journey and all the people she met. My fav character her grandma was back guiding her on the way through her journey warmed my heart. Felt very original but still giving credit too the movie and I just love that. I can’t wait for Liz braswells next book in the spring and can’t believe I have to wait that long for the next saga. Now that I have read this one I have nothing but high hopes for kealas next book in fall 2025 I love lilo and stitch

[Sarah Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love all things Moana, and I have been ridiculously excited about this book since the moment I knew it was coming out. Overall, I enjoyed this retelling. You could tell that this author was passionate about tying culture into the novel, and I really liked that you got more on that side of things than you get in the movies. I am SO glad that this book didn't write in a romance for Moana. I was so afraid that they would take it that route, and that's one of my favorite things about Moana-she has passions and goals that have nothing to do with a partner. One major issue for me....I MISSED MAUI. When he finally pops back in toward the ending, I was like "Maui would have added so much to this book!
Thanks to Random House, Disney, and Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

[Anaum Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

im kinda disappointed that Maui wasn't rlly in the book. I acutally almost cried when she wasa stuck in the darkness realm with that guy that was stuck there for ever. The dad's best friend that drowned. Rlly sad.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I don’t really know what to say about this book because from the perspective of it being related to the Disney movie Moana, it achieves its goal of keeping with the character, setting, and ultimate story conclusion, but I don’t know that it really added much to Moana’s character growth. There are a couple of interesting additional elements of other monsters, spirits, and more exploration of the afterlife, but I just don’t know if it feels like it was worth it for how long and drawn out parts of the story were. Maybe the story will stick with me more over time, but in comparison to some of the other Twisted Tales I’ve read, I don’t think this was as successful in exploring new sides of the character or story.

[Bethea Scovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first couple of chapters were somewhat boring and repetitive. Being a twisted tale, the amount of backstory reflected on in the beginning was unnecessary. However, once things picked up, the book became more interesting and the twists in the storyline were fun to follow. As an adult, it was easy to figure out things that the main characters couldn’t see, but the clues are perfect for younger readers to piece together more slowly. The setting descriptions were well done and each main character was well developed.

Thank you to #NetGalley for an eARC of #HowFarI’llGo in exchange for honest feedback. 3.5 stars rounded up

[Becca Aycock · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

one of the best retellings for this series! it was genuinely true to the characters while also being unique.

[Zach · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall, it was fairly bland. Moana was annoying and Maui was MIA. There went all of the entertainment from the movie.

[Leanne Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up. This was going to be a 3 for the majority of the book but the last 100 or so pages saved it for me. Before that, I had found the book to be so descriptive, that I couldn’t really follow it and I found it really hard to picture the settings that were being described. There were more descriptions than plot and interactions for me, and this made me not really connect to the story which is a shame. The last part of the book had more action and this picked up a lot for me. One of my least favourite Twisted Tales.

[˗ˏˋ christie ♡ ˎˊ˗ · Rating 4 out of 5]

where tf was hei hei that whole time

[Alix · Rating 3 out of 5]

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ 3.375 ☆

"There is no greater silence than the breath after a prayer. In that one moment, when you believe someone might answer your call—and then they don’t." -- Noe, p. 42

I’ll be honest here, this was a complete impulse buy on sale. I haven’t read any of the other Twisted Tale series. I really love Moana, though. The music in particular, but I generally put it on as a comfort film when I’m having a rough time. So when this came up for $2, I figured … why not?

The bones of the story ended up being really great. There is a lot of myth woven through it, and Moana’s journey here is deeper psychologically and spiritually than in the original tale. There’s less humor, and less action. I liked seeing more of Lalotai, meeting more monsters, learning more about spirits & the native language for various objects, and exploring the realm of darkness. Also we get to meet and spend a little time with the friend whose death turned Moana’s father against the ocean, which I thought was a great journey.

Dualism is probably the biggest theme, and one I really liked being fleshed out here, vs being just barely touched on in the original. The contrasts are explored through both the goddess/es and the girls’ individual missions and motivations.

"Destruction unchecked can only lead to more destruction, just as unchecked growth eventually becomes unsustainable." -- Kala, p. 91

Noe is a bit of a stressful character, since you know something is up with her from the start, and she’s pretty emotionally damaged compared to Moana, but I trusted Tala would not steer Moana wrong and held on.

It did take to about 40% to rope me in, and make me care about the new characters & the different adventure. I missed Hei Hei, Pua, and Maui more than I thought I would.

"We don’t have to let our mistakes determine who we are." -- Moana, p. 239

Where the book primarily fails is in editing. I’m thinking Disney does not give these stories the care they should, given how many of them they pump out. There are many, many repetitive phrases plus misused words, and places where it was obvious something small been changed because the dialog no longer makes sense. It was definitely enough to pull me out of the story, and why it took me so long to get emotionally invested.

But the best part of the way this story was done is that Moana still needs, and asks for, help. She still finds herself through her ancestors, her successes, her failures, and the people who she convinces, through compassion and confidence, to do the right thing.

She knew she was worthy enough to restore her.

I’m glad I bought and read this, and I might grab other Twisted Tales on sale in the future (particularly this author’s other entry: Nobody Gets Left Behind).

Annotations here.

[Marian · Rating 5 out of 5]

How Far I’ll Go is another amazing installment in the A Twisted Tale series — a story that balances nostalgia, emotional depth, and creative reimagining beautifully. This retelling explores what could have happened if Moana’s actions had led to very different consequences than in the movie we know and love, and it does so in a way that feels natural, heartfelt, and deeply meaningful.
What stood out most to me was the character growth. Moana is already such a strong, determined character in the film, but in this version, we get to see even more of her vulnerability, her doubts, and her strength as she faces the outcomes of her choices. It gives her a very human depth and reminds readers that courage isn’t about never making mistakes — it’s about how we respond to them.
I also really enjoyed the new characters introduced along Moana’s journey. They added fresh perspectives and challenges that helped her grow, while also expanding the sense of community and connection that’s always been a central part of her story. The way they were woven into the existing lore felt seamless — like they had always been part of Moana’s world, just waiting to be discovered.
Another highlight was the worldbuilding. Instead of changing the familiar settings from the movie, the story builds upon them, adding layers of mythology and culture that make the islands and ocean feel even more alive. It was exciting to explore new areas and revisit old ones with new understanding. The imagery was rich and immersive, making it easy to get lost in the world.
What really struck me, though, were the themes. This isn’t just a Disney retelling; it’s a story about self-discovery, redemption, and the power of choice. It reinforces the idea that our mistakes don’t define us — it’s how we learn from them that matters. We can always choose to grow, to try again, and to decide who we want to be.
By the end, I was completely caught up in the emotion of it all. The final chapters definitely had me “cleaning up my allergies” (if you know, you know). It’s heartfelt, hopeful, and everything a Twisted Tale should be — familiar enough to feel like coming home, yet new enough to surprise and move you.

[Paige Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You think you can tell me which way is the right way? You? Don't make me laugh. You don't know your history or your legends, and you barely know how to sail. You are too softhearted to save your people, even when you've been given every opportunity. You think the ocean gave you the heart to return it? Why would it? Why would it need you?"

I've been wanting to read this book for months. So you can imagine my surprise when I found this book on the shelves of a my local library nearby my dad's place. I just knew I had to check it out and read it. I thought I knew what I was getting into. But alas, I was wrong.

Similar to Almost There, this AU begins towards the end of the original timeline. Maui and Moana are facing Te Ka and trying to get past her to return the The Heart of Te Fiti. Unfortunately the heart ends up breaking due to a severely impulsive misstep on Moana's part and Maui sacrificing his life to protect his friend. With some help from the spirit of her grandmother, Tala, Moana finds a lone islander named Noe and allies with her. It's a race against time as the two try to save their islands, the ocean and perhaps by extension, the rest of the world.

First off, I like the action and the additional world building. Noe has a lot of skills, being something of a shaman, a Dreamfarer. But pretty early on I noticed a few weird things and I thought to myself, What is Noe hiding? What is she running from? Or perhaps quite possibly, running towards?
I was right to be concerned.

We're also getting a lot of lore for the world of monsters and I'm all for it! From new types of monsters and creatures such as moon and stone sprites to dangerous areas in Lalotai like the Floating Rocks over the Abyss. And some of these monsters even have names and expanded roles; from Nala the Shapeshifter to Kanapi the Spirit catcher, which with their own goals and personalities. Side note, that fruit feast the monsters in the village are eating towards the end of the first act looks pretty good. I might also have to try banana po'e.

But one thing I was not prepared for is just how intense this book would be. I already knew that the circumstances were bad, but damn, they're even darker than I thought. Not only is the fate of the Polynesian islands (and possibly the world itself) at stake, Moana's life is on the line. If she doesn't reverse Te Ka's curse in time, she'll end up just like Maui- trapped in volcanic stone- and stripped of her very soul. Damn that's dark. And it gets worse. Eventually, Noe uses her powers to force Moana's spirit out of her cursed body and banishes her to the Realm of Darkness. But at first, all she sees is her worst nightmare- a future version of Motunui, heavily plagued by the blight and now enclosed with a seawall preventing anyone from leaving. It crushes the heart and the soul in several ways.

This might be the darkest Twisted Tale I've read yet.

However, there is one question I must ask. Did it actually say which wrist and arm Te Ka's Blight gets plagued and marked with when Moana gets marked? I'm not sure it does, but I am imagining that it was the right arm. But maybe it didn't even matter much as it seems that she can still use her arm despite the curse progressing.

One thing I will say though, with the internal doubt that Moana goes through, struggling with her self-esteem and feeling like she has no idea what she's doing, this book hits pretty hard.

However, despite the book having a pretty good plot, I kinda feel that the resolution was a bit forced and that some of the darkness let up a bit too soon.

I'm honestly not sure if Noe really deserved to be forgiven by Moana after her betrayal and allowed to ascend to the spirit realm, and I feel that the Tears of Te Fiti should have been enough to restore the Heart. I'm also a bit surprised that Moana's body wasn't consumed by the Blight, forcing her to finish her quest as a spirit. Plus I feel that a "spirit vs spirit" battle would have been cool to see.

Yet despite all this, the finale was still pretty emotional and I understand why Noe did what she did and how over a thousand years has left her extremely bitter and scorned.

I also would have liked a scene where Moana returns home after successfully restoring Te Fiti, telling her parents she found Afā, and maybe even see using Noe's spirit stone.

But in the end, Moana is still a brave, amazing heroine who was able to conquer the darkness and be the Wayfarer she was always meant to be.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. There are a few things I would have done differently, but I'd still recommend this book for anyone that wants a fantasy outside of the traditional European setting.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars (Rounding up for the book being compelling, lore expansion and good representation of self-esteem issues)

Twisted Tale Rankings so far;
Sally's Lament (5/5)
Reflection (4.6/5)
How Far I'll Go (4.5/5)
Almost There (4.3/5)
What Once Was Mine (3.8/5)

[Bookish_Aly_Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a good retelling of Moana! I loved this engaging journey we were taken on
and how it incorporated elements from the movie, yet still felt original.

The story follows the prompt of “What if Moana broke the heart of Te Fiti?” and it was so much fun and heartwarming at the same time. There were some real on the edge of your seat moments too.

The descriptions of everything we encountered on this journey were done so well and presented in a way that truly captured what I imagined it would be like outside of the animated film. I loved it.

[❀Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book takes place at the pount where moana faces teka to return tefitis heart. instead of returning the heart, it breaks in which moana must now go on another adventure to restore tefiti and stop the blight from killing all civilization. along the way moana meets some new and unlikely friends to aid her in her quest. it was fun to have a continuation of moanas story (from movie 1) but could have been executed better in my opinion.

[Faith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall this book was good and very well paced. 3 stars because I personally did not get as invested in the story as I had hoped to. but still a very good book and very excellent writing. while the book was not my style, it was still incredible as all books are.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I dont know why, but I could not get into this one.

[Alex Apostol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was excited to read this Twisted Tale. Aside from Merida, Moana is my favorite princess. The story started slow for me. It took a little bit to get into it, but once it picked up it was hard to put down. Towards the end I was reading multiple chapters a day. I liked the twist and the new characters. I did feel it ended abruptly. I would have liked one more chapter of her returning home and telling her father what *the spirit* had told her to tell him. That would have been a happier, more emotional ending.

[T D · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a while to get into it but once I did, the story was incredibly compelling. It picks up towards the end of the movie, so it feels more like a sequel than a retelling, so to speak. There's a lot of action and exploring of other realms that continues to grab your attention making this a real page turner. Definitely my favorite Twisted Tale book so far.

[Sarah J Stebbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another great addition to this series. I will admit it took me a little to get into, but once I did it was quite the journey. I really enjoyed reading this. The fact that Moana failed in this twisted tale and thus has a lot of doubts in herself was very interesting. And yet, she kept pushing herself to make things right. This also had quite a few twists and turns along the way. Great read!

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

This sounds silly, and not a great reason to DNF a book, but 10% in and I've heard 'chicken skin' three times.

[Isabella (Belleand_books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a great self-discovery book that really shows Moana’s growth in a way the movie didn’t get a chance to explore too deeply. Moana is a top three princess for me, so I’m not surprised that I found this engaging and reflective

[Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy the book. I liked how Moana didn’t just stay in one spot throughout the entire book, she had to travel across the sea/spirit realm to retrieve the tears. I also great,y enjoyed she Moana got to meet her Dad’s dead best friend. And how they said they named the boat he and his dad made MOANA! That part I felt very surprised. What I didn’t like is his Moana didn’t ask Noe Hartley any questions throughout the book. In the movie, she couldn’t stop asking Maui questions and in this book, it’s like she had no curiosity. And I wished we got more at the end. Like her returning back, and a little more time with her traveling. Overall, a pretty good book.

[Bek Bound By Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ I didn’t expect How Far I’ll Go to have such a deep and nuanced message about forgiveness, identity, and generosity. What starts as a typical Twisted Tale, quickly transforms into something new. We are introduced to a new character, Noe.

Immediately I was able to recognize Noe’s significance to the plot making her appearance feel slightly predictable until about the 60% mark. She was an enjoyable character and added some resistance to the plot throughout the first half, questioning Moana’s optimism. She was incredibly well-developed throughout the book and I enjoyed her and Moana’s back and forth. She is an amazing counterpart to Moana’s journey.

For Keala Kendall’s first entry in the series, I was very impressed and I hope to see more. I thought she did an amazing job representing the overall message of Moana but adding a little more with Noe and what Moana was able to teach her and vice versa. The journey was a great one, and I whole-heartedly recommend this book! It’s a great entry to dive into the Twisted Tale series as a whole.

[Mia Laveau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall this was an incredibly good book! If you like adventurous books and Moana then this is definitely your book! I only chose to give it 4 stars instead of 5 because it did take a while to get into in my personal opinion. But after I got about 100 pages in I barely could put this book down! I would highly recommend!

[Xio · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely wonderful. I very much loved going on this adventure with Moana. Beautifully written!

[Heather Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty solid story. Excluding Maui was honestly no big deal for me, and Moana's struggle with PTSD from the events of dealing with Te Ka were handled well. I know it's sometimes a trend with these Twisted Tales books creating original characters to fill roles, but I think they all felt really well integrated. The chapters which Moana helps her dad's friend was really sweet, in particular. Noe as a morally grey protagonist alongside Moana was really well handled as well, even though I felt the ending was rushed and kind of just ended her arc abruptly. The ending in particular was what left me leaving it at 4 instead of 5 stars, since everything wrapped up in what felt like a few paragraphs.

All in all though, this wasn't terrible, and glad Moana got an alternate story in this series.

[Valerie Contreras · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting twist to Moana. I did not expect the plot to go the direction it did. I’m gonna be honest and say that this was probably 100 pages too long. It felt like a lot of it was filler information that was not needed. I think it’s misleading to say “ What if Moana Broke the Heart of TeFiti”. There was a wholesome scene with Moana teaching how to wayfind to someone, I really wish a scene like that was included in the movie. This will definitely suit early teens especially because it was pretty easy to guess the twist from very early on.

I was interested enough to finish this story but I think most teens and Moana fans will enjoy this the most.

Thank you to the author, Random House Children’s, and NetGalley for this e-ARC.

[Katelyn Peel · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who adores this series from a Disney adult point of view: Moana did NOT disappoint. I really love that it took place for Moana and not Moana 2. The heart of Te Fiti is so special so to see what could have been was so interesting. Never once was I annoyed by the way the book went, Noe kept me on my toes the whole damn time! And meeting Dad’s best friend was so meaningful if you know anything about the storyline between the Chief and the water. This book was so beautifully written!