What do you think?
Adventure Is Out There!: A Twisted Tale
Adventure is out there in this tale based off of Pixar's Up from the New York Times bestselling series that reimagines beloved Disney and Pixar classics in a creative way! What if it was Ellie who went UP to Paradise Falls?
Sixteen-year-old Ellie McGill is fed up. Sure, for some, life in small town Americana is idyllic. Nothing but picket fences and USO dances and holiday parades. But Ellie has long dreamed of towering mountains, tangled jungles, and most of all…traveling to the incredible South American landmark, Paradise Falls.
Ellie thought these dreams made her strange, until she met her sweet best friend Carl (when he promptly broke his leg in her clubhouse). Carl is Ellie’s closest confidante. He’s also the only one able to talk her off a ledge. But things between them seem weird lately as Ellie grows increasingly frustrated with his quiet way of doing things. And is it just her, or are there new feelings bubbling up between them?
Then Ellie begins her dream internship at the local zoo, where the flashy millionaire owner organizes an expedition to Paradise Falls to collect new specimens. But the star newcomer, a bird given to him by Charles Muntz himself, doesn’t adjust well to his new home and Ellie is put in charge of its seemingly hopeless recovery. Carl advises Ellie to lay low, to not make waves. But that’s not something Ellie has ever been good at. And when an opportunity comes for a last minute, emergency rescue mission, she decides to take it.
Will Ellie’s impulsiveness finally get the better of her? Or will she get the adventure she always wanted . . . and at what cost?
Sixteen-year-old Ellie McGill is fed up. Sure, for some, life in small town Americana is idyllic. Nothing but picket fences and USO dances and holiday parades. But Ellie has long dreamed of towering mountains, tangled jungles, and most of all…traveling to the incredible South American landmark, Paradise Falls.
Ellie thought these dreams made her strange, until she met her sweet best friend Carl (when he promptly broke his leg in her clubhouse). Carl is Ellie’s closest confidante. He’s also the only one able to talk her off a ledge. But things between them seem weird lately as Ellie grows increasingly frustrated with his quiet way of doing things. And is it just her, or are there new feelings bubbling up between them?
Then Ellie begins her dream internship at the local zoo, where the flashy millionaire owner organizes an expedition to Paradise Falls to collect new specimens. But the star newcomer, a bird given to him by Charles Muntz himself, doesn’t adjust well to his new home and Ellie is put in charge of its seemingly hopeless recovery. Carl advises Ellie to lay low, to not make waves. But that’s not something Ellie has ever been good at. And when an opportunity comes for a last minute, emergency rescue mission, she decides to take it.
Will Ellie’s impulsiveness finally get the better of her? Or will she get the adventure she always wanted . . . and at what cost?
Audible Audio
First published April 7, 2026
About the author
Liz Braswell
74 books6,707 followersAfter the sort of introverted childhood you would expect from a writer, Liz earned a degree in Egyptology at Brown University and then promptly spent the next ten years producing video games. Finally she caved into fate and wrote Snow and Rx under the name Tracy Lynn, followed by The Nine Lives of Chloe King series under her real name, because by then the assassins hunting her were all dead. She also has short stories in Geektastic and Who Done It and a new series of reimagined fairy tales coming out, starting with A Whole New World—a retelling of Aladdin.
She lives in Brooklyn with a husband, two children, a cat, a part-time dog, three fish and five coffee trees she insists will start producing beans any day. You can email her at me@lizbraswell.com.
She lives in Brooklyn with a husband, two children, a cat, a part-time dog, three fish and five coffee trees she insists will start producing beans any day. You can email her at me@lizbraswell.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
May 12, 2026
I really enjoyed the start of this book. Ellie was so much fun because she was so curious and intuitive about the world and especially animals. It was interesting to see her live as a young girl in war time and being stuck in the consequence of the patriarchal society and men coming back for their jobs (🙄).
Her friendship with Carl was so sweet. I adored seeing them as children having adventures and growing to awkward teens.
But this book DRAGGED.
Her friendship with Carl was so sweet. I adored seeing them as children having adventures and growing to awkward teens.
But this book DRAGGED.
Disney Twisted Tales Ranking (as of May 2026)
1. Brave (5⭐️)
2. Rapunzel (5⭐️)
3. Cinderella (5⭐️)
4. The Little Mermaid (4⭐️)
5. Frozen (4⭐️)
6. Aladdin (4⭐️)
7. Beauty and the Beast (4⭐️)
8. Hercules (4⭐️)
9. Sleeping Beauty (3⭐️)
10. Adventure is out There! (3⭐️)
11. Mulan (3⭐️)
12. The Princess and the Frog (3⭐️)
13. Alice in Wonderland (2⭐️)
14. Moana (2⭐️)
15. Peter Pan (1⭐️- dnf)
May 14, 2026
This book was so fun, I love it!
May 25, 2026
I have been craving another Twisted Tale offering from Liz Braswell ever since her last full novel in the series "What Once Was Mine". Braswell is never afraid to go all in, and completely twists the story and fleshes out the world of the animated features that we don't get to even catch a glimpse of, really, in the films she twists... However, admittedly, "What Once Was Mine" was my least favorite of Braswell's stories as it went a little too far away from the canon of Tangled to form a new narrative. However, my favorite Twisted Tale book "Unbirthday", is also from Braswell, and I was hoping that what we got in this novel was something more like that; the original story changed, and laced with extremely high stakes and tension. There is also the added variable that "Adventure is Out There!" is not based off a Disney or Pixar fairy tale movie. All of Braswell's other stories have been from worlds where there is magic, and royal families, and fantasy... But, "Up" isn't like that... So I was so excited to see what this book would be like...
In essence, I loved it! "Adventure is Out There!" is so, so good! The characters feel so on brand, the new characters are really interesting and fit right into the world, and the story overall is very much in the spirit of "Up". Ellie is a wonderfully complex and fleshed out character in this novel, adding new depths to a character who has a miniscule amount of screentime in the original film (for good reason). However, Braswell adds so much life and spunk into the character that is very much appreciated! Not to mention, after having watched the film many times, she took great care in lacing the pre established canon with what we see in the original film (like her family in the wedding scene each having names and character traits). The book is also a very good, and appreciated, length. Many of the Twisted Tales recently have been pretty short, some barely reaching 350 pages. However, with the recent editions from Keala Kendall, and now this, it's so good to get all of that story. Not a single page seems wasted, and the story is ever evolving, which makes the length feel even better! However, I'll keep this review brief. There is actually so much to spoil, so I won't say more, but you have to pick this up!
In essence, I loved it! "Adventure is Out There!" is so, so good! The characters feel so on brand, the new characters are really interesting and fit right into the world, and the story overall is very much in the spirit of "Up". Ellie is a wonderfully complex and fleshed out character in this novel, adding new depths to a character who has a miniscule amount of screentime in the original film (for good reason). However, Braswell adds so much life and spunk into the character that is very much appreciated! Not to mention, after having watched the film many times, she took great care in lacing the pre established canon with what we see in the original film (like her family in the wedding scene each having names and character traits). The book is also a very good, and appreciated, length. Many of the Twisted Tales recently have been pretty short, some barely reaching 350 pages. However, with the recent editions from Keala Kendall, and now this, it's so good to get all of that story. Not a single page seems wasted, and the story is ever evolving, which makes the length feel even better! However, I'll keep this review brief. There is actually so much to spoil, so I won't say more, but you have to pick this up!
May 22, 2026
i much preferred the first half about ellie as a teenage girl in 1940s usa than when she actually went to paradise falls
September 8, 2026
Before going into the review, I should probably say that I have only seen the movie Up ONCE and…I didn’t like it.
I know, MAJOR unpopular opinion.
Anyway. I remembered almost nothing about the movie and basically ended up reading this as a YA historical fiction.
I liked Ellie fine as a character for the most part and I enjoyed her work ethic and her love of animals. The first half was pretty good as her friendship with Carl grew and became more of a crush.
However, the airplane scene had me majorly shaking my head. I could not suspend my disbelief enough to take that seriously. The middle section dragged a lot. The ending was exciting and had me hurrying to turn the pages, though a reasonable amount of suspension of disbelief is definitely needed.
Overall, this book was pretty good. A little longer than it probably needed to be, but still enjoyable (and can be read with almost no knowledge of the movie).
I know, MAJOR unpopular opinion.
Anyway. I remembered almost nothing about the movie and basically ended up reading this as a YA historical fiction.
I liked Ellie fine as a character for the most part and I enjoyed her work ethic and her love of animals. The first half was pretty good as her friendship with Carl grew and became more of a crush.
However, the airplane scene had me majorly shaking my head. I could not suspend my disbelief enough to take that seriously. The middle section dragged a lot. The ending was exciting and had me hurrying to turn the pages, though a reasonable amount of suspension of disbelief is definitely needed.
Overall, this book was pretty good. A little longer than it probably needed to be, but still enjoyable (and can be read with almost no knowledge of the movie).
April 19, 2026
3 ⭐️ I just don’t think anything can beat the movie.
I was very excited for this new Disney Twisted Tales release. I feel like everyone loves Up, right? The movie just gave you all the best feelings, warm and cozy. And this book was just very one toned to me.
Here we follow Ellie on her adventures to try to save her feathered friend, Soda-Pop. I like how we got to see her work in the zoo (mentioned in the movie briefly) and how that led to her adventure. Although I just couldn’t connect to the characters enough and felt like things were just repeated. If this was more conscience with maybe 100 less pages, I might have been more invested.
Also, persons preference, but I could have really used some moments of comic relief or just more ebbs and flows in feelings.
Overall, not a bad read, just a bit stagnant for me for the adventure she was on.
I was very excited for this new Disney Twisted Tales release. I feel like everyone loves Up, right? The movie just gave you all the best feelings, warm and cozy. And this book was just very one toned to me.
Here we follow Ellie on her adventures to try to save her feathered friend, Soda-Pop. I like how we got to see her work in the zoo (mentioned in the movie briefly) and how that led to her adventure. Although I just couldn’t connect to the characters enough and felt like things were just repeated. If this was more conscience with maybe 100 less pages, I might have been more invested.
Also, persons preference, but I could have really used some moments of comic relief or just more ebbs and flows in feelings.
Overall, not a bad read, just a bit stagnant for me for the adventure she was on.
September 22, 2026
This book was pretty good! I grew up with Up so this story has a very special place in my heart! I really liked seeing Ellie's and Carl's relationship a little better!
Spice: it was just kissing but there was kind of a love triangle which I didn't love. She starts to have this crush on this boy when she goes to Paradise falls and I didn't like that because I love Carl and Ellie together so this bothered me.
She did kiss, said boy and then kissed Carl and I thought the other love interest was unnecessary. Like we all know who the end game is! Keep that love interest and toss the other one out the door!
Cursing: There was like one d word and the a word but that was it. And they did mention a guy who was named Jesus who wasn't Jesus and that kind of bothered me.
Violence: There was also a mention of guns and knives and people being stabbed!
I would recommend this for 12 and older. Good book!
I hope this review was helpful! Happy reading!
Onto the next book!!!!
Four stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐🎈🐦🏠💘🔫
P.S, This was a short review! Wow!
Spice: it was just kissing but there was kind of a love triangle which I didn't love. She starts to have this crush on this boy when she goes to Paradise falls and I didn't like that because I love Carl and Ellie together so this bothered me.
She did kiss, said boy and then kissed Carl and I thought the other love interest was unnecessary. Like we all know who the end game is! Keep that love interest and toss the other one out the door!
Cursing: There was like one d word and the a word but that was it. And they did mention a guy who was named Jesus who wasn't Jesus and that kind of bothered me.
Violence: There was also a mention of guns and knives and people being stabbed!
I would recommend this for 12 and older. Good book!
I hope this review was helpful! Happy reading!
Onto the next book!!!!
Four stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐🎈🐦🏠💘🔫
P.S, This was a short review! Wow!
May 1, 2026
Only because Liz Braswell is super wordy.
I get lost in the extra wordings and descriptions and not in a good way-its quite distracting and takes away from the storyline.
I get lost in the extra wordings and descriptions and not in a good way-its quite distracting and takes away from the storyline.
April 20, 2026
3.25. The Twisted Tales rendition of Up, Adventure Is Out There!, takes a character who had a surprisingly prominent emotional role in a movie they were barely even physically present for and fleshes them out in a believable, if bittersweet, way. And while that alone is worth the price of admission, it’s also clear the story could have been much more than it is if it hadn’t stopped short of digging deeper into its own lore, hinting at directions that could have been genuinely rich had it just gone a bit farther.
The character of Ellie Fredrickson (whose maiden name is revealed to be McGill, as she’s not yet married to Carl at the point this book takes place) must have been a fascinating figure to flesh out, even for someone as well-versed in reimagining Disney heroines as Liz Braswell. You essentially start with a near blank slate, save for the emotional weight and context clues packed into those first infamous ten minutes of Up. So, while reading this, I found myself going back to rewatch that opening to see whether she’d done the character justice, and she had. Braswell takes everything briefly said or implied and uses it to great effect, making it entirely believable that Ellie would be well-versed not just in zoology but in conservation and aviation as well (though I’ll admit that knowing how to fly an actual plane after a single simulation session did stretch my suspension of disbelief just a bit).
As for what I didn’t like, there were a few things. One was that Charles Muntz (the main antagonist of the source material) is mentioned again and again throughout, yet never shows up in any capacity. I was genuinely shocked, given how inevitable his appearance felt. I mean, how hard would it have been to give him a quick cameo? Maybe a radio interview where he shuts down Leroy Fontaine’s lies about them being buddies and business partners at the narrative’s end. If I’d gotten that, I’d have been happy. Another thing that got me was that I found the second half (which is really where the bread and butter of this adventure takes place) to be less enjoyable than the first half, which unfolds back in the States. Who knew Ellie’s love life and the workplace sexism she has to navigate, given the post–World War II setting, would be more interesting to me than her adventures stranded in a South American jungle with rich, armed adult nepo babies chasing her down. I couldn’t have imagined that being the case, but here we are.
All in all, this wasn’t a bad adaptation. It benefits a lot from the fact that the character at its center is essentially a blank slate, but ultimately I’ve read better Twisted Tales (and far worse, too). Still, I’d give it a recommendation for the simple fact that, given Ellie McGill/Fredrickson’s penultimate fate in the original, it’s genuinely nice to see her granted a much happier ending here.
The character of Ellie Fredrickson (whose maiden name is revealed to be McGill, as she’s not yet married to Carl at the point this book takes place) must have been a fascinating figure to flesh out, even for someone as well-versed in reimagining Disney heroines as Liz Braswell. You essentially start with a near blank slate, save for the emotional weight and context clues packed into those first infamous ten minutes of Up. So, while reading this, I found myself going back to rewatch that opening to see whether she’d done the character justice, and she had. Braswell takes everything briefly said or implied and uses it to great effect, making it entirely believable that Ellie would be well-versed not just in zoology but in conservation and aviation as well (though I’ll admit that knowing how to fly an actual plane after a single simulation session did stretch my suspension of disbelief just a bit).
As for what I didn’t like, there were a few things. One was that Charles Muntz (the main antagonist of the source material) is mentioned again and again throughout, yet never shows up in any capacity. I was genuinely shocked, given how inevitable his appearance felt. I mean, how hard would it have been to give him a quick cameo? Maybe a radio interview where he shuts down Leroy Fontaine’s lies about them being buddies and business partners at the narrative’s end. If I’d gotten that, I’d have been happy. Another thing that got me was that I found the second half (which is really where the bread and butter of this adventure takes place) to be less enjoyable than the first half, which unfolds back in the States. Who knew Ellie’s love life and the workplace sexism she has to navigate, given the post–World War II setting, would be more interesting to me than her adventures stranded in a South American jungle with rich, armed adult nepo babies chasing her down. I couldn’t have imagined that being the case, but here we are.
All in all, this wasn’t a bad adaptation. It benefits a lot from the fact that the character at its center is essentially a blank slate, but ultimately I’ve read better Twisted Tales (and far worse, too). Still, I’d give it a recommendation for the simple fact that, given Ellie McGill/Fredrickson’s penultimate fate in the original, it’s genuinely nice to see her granted a much happier ending here.
July 29, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.5 stars)
As someone who absolutely loves Up, I had a really fun time with this Twisted Tale. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it, but I ended up loving the decision to tell the story from Ellie’s perspective. She’s such an important part of Carl’s life, yet we only get snippets of who she is in the movie. Getting to see her own adventure felt like a really natural expansion of her character.
One of my favourite parts was all of the people Ellie met along the way. Every stop introduced new characters with their own stories, and I loved watching Ellie build friendships and gain confidence outside of the life she’d always imagined with Carl. It really captured the adventurous spirit that made her such a lovable character in the first place.
The setting was another highlight. The descriptions of the landscapes, wildlife, and different places Ellie explored were so vivid that it was easy to picture everything. It had that same sense of wonder and adventure that makes Up so special, and I found myself completely immersed in the journey.
My biggest struggle was Kevin… or I guess “Soda Pop.” I understood why the story went in that direction, but I just could not picture him as this tiny bird that could fit in Ellie’s pocket. Every time he appeared, my brain immediately pictured the giant, colourful Kevin from the movie, so it kept pulling me out of the story a little. It wasn’t enough to ruin the book, but it definitely took some getting used to.
I also found myself wishing for a little more after the ending. I loved following Ellie on her adventure, but once she returned home, I wanted one more chapter to see how everything changed because of it. I wanted more of Ellie and Jean’s friendship, more moments between Ellie and Carl after everything she’d experienced, and especially more about her future working at the zoo and how this journey shaped the life she eventually built. After spending an entire book with Ellie, I wasn’t quite ready to leave her.
As someone who absolutely loves Up, I had a really fun time with this Twisted Tale. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it, but I ended up loving the decision to tell the story from Ellie’s perspective. She’s such an important part of Carl’s life, yet we only get snippets of who she is in the movie. Getting to see her own adventure felt like a really natural expansion of her character.
One of my favourite parts was all of the people Ellie met along the way. Every stop introduced new characters with their own stories, and I loved watching Ellie build friendships and gain confidence outside of the life she’d always imagined with Carl. It really captured the adventurous spirit that made her such a lovable character in the first place.
The setting was another highlight. The descriptions of the landscapes, wildlife, and different places Ellie explored were so vivid that it was easy to picture everything. It had that same sense of wonder and adventure that makes Up so special, and I found myself completely immersed in the journey.
My biggest struggle was Kevin… or I guess “Soda Pop.” I understood why the story went in that direction, but I just could not picture him as this tiny bird that could fit in Ellie’s pocket. Every time he appeared, my brain immediately pictured the giant, colourful Kevin from the movie, so it kept pulling me out of the story a little. It wasn’t enough to ruin the book, but it definitely took some getting used to.
I also found myself wishing for a little more after the ending. I loved following Ellie on her adventure, but once she returned home, I wanted one more chapter to see how everything changed because of it. I wanted more of Ellie and Jean’s friendship, more moments between Ellie and Carl after everything she’d experienced, and especially more about her future working at the zoo and how this journey shaped the life she eventually built. After spending an entire book with Ellie, I wasn’t quite ready to leave her.
June 21, 2026
I can't even begin to put into words just how much of a masterpiece this book was!!!
The plot? Genius! The writing? Great as always! The brand-new premise and story? Creative! The romance element? Beautifully written and flawless!
All in all, this was one of the best books I've read, and it's definitely one of my favorite in the Twisted Tale series. Liz Braswell never fails to impress me with her retellings.
Go read this for yourself, you won't regret it!!
The plot? Genius! The writing? Great as always! The brand-new premise and story? Creative! The romance element? Beautifully written and flawless!
All in all, this was one of the best books I've read, and it's definitely one of my favorite in the Twisted Tale series. Liz Braswell never fails to impress me with her retellings.
Go read this for yourself, you won't regret it!!
August 3, 2026
3.5 rounded up due to the feminist themes. I know technically this is a teen book but I started the series and now im committed. I think the overarching themes around women can do hard things and patronizing men being infuriating transcend age. And are also critical for women/girls of all ages to head.
The story was a bit dramatic at some points which was why I rated it what I did, but also - teenage FMC. So, ya know.
The story was a bit dramatic at some points which was why I rated it what I did, but also - teenage FMC. So, ya know.
Did Not Finish
June 3, 2026DNF @ 22% … it just did not feel like a lot was happening from what I read, I wanted to story to move a little faster than it did. Maybe I will revisit it one day
April 26, 2026
Dare I say my favorite Twisted Tale???
June 30, 2026
3.5/5 ⭐️
July 30, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Read this for a book club! Fun twist on the story :)
Read this for a book club! Fun twist on the story :)
August 25, 2026
⭐️ 3.75–4
I honestly think this one is less of a “twisted” version of Up and more like a prequel to the movie, with the twist being that Ellie actually gets to go on the adventure she always dreamed of as a teenage! One of my favorite parts of this book was getting to see Carl and Ellie as teenagers🥹. We get so much more of their friendship and relationship, and I loved seeing that innocent side of them before we know how their story eventually unfolds in the movie. It made their relationship in Up feel even more meaningful. Also, it was just so cute to see Carl being so shy and cute, and supported Ellie in so many ways. Where this setting was right after the war and there was issues with women in the work force, some getting fired or some having to fight to keep what they had while the men were at war.
I also really enjoyed Ellie’s time working at the zoo. It gave us a chance to see her passion for animals and her adventurous personality develop, while also showing how much she grows throughout the story. Watching Ellie become more confident, independent, and sure of herself was definitely one of the highlights for me. And then… **Ellie actually goes to Paradise Falls!**😳 I loved seeing her finally chase the adventure she had dreamed about for so long. The journey was fun, and I really enjoyed seeing everything she experienced and, more importantly, what she learned about herself along the way.
My biggest issue was definitely the length. This book is little over 500 pages, and while I enjoyed the story, there were definitely moments where I felt like it could have been shorter. 😅 I think that’s ultimately what kept me from giving it 5 stars. Overall, though, I really enjoyed this one! I loved getting more of Ellie’s story, seeing her and Carl grow up together, and watching Ellie become the adventurous person we always knew she was. It made me appreciate her character even more.
I honestly think this one is less of a “twisted” version of Up and more like a prequel to the movie, with the twist being that Ellie actually gets to go on the adventure she always dreamed of as a teenage! One of my favorite parts of this book was getting to see Carl and Ellie as teenagers🥹. We get so much more of their friendship and relationship, and I loved seeing that innocent side of them before we know how their story eventually unfolds in the movie. It made their relationship in Up feel even more meaningful. Also, it was just so cute to see Carl being so shy and cute, and supported Ellie in so many ways. Where this setting was right after the war and there was issues with women in the work force, some getting fired or some having to fight to keep what they had while the men were at war.
I also really enjoyed Ellie’s time working at the zoo. It gave us a chance to see her passion for animals and her adventurous personality develop, while also showing how much she grows throughout the story. Watching Ellie become more confident, independent, and sure of herself was definitely one of the highlights for me. And then… **Ellie actually goes to Paradise Falls!**😳 I loved seeing her finally chase the adventure she had dreamed about for so long. The journey was fun, and I really enjoyed seeing everything she experienced and, more importantly, what she learned about herself along the way.
My biggest issue was definitely the length. This book is little over 500 pages, and while I enjoyed the story, there were definitely moments where I felt like it could have been shorter. 😅 I think that’s ultimately what kept me from giving it 5 stars. Overall, though, I really enjoyed this one! I loved getting more of Ellie’s story, seeing her and Carl grow up together, and watching Ellie become the adventurous person we always knew she was. It made me appreciate her character even more.
July 18, 2026
**3.5**
What if it was Ellie who went Up to Paradise Falls?
I love that they’re bringing so much attention to the fact that south americans are still “americans”. In this time in the present, specifically, i think everyone needs a reminder of that
It kinda seems that ellie is spending her time down by the falls where there would be more people and other life. Whereas in the movie, carl landed up top. Not much was up there. I understand why we needed to spend so much time getting the background information in the first part. But while i was reading that part, it seemed to drag on…we probably would have been fine if it was 20% shorter.
The worst part about this is that we barely get ellie and carl together!! Yes, it’s nice to focus on ellie since we barely knew her in the movie, but i want their love story!! Someone get on that!
- Many of the details in the book are based of stories from the author’s son while working at a zoo
- Carl’s balloon was from his dad. So where was his dad in the movie??
- Carl got ellie a present. A pilot training manual
- Only brought of the thought of being together because someone at a museum or something thought they were married since always together
- Ellie questions an explorer at a dance
- Carl has a radio that he can use again. It was illegal during war times
- Ellie’s boss was fired. For sticking up for how animals are treated at the zoo
- They go out to talk about ellie being so passionate about the job and helped her realize she may have romantic feelings for carl and to shoot her shot before it’s too late
- Ellie is caring for a special, exotic bird. Wings are clipped carelessly
- Ellie makes her way up. I didn’t catch how this happened
- Greeted by a golden retriever puppy. This better not be dug. Cause dug wouldn’t be for another 50 ish years at least
- Meet 2 women. One is a map maker?
- Believes boss at the zoo was keeping “soda pop” (because the bird is bright purple like grape soda) for non-ethical reasons
- Meets a translator guy. Seems to be swooning over him
- Jean the translator is the son of one of the explorer women
- Leroy tries to get ellie arrested upon her return. HE ends up getting arrested.
- Carl used connections of connections to find ellie
- They finally kiss!
💛💚🩷💜❤️🩵
Prior to reading, i watched the following movies:
Up
Dug’s Special Mission
George and A.J.
Dug Days
Carl’s Date
Summaries to compare are below.
Up
- How much older than carl must charles be if he was an adult in a documentary while carl was a kid?
- Not only do ellie parents let her go wherever but it seems like carl’s too. Why was he at the theater himself??
- Absolutely powerful how we don’t even need to know the specifics of why they couldn’t have a baby. Or what ellie got sick with. We could see the everyday love and despair when things got bad
- carl did all of the balloons in one night? How did he even get all of them. And the helium tanks. His little stand surly didn’t have THAT many over one night. And then didn’t pre-detach parts of the house? How did the balloons even fit in the house??
- I know he was on a deadline but he never checked the weather? For the best route?
- 3 days until helium runs out. The falls aren’t that far. And carl isn’t that slow. They should be there in like an hour.
- What did he plan to do for food? Does he just have a stock of canned goods to least him the rest of his days. Or did he always plan to come back?
- Small throw and slow running and then expects a dog and a bird to not see the giant flying house
- Who is phyllis?? Step mom or a work secretary??
- What’s so special about this bird species?
- Russell uses balloons and a leaf blower to catch up to a whole ass blimp
- Carl got all his stuff out quick. Wouldn’t you start with the bug stuff tho? Keep the photos and stuff?
- Dug put alpha in the cone of shame so he is the new alpha.
- how did one gun shot detatch so many balloons? Not just pop them. But cut the strings
- did they literally have no time to shower? So this was russell’s mom’s first time meeting the dogs and everything?
- will dug’s voice thingy eventually run out?
- The house just happened to land right there?
Dug’s Special Mission
- dug’s birthday
- In charge of watching “the bird’s favorite rock”. It goes over the edge from other rocks falling down the hill
- In charge of a hole. Sinkhole
- Every time alpha tells dug to do something, he ends up activating a trap and capturing the other dogs
- Dug runs away sad and runs into carl and russell
George and A.J.
- Why the change in animation?!?!?
- Love how we can see russell hanging on for dear life
- Frozen mouth wide open
- Carl’s house liftoff was on the news
- Other older residents try ways of moving. Cats like a dogsled. Gas tanks. Etc
- Carl driving the blimp landed right on top of their van
Dug Days
- dug is obsessed with squirrels getting “dead”. So funny
1. Squirrel! - carl and dug live in a new house. Carl builds a birdfeeder. Dug is guarding it from squirrels
- felt bad for squirrel so gave it peanut butter. Some dropped on his nose so dug is mad at the squirrel for making his mouth stuck
2. Puppies - carl agrees to watch a litter of puppies. dug has fun with them until they start biting and eating his food.
- dug builds a “fence” to keep his toys safe
3. Smell - dug acts like he just discovered smells. Spells things all around the neighborhood. There’s one really bad smell. Follows it and discovers fire. May steal some food along the way
- goes to tell carl about the fire but his collar got stuck. He has to act it out
4. Flowers - celebrating 150 years of town. We learn about carl and ellie in high school. Carl says there are giant sky flowers to celebrate
- dug freaks out over fireworks. he falls asleep and has good dreams. But carl wakes him up. Finally gives dug headphones
5. Science - dug had to get his nails cut. Russell comes to visit. He lives next door? Russel used the collars from the explorer guy and tests it on all different animals
- other animals attack dug for a peanut butter sandwich. They plead their case why they deserve it over dug
- Dug is more than just a pet
Carl’s Date
- Muntz’s dogs get adopted
- Alpha recognizes dug is alpha
- Carl doesn’t know how to date. So he goes and buys a crap ton of chocolates
- Gets flowers and cologne. Learning to dance and make small talk
- Dies his hair to black. Why black? His hair wasn’t black.
- Dug asks carl why he is not him. Hits hard
- beautiful tribute to ellie. She can never be replaced
What if it was Ellie who went Up to Paradise Falls?
I love that they’re bringing so much attention to the fact that south americans are still “americans”. In this time in the present, specifically, i think everyone needs a reminder of that
It kinda seems that ellie is spending her time down by the falls where there would be more people and other life. Whereas in the movie, carl landed up top. Not much was up there. I understand why we needed to spend so much time getting the background information in the first part. But while i was reading that part, it seemed to drag on…we probably would have been fine if it was 20% shorter.
The worst part about this is that we barely get ellie and carl together!! Yes, it’s nice to focus on ellie since we barely knew her in the movie, but i want their love story!! Someone get on that!
- Many of the details in the book are based of stories from the author’s son while working at a zoo
- Carl’s balloon was from his dad. So where was his dad in the movie??
- Carl got ellie a present. A pilot training manual
- Only brought of the thought of being together because someone at a museum or something thought they were married since always together
- Ellie questions an explorer at a dance
- Carl has a radio that he can use again. It was illegal during war times
- Ellie’s boss was fired. For sticking up for how animals are treated at the zoo
- They go out to talk about ellie being so passionate about the job and helped her realize she may have romantic feelings for carl and to shoot her shot before it’s too late
- Ellie is caring for a special, exotic bird. Wings are clipped carelessly
- Ellie makes her way up. I didn’t catch how this happened
- Greeted by a golden retriever puppy. This better not be dug. Cause dug wouldn’t be for another 50 ish years at least
- Meet 2 women. One is a map maker?
- Believes boss at the zoo was keeping “soda pop” (because the bird is bright purple like grape soda) for non-ethical reasons
- Meets a translator guy. Seems to be swooning over him
- Jean the translator is the son of one of the explorer women
- Leroy tries to get ellie arrested upon her return. HE ends up getting arrested.
- Carl used connections of connections to find ellie
- They finally kiss!
💛💚🩷💜❤️🩵
Prior to reading, i watched the following movies:
Up
Dug’s Special Mission
George and A.J.
Dug Days
Carl’s Date
Summaries to compare are below.
Up
- How much older than carl must charles be if he was an adult in a documentary while carl was a kid?
- Not only do ellie parents let her go wherever but it seems like carl’s too. Why was he at the theater himself??
- Absolutely powerful how we don’t even need to know the specifics of why they couldn’t have a baby. Or what ellie got sick with. We could see the everyday love and despair when things got bad
- carl did all of the balloons in one night? How did he even get all of them. And the helium tanks. His little stand surly didn’t have THAT many over one night. And then didn’t pre-detach parts of the house? How did the balloons even fit in the house??
- I know he was on a deadline but he never checked the weather? For the best route?
- 3 days until helium runs out. The falls aren’t that far. And carl isn’t that slow. They should be there in like an hour.
- What did he plan to do for food? Does he just have a stock of canned goods to least him the rest of his days. Or did he always plan to come back?
- Small throw and slow running and then expects a dog and a bird to not see the giant flying house
- Who is phyllis?? Step mom or a work secretary??
- What’s so special about this bird species?
- Russell uses balloons and a leaf blower to catch up to a whole ass blimp
- Carl got all his stuff out quick. Wouldn’t you start with the bug stuff tho? Keep the photos and stuff?
- Dug put alpha in the cone of shame so he is the new alpha.
- how did one gun shot detatch so many balloons? Not just pop them. But cut the strings
- did they literally have no time to shower? So this was russell’s mom’s first time meeting the dogs and everything?
- will dug’s voice thingy eventually run out?
- The house just happened to land right there?
Dug’s Special Mission
- dug’s birthday
- In charge of watching “the bird’s favorite rock”. It goes over the edge from other rocks falling down the hill
- In charge of a hole. Sinkhole
- Every time alpha tells dug to do something, he ends up activating a trap and capturing the other dogs
- Dug runs away sad and runs into carl and russell
George and A.J.
- Why the change in animation?!?!?
- Love how we can see russell hanging on for dear life
- Frozen mouth wide open
- Carl’s house liftoff was on the news
- Other older residents try ways of moving. Cats like a dogsled. Gas tanks. Etc
- Carl driving the blimp landed right on top of their van
Dug Days
- dug is obsessed with squirrels getting “dead”. So funny
1. Squirrel! - carl and dug live in a new house. Carl builds a birdfeeder. Dug is guarding it from squirrels
- felt bad for squirrel so gave it peanut butter. Some dropped on his nose so dug is mad at the squirrel for making his mouth stuck
2. Puppies - carl agrees to watch a litter of puppies. dug has fun with them until they start biting and eating his food.
- dug builds a “fence” to keep his toys safe
3. Smell - dug acts like he just discovered smells. Spells things all around the neighborhood. There’s one really bad smell. Follows it and discovers fire. May steal some food along the way
- goes to tell carl about the fire but his collar got stuck. He has to act it out
4. Flowers - celebrating 150 years of town. We learn about carl and ellie in high school. Carl says there are giant sky flowers to celebrate
- dug freaks out over fireworks. he falls asleep and has good dreams. But carl wakes him up. Finally gives dug headphones
5. Science - dug had to get his nails cut. Russell comes to visit. He lives next door? Russel used the collars from the explorer guy and tests it on all different animals
- other animals attack dug for a peanut butter sandwich. They plead their case why they deserve it over dug
- Dug is more than just a pet
Carl’s Date
- Muntz’s dogs get adopted
- Alpha recognizes dug is alpha
- Carl doesn’t know how to date. So he goes and buys a crap ton of chocolates
- Gets flowers and cologne. Learning to dance and make small talk
- Dies his hair to black. Why black? His hair wasn’t black.
- Dug asks carl why he is not him. Hits hard
- beautiful tribute to ellie. She can never be replaced
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2026
it was good, but lord, suspension of belief needed to be had 😅
September 6, 2026
"Ellie felt a pang. She was having the adventure of a lifetime without him."
Given how much of Up's theming relied on hurt and comfort with some angst, I was curious to see how this book would turn out. Originally it wasn't on my want to-read list like As Old as Time was, but I decided to take it anyway. For added convenience I also decided to check this book out digitally. (That is until I ran out of time to read it and had to continue reading it through a physical copy.)
Anyway, let's rev up the engine and get flying!
This book is set in the 1940s, both during and after World War II in a city called Bloomington. They don't give the state name, but I'm guessing it's referring to the city in Indiana. So kudos to Braswell for representing a state that seems to be rarely featured in fiction books. The book is also really good at describing the wild landscape while also weaving in themes of feminism, environmentalism, rational thought vs emotion, and decision vs indecision.
However, I was surprised at the amount of book original characters we got for this book. Between Ellie's family the McGills, the zoo employees (such as Margaret Klein and Dr. Hua) and the rich adventurers (such as Leroy and his crew), and numerous others (such Louise Jefferson, Ana and Jean ) there are over twenty new characters exclusive to this one book, plus one historical domain character; , who helps out Ellie as she tries to
All these characters are a bit overwhelming if you ask me. Still, it seems at least some of these characters were used pretty well. However, despite being mentioned several times, Charles Muntz , which is kind of a disappointment. But yet it also paves the way to show
Yet I also noticed a few possible errors within the summary. The summary says that Ellie's last name is Mullins, but in the book her family's name is McGill. Seems a bit strange to me. Is this a possible publishers error? Same goes for Carl's injury. Both the book (and the movie) show him breaking his arm, but the summary says he broke his leg. How do you get that wrong?
Despite these errors, I really enjoyed the book's plot line. While it was a bit slow at times, it does get more entertaining once we get to the second act. Margaret but it also sets the stage for events to come. From Ellie taking the plane, finding a way to help her purple bird (which she named Soda Pop), learning more about some of the plants (such as the quinine tree), and eventually finding a way to outwit
And in between all these events, she actually does get to Paradise Falls. Or Kerepakupai Merú, as the locals call it. But Paradise Falls is not the end, because she has to find a way to protect it and all who live there.
I would have liked to see more of an epilogue and a possible flash-forward into the future (possibly involving , but even without it, things are looking bright for Ellie, her friends, family, and all her loved ones.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Dare I say even more than As Old as Time, which was actually on my want to read list. We might not all be pilots, but we can still fly on our own and do the right thing. And remember that adventure is out there, waiting to be found.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Twisted Tale rankings so far:
Sally's Lament (5/5)
Once Upon a Dream (4.8/5)
Mirror, Mirror (4.7/5)
So This is Love (4.7/5)
Reflection (4.6/5)
Adventure is Out There! (4.5/5)
How Far I'll Go (4.5/5)
Almost There (4.3/5)
As Old as Time (4.2/5)
Unbirthday (4.2/5)
A Whole New World (4/5)
What Once Was Mine (3.8/5)
Conceal, Don't Feel (3.5/5)
Part of Your World (1.3/5)
Given how much of Up's theming relied on hurt and comfort with some angst, I was curious to see how this book would turn out. Originally it wasn't on my want to-read list like As Old as Time was, but I decided to take it anyway. For added convenience I also decided to check this book out digitally. (That is until I ran out of time to read it and had to continue reading it through a physical copy.)
Anyway, let's rev up the engine and get flying!
This book is set in the 1940s, both during and after World War II in a city called Bloomington. They don't give the state name, but I'm guessing it's referring to the city in Indiana. So kudos to Braswell for representing a state that seems to be rarely featured in fiction books. The book is also really good at describing the wild landscape while also weaving in themes of feminism, environmentalism, rational thought vs emotion, and decision vs indecision.
However, I was surprised at the amount of book original characters we got for this book. Between Ellie's family the McGills, the zoo employees (such as Margaret Klein and Dr. Hua) and the rich adventurers (such as Leroy and his crew), and numerous others (such Louise Jefferson, Ana and Jean ) there are over twenty new characters exclusive to this one book, plus one historical domain character; , who helps out Ellie as she tries to
All these characters are a bit overwhelming if you ask me. Still, it seems at least some of these characters were used pretty well. However, despite being mentioned several times, Charles Muntz , which is kind of a disappointment. But yet it also paves the way to show
Yet I also noticed a few possible errors within the summary. The summary says that Ellie's last name is Mullins, but in the book her family's name is McGill. Seems a bit strange to me. Is this a possible publishers error? Same goes for Carl's injury. Both the book (and the movie) show him breaking his arm, but the summary says he broke his leg. How do you get that wrong?
Despite these errors, I really enjoyed the book's plot line. While it was a bit slow at times, it does get more entertaining once we get to the second act. Margaret but it also sets the stage for events to come. From Ellie taking the plane, finding a way to help her purple bird (which she named Soda Pop), learning more about some of the plants (such as the quinine tree), and eventually finding a way to outwit
And in between all these events, she actually does get to Paradise Falls. Or Kerepakupai Merú, as the locals call it. But Paradise Falls is not the end, because she has to find a way to protect it and all who live there.
I would have liked to see more of an epilogue and a possible flash-forward into the future (possibly involving , but even without it, things are looking bright for Ellie, her friends, family, and all her loved ones.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Dare I say even more than As Old as Time, which was actually on my want to read list. We might not all be pilots, but we can still fly on our own and do the right thing. And remember that adventure is out there, waiting to be found.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Twisted Tale rankings so far:
Sally's Lament (5/5)
Once Upon a Dream (4.8/5)
Mirror, Mirror (4.7/5)
So This is Love (4.7/5)
Reflection (4.6/5)
Adventure is Out There! (4.5/5)
How Far I'll Go (4.5/5)
Almost There (4.3/5)
As Old as Time (4.2/5)
Unbirthday (4.2/5)
A Whole New World (4/5)
What Once Was Mine (3.8/5)
Conceal, Don't Feel (3.5/5)
Part of Your World (1.3/5)
May 1, 2026
This is my fourth book that i've read in the twisted tale series and MY GOD is this the worst one. Hands down. Like it's not even close. The Hercules, Princess and the Frog, and Nightmare before Christmas books were all in the pretty dang good category. but MY GOD was this one bad. I feel like in order to properly describe WHY this is so bad, i need to bring out some bullet points.
1. it's too long. like it's 100-150 pages too long. she spends WAY too much time on nothing that by the time you get to the "adventure" you don't care. and this is a "Y" book don't forget. so you'd even be losing young people. in this 500 page book she doesn't even leave to go to paradise falls until page 250. literally halfway through the book. there's so much filler in the beginning talking about Ellie's hometown and how men who came back after WWII stole the jobs women took over blah blah that you just completely lose interest by the time the actual adventure kicks in.
2. While i'm no stranger to feminism in books, and i have NO problem with female lead stories (as i said, i thoroughly enjoyed the previous 3 twisted tales starring Meg, Sally, and Tiana) the feminism is REALLY in your face. there's no subtlety. the antagonist is a white rich guy who fires the smart kind woman who ran things wonderfully before he came back. The other male besides Carl is a self absorbed pretty boy. Every single woman (with the exception of like 2 henchladies) in the book (in the 40's mind you) is capable, doctorate level intelligence, but only held down by the man. and the only good male really in the book is carl. I don't mind if you want to put a bit of a feminist agenda in your book but when it TAKES OVER THE PLOT, when i'm trying to have a disney adventure, it gets a bit tiring
3. they don't utilitize ANY of the stuff from the movie. because they're doing ellie's story when she's a kid, there's no flying house, no kevin (the bird), and there's not even Charles munz. you know...the VILLAIN of the movie? he gets referenced a bunch but doesn't appear ONCE in the book. Like, how do you even HAVE an Up book with NONE of those things? Ellie isn't old, there's no balloon house. They tease Munz like 100 times but he never shows up. It's really not even an Up book. it has The names Ellie and Carl, but honestly, if you had called the two main characters Jill and Jack, You wouldn't even have known this was an Up book. it could have been any generic adventure book. the connections is superficial at best and nothing at worst.
4. it's incredibly boring. the adventure she's on doesn't have any excitement. it's just the author whinging about how girls don't get a fair shake in the 40's. (she doesn't go on the adventure until page 250 of the 500 page book), she has so many internal monologues about what Carl would say at the moment, how she wants to go on adventure, how the guy at the zoo is unfair. blah blah. it's so distractingly dull for the first 85% of the book you have to fight yourself to not skim through it.
5. there's no whimsy. most of it is just ellie complaining in internal monologues. There's no fun to this book. It's just incredibly dull and it reads like the author has a chip on her shoulder about men. like she just wanted to kvetch about men in the 1940's.
I'm sad this book was so awful. I REALLY wanted to enjoy it. i was thinking "oh. maybe Ellie will be the old lady and fly her house" nope. "okay, well maybe a YOUNG ellie will meet charles munz and-" nope. "okay..um...well maybe ellie will find out about the talking dogs or kevin or-" nope. Nope. if you were hoping there to be ANY connection to Up other than the main characters names, you will be sorely disappointed.
I'm trying so hard to find anything good about this book, and the only thing i can say about it is that..you know, i'm sitting here writing this review trying to think of a positive to not give this book a 1 out of 5, and i'm really struggling. it REALLY is a 1.5 out of 5. but do i round it up to a 2 or down to a 1?
You know, i think more than anything i'm mad about the missed opportunity. so yeah. i'm gonna round it down. I could have had a wacky adventure with an old lady. and i didn't get that. i got whinging. and that i can't forgive.
1.5 out of 5 rounded down to a 1.
1. it's too long. like it's 100-150 pages too long. she spends WAY too much time on nothing that by the time you get to the "adventure" you don't care. and this is a "Y" book don't forget. so you'd even be losing young people. in this 500 page book she doesn't even leave to go to paradise falls until page 250. literally halfway through the book. there's so much filler in the beginning talking about Ellie's hometown and how men who came back after WWII stole the jobs women took over blah blah that you just completely lose interest by the time the actual adventure kicks in.
2. While i'm no stranger to feminism in books, and i have NO problem with female lead stories (as i said, i thoroughly enjoyed the previous 3 twisted tales starring Meg, Sally, and Tiana) the feminism is REALLY in your face. there's no subtlety. the antagonist is a white rich guy who fires the smart kind woman who ran things wonderfully before he came back. The other male besides Carl is a self absorbed pretty boy. Every single woman (with the exception of like 2 henchladies) in the book (in the 40's mind you) is capable, doctorate level intelligence, but only held down by the man. and the only good male really in the book is carl. I don't mind if you want to put a bit of a feminist agenda in your book but when it TAKES OVER THE PLOT, when i'm trying to have a disney adventure, it gets a bit tiring
3. they don't utilitize ANY of the stuff from the movie. because they're doing ellie's story when she's a kid, there's no flying house, no kevin (the bird), and there's not even Charles munz. you know...the VILLAIN of the movie? he gets referenced a bunch but doesn't appear ONCE in the book. Like, how do you even HAVE an Up book with NONE of those things? Ellie isn't old, there's no balloon house. They tease Munz like 100 times but he never shows up. It's really not even an Up book. it has The names Ellie and Carl, but honestly, if you had called the two main characters Jill and Jack, You wouldn't even have known this was an Up book. it could have been any generic adventure book. the connections is superficial at best and nothing at worst.
4. it's incredibly boring. the adventure she's on doesn't have any excitement. it's just the author whinging about how girls don't get a fair shake in the 40's. (she doesn't go on the adventure until page 250 of the 500 page book), she has so many internal monologues about what Carl would say at the moment, how she wants to go on adventure, how the guy at the zoo is unfair. blah blah. it's so distractingly dull for the first 85% of the book you have to fight yourself to not skim through it.
5. there's no whimsy. most of it is just ellie complaining in internal monologues. There's no fun to this book. It's just incredibly dull and it reads like the author has a chip on her shoulder about men. like she just wanted to kvetch about men in the 1940's.
I'm sad this book was so awful. I REALLY wanted to enjoy it. i was thinking "oh. maybe Ellie will be the old lady and fly her house" nope. "okay, well maybe a YOUNG ellie will meet charles munz and-" nope. "okay..um...well maybe ellie will find out about the talking dogs or kevin or-" nope. Nope. if you were hoping there to be ANY connection to Up other than the main characters names, you will be sorely disappointed.
I'm trying so hard to find anything good about this book, and the only thing i can say about it is that..you know, i'm sitting here writing this review trying to think of a positive to not give this book a 1 out of 5, and i'm really struggling. it REALLY is a 1.5 out of 5. but do i round it up to a 2 or down to a 1?
You know, i think more than anything i'm mad about the missed opportunity. so yeah. i'm gonna round it down. I could have had a wacky adventure with an old lady. and i didn't get that. i got whinging. and that i can't forgive.
1.5 out of 5 rounded down to a 1.
June 2, 2026
🎈 What if Ellie had been the one to chase the adventure?
⭐️⭐️⭐️½ (3.5/5)
I’ve read most of the Disney Twisted Tales-style books written by Liz Braswell, and this may be my favorite of the bunch. In Adventure Is Out There, Braswell imagines an alternate version of Pixar’s Up where Ellie—not Carl—sets off for Paradise Falls. The result is part adventure story, part historical fiction, and a fresh take on two beloved characters.
Set in the 1940s when Ellie and Carl are sixteen-year-old neighbors and best friends, the book shines brightest in its exploration of the era. While this is technically a YA novel, there’s a surprising amount of historical depth woven throughout the story. Braswell examines how women entered the workforce during World War II, only to be pushed back toward traditional domestic roles afterward. Themes of sexism, workplace inequality, and even a bit of mansplaining feel remarkably relevant despite the historical setting.
The first half of the novel was easily my favorite. I loved spending time with young Ellie and Carl and watching Ellie pursue the kind of adventure she’s always dreamed about. There is a small love triangle element, but Up fans can rest easy—Ellie and Carl remain the heart of the story.
My biggest criticism is the length. At more than 500 pages, the story occasionally feels stretched out, and I think it would have been stronger with a tighter edit. Even so, I had a great time with this one and found it to be one of the most engaging entries in Braswell’s Disney catalog.
You don’t need to have watched Up to enjoy this book, but longtime fans will definitely get the most out of it. If you’ve ever wondered what might have happened had Ellie been the one chasing Paradise Falls, this is a fun adventure worth taking.
⭐️⭐️⭐️½ (3.5/5)
I’ve read most of the Disney Twisted Tales-style books written by Liz Braswell, and this may be my favorite of the bunch. In Adventure Is Out There, Braswell imagines an alternate version of Pixar’s Up where Ellie—not Carl—sets off for Paradise Falls. The result is part adventure story, part historical fiction, and a fresh take on two beloved characters.
Set in the 1940s when Ellie and Carl are sixteen-year-old neighbors and best friends, the book shines brightest in its exploration of the era. While this is technically a YA novel, there’s a surprising amount of historical depth woven throughout the story. Braswell examines how women entered the workforce during World War II, only to be pushed back toward traditional domestic roles afterward. Themes of sexism, workplace inequality, and even a bit of mansplaining feel remarkably relevant despite the historical setting.
The first half of the novel was easily my favorite. I loved spending time with young Ellie and Carl and watching Ellie pursue the kind of adventure she’s always dreamed about. There is a small love triangle element, but Up fans can rest easy—Ellie and Carl remain the heart of the story.
My biggest criticism is the length. At more than 500 pages, the story occasionally feels stretched out, and I think it would have been stronger with a tighter edit. Even so, I had a great time with this one and found it to be one of the most engaging entries in Braswell’s Disney catalog.
You don’t need to have watched Up to enjoy this book, but longtime fans will definitely get the most out of it. If you’ve ever wondered what might have happened had Ellie been the one chasing Paradise Falls, this is a fun adventure worth taking.
August 20, 2026
3.75⭐️
I absolutely LOVED the first 2/3 of this book. It was charming, it was empowering, it was funny, and it was perfectly Pixar-y. Ellie was (initially) written so well as it explored her large family, her developing feelings for Carl, and her love of animals. The book added extra context to the Up-story, taking place after the end of WW1 with Ellie interning at the local zoo. But when the boys come back from war, so does the super misogynistic, de facto-owner of the zoo/privileged explorer who fires Ellie’s mentor, belittles Ellie, and brings exotic and rare animals to the zoo, including a rare baby bird Ellie affectionately calls Soda Pop.
Between Ellie secretly caring for an ailing Soda, navigating her relationship with Carl (OMG his birthday gift for Ellie!?! They truly are endgame in every universe!) and standing up for herself and her mentor, Ellie sets off on a wild, thrilling adventure to Paradise Falls to repatriate Soda Pop back to his family. I was prepared early on to give this book 5 stars, but once Ellie lands in Venezuela, that is where the story starts to crumble…
She means a Casanova charmer in the jungle who I just did not care for. At this point, Ellie started acting out of character, there were monologues about slaves and the bourgeoisie, and it just felt so disjointed and different from the start of the book. There were some fun action sequences, but in whole, and I just did not care for the Paradise Falls portion of the book. Plus, Eva Perón randomly shows up at the end and at that point, it felt like we were trying to force historical non-fiction and realism into a story that flourished because of its Disney fantastical fiction roots.
I absolutely LOVED the first 2/3 of this book. It was charming, it was empowering, it was funny, and it was perfectly Pixar-y. Ellie was (initially) written so well as it explored her large family, her developing feelings for Carl, and her love of animals. The book added extra context to the Up-story, taking place after the end of WW1 with Ellie interning at the local zoo. But when the boys come back from war, so does the super misogynistic, de facto-owner of the zoo/privileged explorer who fires Ellie’s mentor, belittles Ellie, and brings exotic and rare animals to the zoo, including a rare baby bird Ellie affectionately calls Soda Pop.
Between Ellie secretly caring for an ailing Soda, navigating her relationship with Carl (OMG his birthday gift for Ellie!?! They truly are endgame in every universe!) and standing up for herself and her mentor, Ellie sets off on a wild, thrilling adventure to Paradise Falls to repatriate Soda Pop back to his family. I was prepared early on to give this book 5 stars, but once Ellie lands in Venezuela, that is where the story starts to crumble…
She means a Casanova charmer in the jungle who I just did not care for. At this point, Ellie started acting out of character, there were monologues about slaves and the bourgeoisie, and it just felt so disjointed and different from the start of the book. There were some fun action sequences, but in whole, and I just did not care for the Paradise Falls portion of the book. Plus, Eva Perón randomly shows up at the end and at that point, it felt like we were trying to force historical non-fiction and realism into a story that flourished because of its Disney fantastical fiction roots.
September 10, 2026
A FITTING ADVENTURE FOR ELLIE THE BRAVE
3,5 stars. I just love these characters too much to round down my rating to 3 stars, so I'll turn a blind eye to the fact that I may be a little too grown-up for this kind of book, and that I lost interest a bit during the second part. I read quite a few reviews pointing out this imbalance between the first and second sections of the novel, with the former being much more interesting. I totally agree, and I think the author made a great choice in setting Ellie's story in a zoo, where she could not only address a lot of sensitive issues (animal cruelty, gender and class inequality), but also give Ellie the chance to shine - and to grow.
As for this, I loved the way her relationship with Carl was handled, showing the growing affection between them and the same difficulty in admitting their feelings, both to themselves and to each other. After a weak second section, where , that ending was precisely what we needed, with the discovery that
Another great example of character building was Ms. Klein, the zookeeper, who, along with the women Ellie met during her time abroad, helped reinforce the meaningful message about female empowerment already conveyed through Ellie and her brave actions. I could really see her going through these very adventures before the events of the movie - it fits her character so well!
3,5 stars. I just love these characters too much to round down my rating to 3 stars, so I'll turn a blind eye to the fact that I may be a little too grown-up for this kind of book, and that I lost interest a bit during the second part. I read quite a few reviews pointing out this imbalance between the first and second sections of the novel, with the former being much more interesting. I totally agree, and I think the author made a great choice in setting Ellie's story in a zoo, where she could not only address a lot of sensitive issues (animal cruelty, gender and class inequality), but also give Ellie the chance to shine - and to grow.
As for this, I loved the way her relationship with Carl was handled, showing the growing affection between them and the same difficulty in admitting their feelings, both to themselves and to each other. After a weak second section, where , that ending was precisely what we needed, with the discovery that
Another great example of character building was Ms. Klein, the zookeeper, who, along with the women Ellie met during her time abroad, helped reinforce the meaningful message about female empowerment already conveyed through Ellie and her brave actions. I could really see her going through these very adventures before the events of the movie - it fits her character so well!
August 11, 2026
3.6875
The first half to this is so good I read it in one sitting. The next quarter is also good - full of intriguing new characters and the gorgeous setting of Venezuela around what English speakers call Angel Falls.
Unfortunately the last ¼ is less coherent. I mean, yeah, it's based on an animated movie, so there are silly things like taking puppies on an expedition and a clingy bird. But Ellie also gets really daft all of the sudden in service to several teaching moments throughout. It feels a bit preachy in parts, though maybe that's just an adult reading YA perspective. There's also a girl-goes-dumb-over-boy subplot that was kinda meh, as well as Eva Perón's involvement for some reason??
The mix of harsh reality and animated romp is kinda what Up is known for, so I can't fault the author for going that way, but it made the end of the book less enjoyable than the rest for me despite being well researched on a lot of topics (aviation, geography, cartography, etc.).
I would still 100% recommend this to young adults across the spectrum of that age group. It's a perspective our history classes do not tend to touch and our country did some really appalling things to our South American neighbors that would provide a lot of missing context for horrific modern events.
annotations
The first half to this is so good I read it in one sitting. The next quarter is also good - full of intriguing new characters and the gorgeous setting of Venezuela around what English speakers call Angel Falls.
Unfortunately the last ¼ is less coherent. I mean, yeah, it's based on an animated movie, so there are silly things like taking puppies on an expedition and a clingy bird. But Ellie also gets really daft all of the sudden in service to several teaching moments throughout. It feels a bit preachy in parts, though maybe that's just an adult reading YA perspective. There's also a girl-goes-dumb-over-boy subplot that was kinda meh, as well as Eva Perón's involvement for some reason??
The mix of harsh reality and animated romp is kinda what Up is known for, so I can't fault the author for going that way, but it made the end of the book less enjoyable than the rest for me despite being well researched on a lot of topics (aviation, geography, cartography, etc.).
I would still 100% recommend this to young adults across the spectrum of that age group. It's a perspective our history classes do not tend to touch and our country did some really appalling things to our South American neighbors that would provide a lot of missing context for horrific modern events.
annotations
July 9, 2026
I really can't convey how frustrated I was with this read. As a part of the Twisted Tales series, I expected something that would roll around in my head for day, something really thought-provoking, and a profound alteration to the story itself. Instead, what I got was a typical coming-of-age story, written much more juvenile-y than it needed to be. When I was sixteen, I wasn't writing this simply, let alone thinking this simply. Just because a person is young does not not necessarily mean that their thinking process is any less complex. And honestly? The story isn't riveting at all. Ellie doesn't even go to Paradise Falls until halfway through the book. She always finds someone who is happy to help her even if she does come across "danger" along the way. Nothing felt high stakes. I always knew she'd make it home.
A Twisted Tale story (in my humble opinion) is meant to take the classic Disney stories we love and turn them in a whole new direction. Adventure is Out There! does not do this. In fact, all the events of the story could have plausibly happened and not affected the events of the movie Up in the slightest. I wanted something different, yet still got a textbook coming-of-age story, without the slightest hint of whimsy.
A Twisted Tale story (in my humble opinion) is meant to take the classic Disney stories we love and turn them in a whole new direction. Adventure is Out There! does not do this. In fact, all the events of the story could have plausibly happened and not affected the events of the movie Up in the slightest. I wanted something different, yet still got a textbook coming-of-age story, without the slightest hint of whimsy.
August 18, 2026
I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.
I love the film Up so when I saw this book I was immediately intrigued. It did not disappoint! I had a wonderful time reading this and getting to see more of Ellie on her adventure. The premise of this is what if Ellie was the one to go to Paradise Falls? This takes place largely when Ellie is a young girl up to the age of sixteen. We see her growing friendship with Carl. We see her getting a job at the zoo as an intern, and we learn more about her family.
The bulk of the story takes place in the years after World War Two and we see what happens to women when the men come back, wanting their jobs back. There’s a worrying dismissal of the female characters and a lack of respect shown. This affects characters Ellie knows personally.
It’s not a spoiler to say Ellie goes to paradise falls, with that being the premise of the book! But there’s quite a long build up to this and we really get to know Ellie well as a person. She’s driven, she’s got a strong sense of right and wrong (though her taste in heroes can be iffy). When she gets to Paradise Falls she really does have an adventure!
This was an absolutely delightful read and a wonderful take on the story of Up.
I love the film Up so when I saw this book I was immediately intrigued. It did not disappoint! I had a wonderful time reading this and getting to see more of Ellie on her adventure. The premise of this is what if Ellie was the one to go to Paradise Falls? This takes place largely when Ellie is a young girl up to the age of sixteen. We see her growing friendship with Carl. We see her getting a job at the zoo as an intern, and we learn more about her family.
The bulk of the story takes place in the years after World War Two and we see what happens to women when the men come back, wanting their jobs back. There’s a worrying dismissal of the female characters and a lack of respect shown. This affects characters Ellie knows personally.
It’s not a spoiler to say Ellie goes to paradise falls, with that being the premise of the book! But there’s quite a long build up to this and we really get to know Ellie well as a person. She’s driven, she’s got a strong sense of right and wrong (though her taste in heroes can be iffy). When she gets to Paradise Falls she really does have an adventure!
This was an absolutely delightful read and a wonderful take on the story of Up.
May 13, 2026
I loved the start of this book, with Carl and Ellie growing up and their adventures together. Also Ellies time at the zoo and the different kind of people she worked with.
I loved Soda-Pop and the relationship Ellie build with him. The little tests back in the zoo, but also when she discovers his home and keeps him close at her in the jungle.
From the moment Ellie actually went to Paradise Falls, I started to grow more annoyed with the story. I didn’t bond with the people she met in the jungle and the relationships between them.
I kinda hoped the book would have a plottwist to boost the story. Charles Muntz never even got an apearance, nor any other character from the movie, despite all his mentions.
I must admit this story doesn’t really feel like a twisted tale, because Ellie already went to Paradise Falls when she was young. The book missed out on almost everything in the movie.
The pace was a bit to slow for me.
I loved Soda-Pop and the relationship Ellie build with him. The little tests back in the zoo, but also when she discovers his home and keeps him close at her in the jungle.
From the moment Ellie actually went to Paradise Falls, I started to grow more annoyed with the story. I didn’t bond with the people she met in the jungle and the relationships between them.
I kinda hoped the book would have a plottwist to boost the story. Charles Muntz never even got an apearance, nor any other character from the movie, despite all his mentions.
I must admit this story doesn’t really feel like a twisted tale, because Ellie already went to Paradise Falls when she was young. The book missed out on almost everything in the movie.
The pace was a bit to slow for me.
April 13, 2026
This is genuinely one of my favorites from the Twisted Tales series. I absolutely loved getting to read from Ellie’s perspective and learn more about her since we obviously can’t in the movie (😭). She is just so smart and loving to all animals and it’s just a blast to see her perspective of everything. The plot and the actual story was really really well told, it was fun and suspenseful and mysterious and so much more. If you’re a fan of the movie Up, I think you’ll definitely like it. This peek into Carl and Ellie’s early life is absolutely amazing and makes you all the more sad for the beginning of the movie (😭). ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
PS
This book is set in the 1940s post WWII so there are A LOT of men underestimating women as was the thing back then. Made me cringe and roll my eyes every time. But still a fantastic read.
PS
This book is set in the 1940s post WWII so there are A LOT of men underestimating women as was the thing back then. Made me cringe and roll my eyes every time. But still a fantastic read.
August 6, 2026
It took a bit to get into the book, setting up the characters and relationships before Ellie took off, but once she was off it moved at a pretty good pace.
I think the hardest part about this one is that it more or less takes place in the real world. Some of the events wouldn’t have felt over the top in another setting, but because there were real people included in the book, it definitely detracted from my suspension of disbelief. Especially believing that she could successfully fly an airplane… I’ve seen the Top Gun movies, she would NOT have been anywhere near as successful with no real experience. Reaching her destination AND not dying?? Ok….
We love Carl! This made me appreciate him as a character even more.🥰
I think the hardest part about this one is that it more or less takes place in the real world. Some of the events wouldn’t have felt over the top in another setting, but because there were real people included in the book, it definitely detracted from my suspension of disbelief. Especially believing that she could successfully fly an airplane… I’ve seen the Top Gun movies, she would NOT have been anywhere near as successful with no real experience. Reaching her destination AND not dying?? Ok….
We love Carl! This made me appreciate him as a character even more.🥰
Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews