Almost There

by Farrah Rochon

Sometimes, life in the Big Easy is tough. No one knows that better than Tiana, though she also believes that hard work can go a long way. But when the notorious Dr. Facilier backs her into a corner, she has no other choice but to accept an offer that will alter the course of her life in an instant.
Soon Tiana finds herself in a new reality where all her deepest desires are realized―she finally gets her restaurant, her friends are safe and sound, and, perhaps most miraculous of all, her beloved father is still alive. She's got everything she's ever wanted...
But after a while, her hometown grows increasingly eerie, with new threats cropping up from unlikely places. Navigating through this strange new New Orleans, Tiana must work alongside Naveen and Charlotte to set things right―or risk losing everything she holds dear.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Retellings, Romance, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Audiobook

464 pages, Unknown Binding

First published September 6, 2022

About the author

A native of south Louisiana, Farrah Rochon officially began her writing career while waiting in between classes in the student lounge at Xavier University of Louisiana. After earning her Bachelors of Science degree and a Masters of Arts from Southeastern Louisiana University, Farrah decided to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a published novelist. She was named Shades of Romance Magazine's Best New Author of 2007. Her debut novel, Deliver Me, the first in her Holmes Brothers series, garnered rave reviews, earning Farrah several SORMAG Readers' Choice Awards.

In September 2010, Farrah joined the Kimani Romance family with the launch of her new series that follows the life of the fictional New York Sabers football team.

When she is not writing in her favorite coffee shop, Farrah spends most of her time reading her favorite romance novels, hanging around on Twitter, and trying to attend as many Broadway shows as her budget will allow. An admitted sports fanatic, Farrah feeds her addiction to football by watching New Orleans Saints games on Sunday afternoons.

Reviews

[megs_bookrack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost There is the 13th-installment in Disney's Twisted Tales series. These YA-books can be read in any order, as they each follow different characters and their stories are completely unrelated.

The point of this series is to take our favorite Disney tales, twist one element and explore what would have happened if that twist had actually occurred. Think of it as a sort of alternate history for Disney stories.



It's Tiana's turn to take center stage in this magical volume set in 1920's New Orleans. I'm sure many of you love The Princess and the Frog as much as I do and it was so nice to return to that setting and characters through this story.

The twist in this tale involves a deal that Tiana agrees to make with the notorious Dr. Facilier. Even though Tiana only makes the deal because she feels backed into a corner, it still provides her with all of her deepest desires: her own restaurant, T&J's Supper Club, her friends safe, and her beloved father's return.



Unfortunately, sometimes when things sound too good to be true, they are. As Tiana finds herself navigating her new reality, she also begins to notice strange occurrences popping up everywhere around her.

It ends up being a race against both time and evil forces, but luckily Tiana has her good friends Naveen and Lottie on her side. New Orleans is getting creepy and it's pretty clear Facilier has something to do with it. Can Tiana and friends set things right before she loses everything she holds dear?



Almost There was great. I flew through it so quickly. It was such a treat to be back in this setting, 1920s NOLA, with this fantastic and nuanced set of characters.

I really appreciate what Rochon was able to do with this story. I felt transported. The atmosphere was very well done. A strong addition to the series!!



I did listen to the audiobook and as always, Disney does a great job with that format. The narration was fantastic, perfect for these characters.

I definitely recommend this story to fans of this series, or The Princess and the Frog movie. I don't think you'll be disappointed if you pick it up.



Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney Books and Disney Audio, for providing me copies to read and review.

I am a huge fan of this series and am looking forward to continuing on with it!



My current ratings for the Twisted Tales series:

1. What Once Was Mine (Tangled): 4.5-stars rounded up
2. Reflection (Mulan): 4-stars
3. Almost There (The Princess and the Frog): 4-stars
4. Go the Distance (Hercules): 3.5-stars rounded up
5. As Old As Time (Beauty & the Beast): 3.5-stars rounded up
6. Straight On Til Morning (Peter Pan): 3.5-stars rounded up
7. Mirror, Mirror (Snow White): 3.5-stars rounded up
8. Unbirthday (Alice): 3.5-stars
9. Conceal, Don't Feel (Frozen): 3.5-stars
10. A Whole New World (Aladdin): 3-stars
11. Part of Your World (The Little Mermaid): 2-stars

[alistair :3]

update: TWISTED TALES COVERS NEVER MISS OMG


update: OKAY BUT DID YALL SEE THIS SUMMARY. (source: twisted tale fandom wiki)
"Sometimes, life in the Big Easy is tough. No one knows that better than Tiana, though she also believes that hard work can go a long way. But when the notorious Dr. Facilier backs her into a corner, she has no other choice but to accept an offer that will alter the course of her life in an instant.
Soon Tiana finds herself in a new reality where all her deepest desires are realized―she finally gets her restaurant, her friends are safe and sound, and, perhaps most miraculous of all, her beloved father is still alive. She's got everything she's ever wanted...
But after a while, her hometown grows increasingly eerie, with new threats cropping up from unlikely places. Navigating through this strange new New Orleans, Tiana must work alongside Naveen and Charlotte to set things right―or risk losing everything she holds dear."

MORE WOMEN OF COLOR WRITING THE TWISTED TALES SAGA???????? YESSSS???????????

[Amélie Boucher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was by far one of the best Twisted Tale book I've read so far.

Watch my vlog & review here to get more of my thoughts on the book!

[Ricardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG. My day has been made.

Wow, this one was worth the wait. From start to finish this was a masterpiece. With so much tradition and spirit it felt like I was living in New Orleans and eating with Tina. It had enough point of views from all your favourite characters, just the right amount of spookiness and history to keep it going. A must-read for any Princess and the frog fan. thanks, Farrah Rochon, now I am hungry for more!

[Ciana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this was not it. Rochon is a great romance novelist but we don’t get any romance. The story glosses over the actual love story. What I do appreciate about the book is the confrontation of the racial experience and relationship of a young black woman with a white best friend in the 1920s. The book deals with the reality of race that the movie could never do. But overall the story is flat retelling and misses the mark.

[Books_and_Crafts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better the second time around with my book club 🥰

[Rafael Andrade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Disney Twisted tale that managed to be more interesting than the movie on which the book is based.
I loved the twist, the reasons that led Tiana to strike a deal with Facilier, and how Facilier managed to screw up the terms of the contract.
Louis finally gets his chance to be part of a band.
I highly recommend it.

[ʙᴇʟᴀ.: ☾**:.☆*.:｡.]

So I have two things to say:

First:
- I LOVE THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG, I LOVE TIANA AND CHARLOTTE AND THE PRINCE AND BASICALLY EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER EVEN EVANGELINE.

Second:
Disney please now make one about Princess Eilonwy and Kida Atlantis which are the very forgotten princesses and my life will be complete.

[Yeg · Rating 3 out of 5]

~2.5 stars~

[Mel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Almost didn’t finish it :( 2/10

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

May I first say, I am unfamiliar with The Princess and the Frog fairy tale and equally unaware of the Disney re-make of the tale so I have no idea what actually happened and how the author 'twisted' it to get this tale.

That out of the way - We have a delightful young woman, Tiana, who loves to cook and wants to open her own restaurant in New Orleans. It is due to her agreement with the villainous Dr. Facilier that she not only gets her father helping her dream (he died in World War I) as well as an eatery popular among many locals and more. But Facilier wants to change the agreement they made and is pressuring Tiana with eerie happenings around the city and disappearing friends.

Of course in the end - heroine wins and villain fails spectacularly. What can be taken away from the story are four items:
*Time is precious especially with those we love.
*Learn what one self can accomplish with determination.
*Let friends provide a helping hand - cause they usually mean it when they offer.
*Never lose hope that a dream can be achieved.

Some nice takeaways for any story.

2023-029

[Brittany | alltoowellreadbrittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of this book! I loved it!

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: YA Fantasy
Pub Date: September 6, 2022

This book is the best Disney YA book I have read! I really enjoyed this story about Tiana, and I thought the characters were so well flushed out and developed. Farah Rochon really outdid herself with this one! This is ALSO my favorite Farah Rochon book I've read!

I just felt like I knew Tiana as I read this story. Her character, her choices, and the ramifications from her choices were just so well established. Tiana was perfection in this book, and I think you don't have to be a Disney fan to enjoy her story here. Add in Naveen and Charlotte, and this book is *chef's kiss* perfection. I had honestly lost a bit of faith in Disney Publishing after my last few arcs, but this is the best book! My faith is restored. I read this one in less than 24 hours because I just had to finish it...it was that good!

[Joshua · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 - it was so.. juvenile
no more twisted tales for me

[L. J. · Rating 1 out of 5]

TBA

[Grumpy · Rating 2 out of 5]

C'était moins un rêve qu'un cauchemars...

2,5/5

Je pense que c'est le dernier twisted tales que je lis en VF, car l'écriture c'était pas possible 😬

Je tiens aussi à préciser ici qu'il s'agit de mon 1er twisted tales et que je n'ai aucune idée s'il s'agit objectivement du meilleur ou du moins bon de la série 🤷🏻‍♀️

Attention : je spoil un peu le livre car je vais donner pas mal de détails sur l'histoire donc si vous voulez garder la surprise arrêtez vous là 🙅‍♀️

Je vais élaborer plusieurs points en expliquant pourquoi ce livre ne m'a pas plus (ceci est un avis purement subjectif et n'engage que moi. Je ne remets en cause ni les compétences de l'autrice dans son travail ni vos goûts littéraires)

- L' écriture : elle était beaucoup trop jeunesse pour moi. Je sais que les twisted tales sont des YA mais c'était plus young que adult. Comme c'est mon 1er Twisted Tales de la série je n'ai aucune idée de la façon dont sont écrits les autres mais je peux dire que celui-ci ne vise pas un public de plus de 12 ans. Quand bien même j'en aurait eu 10 et que l'écriture ne m'aurait pas dérangée, je n'en aurait pas pensé autant de l'histoire...

- L'histoire : D'accord c'est du Disney mais et alors ? Beaucoup de Disney sont très mâtures (Le Bossu de Notre-Dame, Mulan, le Roi Lion...) ou même très sombres (Pinocchio, Dumbo...). Et quand bien même c'est de la littérature jeunesse cela n'excuse pas le manque de maturité. Beaucoup de titres jeunesses peuvent être lus par un public beaucoup plus âgés (La Passe-miroir, Harry Potter, A la croisée des mondes et j'en passe...). Cela prouve que l'on peut raconter une histoire destinée à un public jeune avec un scénario et une écriture qui sont travaillés. D'ailleurs l'histoire manquait cruellement d'audace que ce soit le twist en lui-même ou les événements qui en découlent.

- Le twist : Comme l'indique la phrase d'accroche du livre, c'est Tiana et non Naveen qui va passer un pacte avec le Maître des Ombres. Non en fait ce n'est pas exactement ça car le twist se passe à la fin du film donc les deux ont conclus un marché avec Facilier en réalité. L'histoire commence donc vers la fin du film quand Tiana est poursuivi par le maître des ombres, le soir de Mardi gras portant l'amulette avec elle qu'elle tente de protéger à tout prix. Facilier la rattrape et lui propose le restaurant qu'elle désire tant. Comme dans le dessin animé animé Tiana refuse. Sauf que cette fois, et c'est là qu'est le twist, Facilier lui propose de ramener son père à la vie. Bon, déjà j'aurais préféré que le twist soit au début du film mais ce sont mes goûts personnels. Ensuite, je n'ai pas apprécié les conséquences liés au pacte que Tiana passe avec Facilier. Le twist n'a pas été assez bien exploité selon moi.

- Le rythme : si la première partie était sympathique et plantait le décor, la deuxième partie a été une catastrophe. Tiana à l'idée vers la moitié de l'histoire de se rendre chez Mama Odie. Et là je me dit, chouette ! Ça va avancer ! Non pas du tout en fait. Déjà dans son périple Charlotte, Naveen et Louis la rejoignent de la façon la moins naturelle possible (surtout Louis en fait). Et une fois arrivés devant chez Mama Odie, devinez quoi ? Elle n'est pas là... C'était une déception de plus car on met beaucoup de temps à se rendre chez elle (les personnages se perdent, passent la nuit dans le bayou...).Je pense que si les personnages rencontraient autant d'obstacles c'était pour éviter la facilité et rajouter du rythme et des rebondissements à l'histoire. Sauf que pour ma part, j'ai eu ma sensation de tourner en rond, le comble...

- Les personnages : Je ne les ai pas reconnu. Si le traitement du personnage de Tiana ne m'a pas tellement dérangé (bien qu'il ne soit pas incroyable) je ne peux pas en dire autant de Charlotte, Naveen ou même Louis. Au début on apprend qu'il est transformé en humain mais à quoi ressemble-t-il exactement ? Comment est-il habillé ? Est-il grand petit mince gros ? Aucune idée car aucune description. J'ai eu énormément de mal à me l'imaginer. La moitié du temps il figurait dans ma tête comme un alligator, l'autre comme un humain sans visage...Et Ray et Lawrence ? Inconnus au bataillon, c'est comme s'ils n'existaient pas. Je me demande même si l'autrice a revue le film avant de se lancer dans cette réécriture car j'ai des doutes.


- La fin : je ne l'ai pas du tout aimé. Si globalement elle se rapproche du film (Tiana et Naveen se marient, Tiana ouvre son restaurant), les changements n'étaient pas les meilleurs choix. Pour résumer, Louis reste un humain et Naveen ne retrouve pas la mémoire (et n'a donc aucun souvenir de s'être transformé en grenouille ni d'avoir vécu cette aventure avec Tiana). 😒😒



Honnêtement si le livre n'était pas aussi beau (oui je suis superficielle j'assume) je pense que je le vendrais car il n'était vraiment pas à la hauteur d'une réécriture de la Princesse et la Grenouille qui a pourtant plein de charme et de potentiel.

Avantage de cet achat : il fera un objet de collection magnifique dans ma bibliothèque 📚

[Iris · Rating 5 out of 5]

“She took over the driving duties again, not trusting anyone else to get her to her destination. She was once again in control of her own destiny.
"Almost there," Tiana whispered.”

This book was a perfect read for spooky season! I love the Twisted Tales series and considering Tiana is one of my favorite Disney princesses, I was extra excited to get my hands on "Almost There".

This is a story full of atmosphere and magic, that takes the reader right to middle of 1920's New Orleans, during the Mardi Gras celebrations. The author did an amazing job at setting up the environment for the narrative, in my opinion! There is an air of mystery and spookiness, but also of cheer and tradition, which I loved to read and learn about.

Tiana is an amazing main character and I feel like she was true to the princess we are used to. It was interesting to read on this possibility of her actually making a deal with Facilier, to see what that deal would have brought her, but also how she dealt with the consequences of tampering with destiny. Her development was clear and beautiful to see, especially when she started to finally rely on people around her to solve the predicament she is in. Reading the scene where she had to say goodbye to her father was gut-wrenching. The author did an amazing job at bringing out emotions during many moments in this story!

I loved the depiction of every single character in this story, especially Naveen and Lottie! The romance between Tiana and Naveen was definitely not the main focus of the narrative, but we had enough to let us know it still happens in this universe, which I loved! There was also a super important conversation between Tiana and Charlotte that I believe every single fan of "The Princess and the Frog" thought should have happened in the movie, so I commend the author for doing it.
Now, Doctor Facilier. He is one of my all time favorite Disney villains and I really liked the fact that this book didn't shy away from his powers, the origin of his deals and, surprisingly, a compelling story of his childhood, that I can see easily be his truth. He was an amazing antagonist in this story as well, even when he has little to no redeeming qualities, that's what makes him a good villain, in my opinion!

This was a lovely read and I'm so glad I waited to read it during spooky season! New Orleans is a perfect setting for an October read and the magic and tradition of Vodou, being both wholesome and eerie, depending on who was casting the spell, was a special companion for me, these last few days!

[latearareads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is the twisted tale that I have been WAITING for! I was truly worried that there wouldn't be one for The Princess and The Frog, and when I heard that this was coming out, I got so excited!

Now, I've only read a couple of the Twisted Tales, and they were a bit disappointing, but Almost There was fantastic! It takes off pretty quick, and the writing transports you to 1920's New Orleans. Backed into a corner with no more options, Tiana strikes a deal with the infamous Dr. Facilier, and she's given everything she's ever wanted: Her restaurant, the safety of her friends and family, and her father! But when things get eerie, it's suddenly a race against time and mystical forces. If Tiana fails, she will lose everything she loves.

I'm so in love with the way the author wrote this story, especially the descriptions of the cooking and magic. It's a fast, easy read, and it's perfect for younger audiences, and for those who enjoyed The Princess & The Frog and wants a little bit more of Tiana, her passion for cooking and the relationships with her friends and family. All of the scenes with her Mom and Dad seriously tugged on my heartstrings, and a few of them left me in tears. Another thing that I loved was that this is written in third person, and there's more than Tiana's point of view.

This story sucked me from the very beginning, and it made my inner child SO freaking happy. This is definitely going to be a book I reach for if I want a fun, comforting read. I definitely recommend this book to others who love The Princess and the Frog!

[Rubi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just....nothing happened

The saving grace of this story was Naveen's love for Tiana even after forgetting her. And I lived for those tender moments between Tiana and her father. But....
Most of the story seemed unnecessary. She made a deal with the Shadow Man, knowing it was a bad idea. When he threatens her new life she wastes a couple of chapters looking for lady she never finds, she runs away from a woman and waste there when in fact she still had to go back and face her, she constantly avoids Naveen, only making her situation more obvious, and yeah....she just runs around in circles for most of the book. Running from Naveen, running from the Shadow Man, running from Ms. Rose, running back from Odie, etc. Just seemed like such a waste with a lot yet nothing going on.
Shadow Man also just repeating himself all the time. Dark deals with dark forces never a good idea and I thought Tiana smarter than that. She was just pushing off the inevitable 🤷‍♀️
But again, some fun characters like Lottie and Louis and Addie Mae really brightened up the story 😊

[Ava Smith-forrest · Rating 1 out of 5]

Almost There (A Twisted Tale)

This was truly a twisted tale it just happened didn't do it for me. By chapter four I was ready to put this one down

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute 10/10

Cannot think of anything that bothered me (except that I finished the book 😆) or something that would've made it better!

The story of princess and the frog is funny and exciting, but it also deals with more serious topics I think, and this book elaborated well on that in my opinion.

I really want to read more of these twisted tale books but I've so many other things I want to read as well, so these books are less priority, even though the two I've read were absolutely amazing 👏

[Beckee❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this was probably my favourite story from the Twisted Tales series. Despite only briefly watching the film I was able to understand who everyone was and what was happening. I was longing to pick this book up each time I was forced to put it down.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book really didn't start out very strong as it was quite choppy giving brief looks into Tiana's life as a child with her father. They were just a bit too concise to really add to the story. However, I enjoyed the story more as it continued. I enjoyed the added glimpses into the culture and addressing the challenges that Tiana faced and that she kindly explained this to Lottie rather than resenting her for not having the saming challenges or understanding. Overall, it was an entertaining and fun read.

[sunkissedmiranda]

FINALLY!! I've been waiting for Tiana's book for almost four years now!! Really hope it's on par with Reflection, aka the best book in the Twisted Tales series.

EDIT: AHH, THE COVER!!! THE SYNOPSIS!! I'm so ready for this book to come out.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading these books because I love imagining the characters voices and expressions so much! This book was truly fantastic. I personally think Louis should’ve turned back into a gator at the end, and he could’ve told all of his gator friends about being a human because I think that would just be so fun, and if he passed as wearing a costume once, he could do it again. It also wasn’t confirmed that Tiana told Naveen about them being frogs at the end either which I wasn’t a fan of. Also why did Tiana keep going back to Facilier, when she was just telling him that she wasn’t going to do something? I honestly wanted Mama Odie to show up so badly but Lisette is a really fantastic character and i really like her. And Charlotte getting a non-profit job is so perfect, and her still looking for a guy is even better. I love all of the movie references from songs to characters to specific lines that were placed so perfectly. This book was truly wonderful!

[Elena Serneels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pffff 🥺🥺🥺 zo goed geschreven, praaaachtig verhaal, om een “what if?” versie van mijn favoriete Disney film te lezen is echt EEN EXPERIENCE <33333333333

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know why I keep reading the Twisted Tales 🥴 Every time I expect something different, but I’m just left with this feeling of incompleteness. I will say I’m super happy that Tiana got her own story, because I feel like she’s an underrated princess who never really got her time in the limelight. It was also really nice to read something where she’s not a frog for 3/4 of the story…

Tiana has made a deal with the Shadow Man. Rather than break the magic locket, Tiana agrees to return it to Facilier in exchange for something she feels is much more important: her father. I’m return, Facilier will return Tiana and Naveen back into humans and restore her father’s life, putting her on a path to own a restaurant with him. All Tiana has to do is add a potion to her gumbo and stay away from her froggy prince. As much as she has grown to admire Naveen, Tiana doesn’t want to pass up her dreams, or more time with her beloved father.

A year after making her deal, she and her father have a successful supper club. She’s happy and thriving, and while she wonders what could have been with Naveen, she’s content to be friends. However, when the anniversary of her deal approaches, strange things start happening in New Orleans. Facilier’s friends from the other side have come to collect, and they’re taking someone’s soul, whether it be Facilier’s…or Tiana’s.

I was actually pleasantly surprised with this book! In terms of characters, Tiana was so spot on it really felt like I was reading about the same woman from the movie. She hasn’t experienced the same growth she had in the movie, but that’s to be expected since this is a twisted tale; she still thinks she needs to dig a little deeper and work harder to get what she wants. Because of that, she puts a lot of things ahead of herself, even if it’s to her detriment. Charlotte also felt very on point, even though she wasn’t as involved as I had wanted. Naveen, while still very well written, felt different from the movie. You could argue that he had the most growth in the movie, and in the book he’s still growing and learning; Tiana might’ve stagnated but Naveen has discovered he likes work, like helping people. I thought their forbidden relationship was cute, albeit it wasn’t explored very much in depth. I appreciated his point of view, but I would’ve much rather have seen just Tiana and Facilier; it was interesting to see them fighting against the same thing, but in different ways.


read the rest of my review on my blog: https://megansbookstacks.wordpress.co...

i received a copy from edelweiss & disney hyperion in exchange for an honest review.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 13th installment in the Twisted Tales series and the most recent release. I have read all of the books in the series, and I would have to say that this one is my favorite. It was definitely the best written (this was Farrah Rochon’s first contribution to the series) and some definite character growth and development. I liked the chapters that followed Naveen, and I even liked getting some backstory on Dr. Facilier. Rochon did a great job with the dialogue (I could totally hear the actors’ voices in my head) and I liked that she expanded on the relationship between Tiana and Charlotte. They were very sweet together and had a great friendship. It was much faster paced than some of the other installments. It was really well done.

[Abby(: · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.3…boring lol

[Diana-christie Biancardi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was not into this even though I was excited for it! This is one of my fave Disney princesses.

[kelakins · Rating 4 out of 5]

listening to the princess and the frog soundtrack while reading this was a top tier experience