This stunning original novel will tell an all-new story set in the world of the new film, featuring Aladdin and Jasmine. A magic carpet ride full of adventure, suspense, and wonder written by New York Times Bestselling author Aisha Saeed, this story will be a must-read for any Aladdin fans who find themselves drawn into and enchanted by the magical world of Agrabah and beyond.
Aladdin: Far From Agrabah
By aishasaeed
I have to admit, it took me a while to decide to buy this book. I loved the original Aladdin cartoon movie as a child so I was naturally super excited when the live-action movie came out. I thought there was no way the new movie would be as good as the old one, especially without Robin Williams as Genie, but then I was surprised there and I loved it! Even then, I couldn’t decide to buy the book or not. I had bought and read the Beauty and the Beast book they came out with after that live-action remake and was a bit disappointed. I thought I would be in this one too. But I finally broke down and bought it once the movie came out on Blu-ray. I flipped through it and the large print on the pages made my heart sink a bit. There was no way it was going to be good. It would be another retelling that was super tween-ish. But I ended up loving the story! It was different than any of the Disney retellings I’ve read so far. The author wove in between the original tale of Jasmine and Aladdin fictitious history of past sultans from a book Jasmine herself owned and read many times. It really brought the story to life. And there was such a great twist when one of the characters from the pages of her book leaped into their story in the Genie-created land of Abawa. The author did a great job of starting the story in the movie to set the scene. The Harvest Festival with Aladdin’s famed dance took place and him convincing her to go on the magic carpet ride, but instead of singing “A Whole New World”, they traveled to new worlds and had original adventures that kept me interested in what would happen next the entire time. Nicely done, the author wrapped the book back up in the movie. I won’t spoil the ending, even though we all have seen it in the movie, but it was pretty perfect. A light-read, entertaining, and creative. I would recommend it to any who loved either of the Disney Aladdin movies!
New York Times best-selling author Aisha Saeed can show you the world, shining shimmering splendid, as well as a new fantastic point of view in her novel, Aladdin: Far From Agrabah. Beautifully set within the “A Whole New World” sequence from Disney’s animated film Aladdin, Saeed’s novel tells us the story of what might have happened if viewers were not swept up in the unforgettable tune by Alan Menken and Tim Rice. If Aladdin lacked its musical element, we would possibly see Saeed’s story unfold.
A love story set amid a battle for independence and acceptance, Far From Agrabah takes us to Prince Ali’s kingdom of Ababwa, teaching us important life lessons along the way. The dialogue in the story offers countless real-life solutions to the fictional characters’ problems. From politics and power to friendship and love, the tale explores in greater depth the juxtaposition of royalty and the life of a “street rat.” We glimpse Aladdin’s reality (as we did in the film), but Saeed also gives us insight into his wishes and desires, including his vision of Ababwa. The same is true for Princess Jasmine. Wishes are tricky things, as the book suggests, but Saeed (with a little help from Genie) brings them into existence for Aladdin and Jasmine in a thoughtful and intellectual way.
Besides where Far From Agrabah fits in to the classic Disney story (always an important factor for me), I loved the cleverly interwoven shorts from Legendary Leaders Across the Ages. The Legendary tales set the scene for the trials and tribulations of Agrabah and Ababwa, as well as the hopes and dreams of the individuals therein. I loved that these tales paralleled the Far From Agrabah story. They added so much to Jasmine’s character and her perception of the world.
The lucky last star is missing from this review for one main reason. In my view, it is the reader’s task to draw out the lessons of a story. By the end of the book, all dialogue was laced with excessive explanation which was unnecessary and left no interpretative balls in the reader’s court. While Far From Agrabah offered great perspective, it did not encourage the reader to work for the lesson. As Benjamin Franklin allegedly said, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” Far From Agrabah lacked reader involvement, but as Aladdin suggests in the book, “this trip could possibly lead to real change back home.”
A big thank you for Disney Press for giving me the opportunity to review the uncorrected advance proof of this book.