Thanks for the opportunity to read this book. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into it. I've realized that I really don't like novelizations of movies. I will not be posting a review so as not to skew the ratings. Best of luck!

Aladdin has met the woman of his dreams, Princess Jasmine, and in order to be worthy of asking her hand in marriage he has wished upon a genie to become a prince. Jasmine does not know what to make of this Prince Ali (Aladdin in disguise) that has paraded into town with a profusion of opulence. Aladdin sees his only opportunity to woo the woman who has captured his heart slip away. He convinces her to go for a magic carpet ride. What neither of them know is that this night will be full of an adventure that they will never forget.
Aisha Saeed has taken a story that everyone has heard and breathed new life into the story. An easy story to tell would have been what happened after they were married. Instead Saeed has chosen to take readers on the adventure of that magic carpet ride. Anything can happen...
#AladdinFarFromAgrabah #NetGalley

Oh, how I loved this! Such a wonderful expansion on the characters we know and are familiar with, especially concerning Jasmine, as well as fleshing out a fantasy world to feel more genuine. I expect this will be a hit with our youth patrons who have loved the live action remake, and the original animated classic!

Aladdin: Far From Agrabah is a fine book for fans of Aladdin. The main problem is the book does not seem to really add a lot to the story. It gives you some more information about Aladdin and Jasmine, but ultimately, things are no different than they were before the book. If you love the characters and want to spend more time in their world, read the book. If you're looking for something fresh and new, find another read.

DNF @ 21%

I had such high hopes for this one, but.... yeah no it didn't work for me.
Part of the problem was that I felt like I was thrown into the story. Which is a shame because I felt like we were missing out on the beginning, where they meet, where we see Aladdin run from the police, and parts I really enjoy from the movie. So, I tried to get into it and then realized that the new live action movie must have parts not in the original, because I had no idea what was being referenced to which made me feel like I was missing even more from the book. I had to check to make sure I hadn't accidentally skipped anything.

Everything happening seemed to be a set up for getting to Ababwa, which I wasn't actually interested in.

So, I don't highly recommend it, but perhaps if you like the live action movie and want something to supplement it this might suit your fancy.

In Aladdin: Far From Agrabah, we don't get a revamp of the original story, but a closer look into Aladdin and Jasmine's fateful carpet ride. In this new book by Aisha Saeed, we see how far Aladdin has to go to make Princess Jasmine believe he is actually a prince from a kingdom called Ababwa. When Jasmine requests to see his kingdom while they are on their magic carpet ride, Aladdin has to think fast if he wants to stay believable. So, banking on his original wish to be a prince, Genie is able to create a "fake" kingdom for him without having him use another wish. This new kingdom comes complete with people, real human issues amongst those people, and a palace fully staffed with servants and advisors. But, what isn't set up or planned is a very real person who knows something is not right with this new kingdom that just popped up out of nowhere.

I enjoyed this new addition to the Aladdin story. It really makes Aladdin and Jasmine's romance more believable. They got to spend more time together and got to know each other beyond just a short carpet ride and a few hours on the streets of Agrabah. This helps us with how quickly they fall in love in the original story. But, we don't just get an added romantic getaway for Aladdin and Jasmine. There is danger lurking in the shadows, and they have to work together if they ever want to make it back to Agrabah before Princess Jasmine is considered missing.

If you like the story of Aladdin, then you will enjoy this new addition by Aisha Saeed. A fresh look into the Aladdin storyline full of heart.

*A DRC was given for an honest review.

This was a sweet little story about one of my favourite Disney films. Although it was not a strictly necessary novel and did drag a little in the middle (perhaps if it were a little shorter it would have flowed a bit better) I enjoyed getting to know Jasmine more and I appreciated that she got a little more character development than she did in the film. I was happy that my library decided to order a copy because I think our customers will enjoy it.

I absolutely loved Aladdin as a kid, so I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. I really felt like I was watching extras for the '90s animated movie, so that was great. I also really appreciated how much Jasmine's character is fleshed out in the book. Overall it's a good book and I can see myself recommending it to a wide range of patrons.

I like how Saeed portrays Middle Eastern culture more accurately than the original cartoon version did. There are hints at more depth in the characters as well, but sometimes I found them both incredibly annoying. Too much fluff for my tastes. This will be a hit with middle grade readers who like the new movie (and probably the old one as well), so definitely recommended for schools.

Another excellent story from Aisha Saeed. Many students will enjoy this one! I will definitely recommend it.

Growing up, I loved Aladdin, so when I saw Aisha Saeed had written an Aladdin story, I knew I had to read it. I was not disappointed. I did not want a rehash of the movies I knew by heart. This story was new and engaging and fun. I really enjoyed the adventure and learning more about Jasmine and Aladdin and getting to see their inner thoughts. I would recommend to fantasy lovers and those who love a happy story.


I received this copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Aisha Saeed’s Aladdin: Far from Agrabah was a cute take on the original story but centered on Aladdin and Jasmine’s magic carpet date. What I appreciated was that Jasmine’s character was more developed. This book is definitely for middle/junior high school students who love fantasy, especially Aladdin.

Thank you NetGalley and Disney Press for this eARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A fun middle grade story, definitely geared toward someone already familiar with Disney's Aladdin, as it takes place during the magic carpet ride. Fast paced with plenty of action, brings back good memories!

Nope! This book was terrible. I normally don't say that about books, I normally try to find something I enjoyed about a book, but I sadly can't for this one. I didn't enjoy this one at all and had to force myself to finish it.

An exciting tale of the adventure Prince Ali and Princess Jasmine had on their magic carpet ride. "A whole new world" is given new meaning when they visit Ali's fictitious kingdom Ababwa, a fantastical place created by Genie. Lovers of Aladdin will enjoy this new twist on the old tale.

Fans of the movie will love this book adaptation of Aladdin. Adventurous, fun, and heart-warming, this title will engage and entertain readers. Strongly recommended for reluctant readers who have seen the movie as they will have the schema to more easily understand the story.

Another great Disney title! I love Aladdin so naturally I was very into this. The story was engaging and complex enough for more adventurous middle grade readers, but still had a lot of what makes Aladdin great with humor and romance. Jasmine feels much more fleshed out in this book and I love that she is strong, wants to marry for love, and wants to do what is best for her kingdom.

This was cute, but it wasn't Earth shattering. It asks and answers the simple question "when Aladdin and Jasmine are flying around on the carpet, what would happen if she asked to visit Ababwa, Aladdin's fictional kingdom?" That's pretty much it. There are some weird interstitial chapters that I honestly skipped half of, and a random villain introduced that was your standard Disney fare, but it was pretty meh overall.

3.5 stars. I love Aisha Saeed, and I think she did a great job of making this book accessible for middle-grade readers while bringing more depth to the characters (Jasmine in particular). I don't think this book will translate as well to adults, as Saeed very much caters to her target audience, but I think it's a fun read for those who have seen the 1992 film.

There is a new Aladdin movie coming out, but this is not a novelization of that, but rather a story within that story. This is the story of the second wish, the magic carpet ride. It tells the story of what happens when Aladdin, posing as Prince Ali, takes Jasmine to on a ride, including a visit to his fictional kingdom. I requested this from NetGalley because we have so many young readers who wanted more of Aisha Saeed's work after reading Amal Unbound for Global Read Aloud in the fall. Once again, Saeed has written a strong female character in making Jasmine a young lady who is determined to lead her people and is not impressed with male authority figures who would lessen her role. While I did not really get into some of the plot, the parts in which she asserts herself and where Prince Ali/Aladdin shows his true colours (in a good way) have lots of redeeming value and there are some great messages here.