I didn't ask to go to Oz.
I didn't ask to find Oz completely different than the movies.
What happened?
Dorothy happened.
They say she found a way to get back to Oz.
Dorothy seized the power.
And the power made her crazy.
Oz is a mess.
I will remove the Tin Woodman's heart.
I will steal the Scarecrow's brain.
I will take the Lion's courage.
But once that's all done.
I will kill Dorothy.
I will restore Oz.
I am the other girl from Kanas.
I am Amy Gumm.
Book: Dorothy Must Die
Author: Danielle Paige
Series: Dorothy Must Die
Book Standing: Book 1
Setting: Oz, a bit of Kansas in the beginning
POV: first person, by Amy
Genre: YA fantasy, paranormal
Reading: first time
Favorite line: "If you have to be alone, though, wouldn't yo rather be alone among friends?"
Rating: 4 stars
Let me say this: the book title alone is brilliant. Just the word "die" alone is epic.
This was definitely a very smart version of an original text we all know. Here, we have the after story of Dorothy. No one ever really asked the "what happened next?" question, and even those who did never got an answer. The general assumption is that Dorothy went back to Kansas and probably lived happily ever after. Wrong! We find out exactly how Dorothy copes with going back home after visiting the magical world of Oz (hint: she didn't cope. That's why she ended up back in Oz. No, that's not a spoiler. It's in the description!).
This is a very compelling book. I loved the voice of Amy. She just sucked me right in, from the very first sentence. It contains different parts of sass, determinism, vulnerability, and bitterness. I agreed with a lot of things she was thinking--her thought track was right on, and the things she wonder about were the same things I wondered about too. The inner conflicts of being good or wicked, of being unsure who she really was, of whether or not she could turn out to be exactly like Dorothy if she were in her shoes (literally. I'm talking about her magical red shoes.), of who exactly is trustworthy and who's not.
We get to see all the familiar faces we know from the traditional movie in this book: you have Dorothy (obviously), along with some rather twisted versions of the Lion, the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow, and Glinda the good witch. But they aren't the only ones we get to see. The Wizard, flying monkeys, the other witches of the four cardinals, Munchkins, the whole fun gang is here too. Just...different. Darker. We have a reversal of good and evil here, so yeah.
***Next paragraph is spoiler (highlight it to read), so skip it to the next set of asterisk!***
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You know, quite a lot of people died here. You go through Indigo, and then Gert, and then Jellia. That's 3 deaths all in one book. I mean, I know that in wars there are a lot more deaths, but this is only the first book. Plus, these are characters that we get to know, and thus we care about as they're semi-important to the plot. And so the agony of their deaths. Times three? Unbearable. Also, I really like how there's 3 different sides to this war. It's not just good vs. bad, nor is it bad vs. revolution with an even evil agenda. In this one, we have bad (posing as good) vs. bad (Revolutionary Order of the Wicked) vs. good (I think? It's the Wingless Ones/Monkeys resistance, and the Wizard seems to be one their side). Gah. So many sides to choose from. But if they're one thing that has been stressed throughout the book, it's that you should trust absolutely no one. The Wicked Witches are apparently doing "good" as a means of self-interest, the Wizard is merely a manipulator, etc. I swear, only the monkeys are the honest ones here. Also, I happen to ship Amy and Nox. Forget about Pete (I actually thought he was the Wizard in disguise at first. Turns out I was wrong, and that the Wizard is actually old. Huh.), even if he does have brilliant green eyes.
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***Welcome back!***
I really loved the magical element to this book. Because this is Oz, magic is everywhere, and none of it is explainable. Sure, there are specific rules, but the laws and limitations are never truly explained, which gives readers a wonderful sense of the limitless possibilities that can be accomplished in Oz with magic. Literally anything can be done here. There's no logic to it, and I'm totally fine with that. Logic is overrated, anyways.
This book definitely gave me a different view of Oz. I'd never really considered Oz as being one of my to-visit places, mainly because it seemed like a really creepy happy place. Okay, it still is kind of creepy...and maybe a few parts scary with Dorothy...but I'm not quite intrigued about the Wizard of Oz lore. For all you fans who already know everything there is to know about the Wizard of Oz, this book will be a fresh new look on the world you once knew, and it will push you to ask questions about the characters and places you love.
So, in the event that there's a tornado and you're in Kansas, please do call Amy so that in the event you land in Oz, she can help you out!
Official blurb, courtesy of Goodreads->http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18053060-dorothy-must-die
I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.
But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado - taking you with it - you have no choice but to go along, you know?
Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little bluebirds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still a yellow brick road - but even that's crumbling.
What happened? Dorothy.
They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.
My name is Amy Gumm - and I'm the other girl from Kansas.
I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.
I've been trained to fight.
And I have a mission.
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