Review: Dorothy Must Die

Dorothy clicked her heels, ending up back home laying in bed, in her room in Aunt Em’s house in Kansas. What happened after though? Did she ever miss Oz, or her friends there? Was Kansas too boring after seeing what life was like in another place? Amy Gumm is about to find out when she is plucked from her not-so-friendly life in Kansas and taken to Oz in a tornado that rips her and her trailer from the trailer park she calls home. The real question is: Can wicked be good, and good be wicked?

All of your favorite Wizard of Oz characters are back, with a twist. On top of them, you have Amy Gumm, who is the new girl in Oz brought by a tornado. You have Nox, who is part of an underground movement in Oz. There are some new witches introduced, and some very interesting additions to Oz. I love how the characters are still very believable for being in Oz, but not repetitive. I would love to list some of my favorite characters, but that would give away good chunks of the story in this case. So you will just have to trust me on this one when I say there are some amazing characters built in this book that are both lovable and you want to hate them all at the same time.

I love alternate universes for classic tales. One of my favorites was “Wicked” that told the story before Dorothy came to Oz. So having a story where another girl from Kansas comes to Oz decades after Dorothy, and finds that it almost looks like the world itself is ill, is interesting. That was what drew me to the book in the first place. The setting is amazing because the author really does find ways to describe Oz in a way that it sounds like it has the flu or some bad infection, and there must be a way to fix it. I love the descriptions of things and places you didn’t see much of in the original books, or the movie. The description of the areas and things affected by magic are unique in themselves. Depending on who is using the magic, it manifests in a different manner. I love how everything changes depending on who is doing something, or even who isn’t doing something.

This is the first novel by Danielle Paige that I have read. It was a good choice too because I love this book. She took a story that most people know, and was able to make it into her own. It was nice considering similar books do exist out there. She only used the names from the original story, rather than adopting names given to different witches in the world. Incorporating more than just the human appearing people though was my favorite. Some of my favorite characters in this are some of the Animal, or more magical beings in Oz. She had a way of adding suspense without making it obvious. I would get really concerned for characters in different situations because I wasn’t sure what they were encountering or how they would get out of it.

This book has the makings of a great series. Any one that loves fantasy, or enjoys Oz would most likely enjoy this book. The great thing about it is that it builds onto the Oz we know and love, and adds its own twists and turns as well. If you are unsure of buying a book, always remember that you can always borrow one from your local library. That is where I originally picked up this one, as well as it’s sequel which I will be reading soon. Thanks for reading and feel free to add your comments below.

Enjoy this review? Then please consider supporting me on Patreon!