A Trip Back to Oz

Dorothy Must Die is my most recent read. Danielle Paige leads us back to Oz for an thrill-seeking, mind-bending adventure that throws everything you know about the classic characters out the window. Our new heroine is Amy Gumm, another overlooked Kansas girl with a mother struggling with addiction. Amy is stuck in Flat Hill, Kansas with no way out. One day, a tornado sweeps up Amy (and her mother's pet rat Star) in their doublewide. They land in Oz, and not is all that it seems. Oz is drastically different than our books and movie tell us. Dorothy returned. And she is power-crazed, pulling all the magic from Oz. Amy makes interesting friends and allies as she tries to reach the Emerald City. Soon, though, Amy is called upon for a purpose- killing Dorothy. She goes undercover in the palace, trying to get close to the now-demented Dorothy. There are twists and surprises in every chapter, so beware. I suggest reading all of the classic books before you read Dorothy Must Die, as there are quite a few recurring characters and references. (You can get them as ebooks for free because their copyright has expired.) Paige weaves us an Oz story for a new generation, while also preserving the integrity of Baum's original tale. The book is from Amy's POV, so we see her reactions to all of the classic Oz characters. Amy grows as a character throughout, changing from a down-and-out Kansas girl to a powerful, magic-wielding warrior. Paige builds Amy up and connects her to the reader easily. All in all, I highly recommend this read for any Oz lovers, and newcomers to the world of Oz.

Paige has also written a prequel novella, No Place Like Oz, that is only available as an ebook.

(picture from tehparadox.com)
















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