Review Detail

Danielle Paige creates Dorothy’s unhappily ever after in this spectacularly dark retelling. To say I’m impressed is an understatement. Turning good and wicked on its head, the world of Oz is a wreck, and a power-mad Dorothy is to blame. The fairy tale turned nightmare that is Oz and its inhabitants is done perfectly. The rich descriptions allowed me to picture everything so clearly in all its twisted brilliance! The shaping of the world and reimagining of the characters is genius. I thoroughly enjoyed being introduced to the original characters, as gruesome as they’ve become – a vicious Toto, an evil Glinda, the Tin Woodman and his nightmarish police force, the Lion and his hunger for fear, and the Scarecrow and his horrendous experiments. And, of course, the horror that is Dorothy and her rule over the kingdom.

Then comes the other girl from Kansas – Amy Gumm. Her character is spot on. She’s courageous, and loving, and smart, and I really enjoyed her. Amy lands in Oz in a similar way Dorothy did – carried by a tornado – but in a trailer instead of a house, and with a pet rat instead of a dog. I adored these little touches that reflected the original story, and they continued throughout. The rebellion is quick to recruit Amy to their cause, believing she fell out of the sky for a reason. Dorothy must die, and the Order believes Amy is the one to kill her.

I thought the book was fantastic. I had no idea where the story was going and I had no idea who to trust. Every twist and turn was super exciting, building to a powerful finish that left me desperate for more.