Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die #1)

DOROTHY MUST DIE is set in the same place as the children's novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Most people would immediately recall the classic tale of another world with bright colors and forget the Kansas of brown, white, and gray. The books aren't set in the same time. In fact, Dorothy Must Die comes after the time Dorothy comes back to Oz. Unsatisfied with her ordinary and plain life back in Kansas, Dorothy seeks more power and magic. She, with Glinda (Good Witch of the South) who has turned evil, rules Oz in a very wicked way.

This brings us to Amy Gumm. The sole narrator, she speaks of her terrible life as an outsider in Kansas. (I'd never actually read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but I watched the movie adaptation.) She has some similarities with Dorothy, but after her arrival in Oz, nothing is ever the same. Oz is different, and it has become a much more darker version of itself. She is a full character, who discovers her true self in a magical world. Trained by many Wicked Witches, Amy becomes a rival to Dorothy and her fight is just the beginning.

Her journey through Oz is shocking, and the moving and swifty plot comes with twists and surprises. Nothing is what it seems, and the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked, the organization Amy works for and allies with, has its own dubious goals. Amy plays a game of espionage and lies and magic. With every bold move she makes, the closer she dances with death. The storyline moves quickly, and adventure is promised and delivered without hesitation.

Nox is Amy's love interest. They are both trained by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked, and they share many similarities. The chemistry is there, though Nox's alliance with the Wicked Witches bring drama. Still, there is potential in their relationship.

Princess Ozma is one of the most interesting characters of all. Not the Wizard, who manages to be an actual wizard and not a fake one. Not Amy. Not Dorothy, who is vain and spoiled beyond normal means. Not Nox. Princess Ozma has a certain depth about her, and she is the heart of Oz. Young and charming and slightly insane, she brings a third party, a new card, to the table. She is an entertaining and deadly card of ace, in her own right. She can be worth eleven or one.

In conclusion, DOROTHY MUST DIE is an adventurous book with hidden agendas, magic, and a girl-turned-warrior/assassin. The writing style of Danielle Paige is smooth, and the fighting scenes are amazing. The first book has set everything up in preparation for the sequel. Never before has a retelling of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz been so interesting.

Rating: Four out of Five

Source: Library

What I Loved:

The opening scene in DOROTHY MUST DIE is absolutely compelling and does an excellent job of making readers feel strongly connected to the heroine. Throughout the novel, the writer continues to touch base with the heroine's emotions and deliver them in a way that will resonate strongly with readers. Secondary character development is hit or miss, but the twisted versions of Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Dorothy will scare readers into turning the pages faster just to see what happens next.

The settings are exceptionally well executed. From the small town trailer park to the surreal, gritty version of Oz that exists now that Dorothy is in charge, the setting is atmospheric and dark and feels like a palpable force at work within the story. Readers will love seeing this re-imagined Oz with its darkness, its magic, and its twisted ways.

The ending, while potentially frustrating for readers who love to have their stories tied up neatly, leaves readers wanting the next book immediately. This is a series that will resonate with readers who love dark, gritty, and different, and those readers are going to snatch up every book the instant they become available.

What Left Me Wanting More:

There were moments in the narrative where the lovely weirdness of Oz seems to take over the plot to the point that the reader gets a bit lost as to what exactly is going on. The pacing starts off strong but then slows tremendously once Amy reaches the castle. There is still a great deal of tension, especially when the Tin Man or the Scarecrow come on scene, but there are also a number of moments when a very simple decision would solve the entire problem and coincidence seems to get in the way. Readers who want characters that see the obvious and act upon it may find that frustrating.

Finally, without spoiling the ending, I will say that the book ends up feeling like one long set-up for what will surely be an action-packed and exciting sequel. With so many missions on Amy's To Do list, the ending felt abrupt and anti-climactic. Readers who want every book in a series to carry its own weight with plot resolution and action may want to wait until book two is released before dipping into this series.

Final Verdict:

Deliciously dark and twisted, DOROTHY MUST DIE is a slow-moving atmospheric story that lays the groundwork for an action-packed sequel.

What I Loved: After hearing all the buzz about this book and seeing that it was a Wizard of Oz retelling/spin-off, I knew I had to give it a shot. For the most part, I was pleasantly pleased with this book. Paige’s writing is great and I loved this spin on such a classic story. Taking such iconic characters and putting such a dark and twisted spin on them was just genius and I really loved being able to visualize them as well as this world in a new light. Having Dorothy as a bad guy and seeing Oz turn into such a desolate and depressing world?! It definitely sparks your curiosity.

Left Me Wanting More: I will admit that there’s a bit of a lull after the beginning, going on towards the middle, where nothing much happens, but I didn’t mind it all that much and once things picked up after that, it was awesome. I also didn’t like how I was left with quite a few questions. Sure, we need the slow build, as this is supposed to be a trilogy, but there were times where I was like “just get on with it already”. After learning about Amy’s various missions that she needs to complete before killing Dorothy, I really think she could’ve at least accomplished one of them in this book.

Final Verdict: I really liked Amy’s character. Being in her head was pretty great. She’s had a rough life and I liked her inner sarcasm and spunk, despite how scared and clueless she might have come across on the outside. Overall, this was a fantastic book and introduction to a series. I’m definitely looking forward to continuing this series.