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.
Book Overview:
Author: Danielle Paige | Series: Dorothy Must Die | Format: Audiobook | Narrated by: Devon Sorvari | Length: 14 hours, 12 mins | Publish Date: April 1, 2014 | Literary Awards: Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Debut Goodreads Author (2014) | Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: Yes
“I hate to break it to you, but just because someone has pretty hair and a good skin tone and a crown instead of a pointy hat doesn’t mean she’s not the baddest bitch this side of the emerald city.”
Forget everything you know about Dorothy Gale and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Forget the movie, forget the book. This is not the same thing at all.
This is an all out disaster, in such a good way.
It turns out that Dorothy wasn't going to be the only girl from Kansas to be swept away in a tornado and land in the world of Oz. Meet Amy Gumm, another girl from Kansas who also lives in a trailer. Unlike Dorothy, she's a sarcastic and scrappy girl, who isn't deemed beautiful or liked by anyone in her world. Not even her mother, who leaves her to deal with the tornado alone. Some kind of love, right?
So Amy and her mom's pet rat almost die when they get to Oz, only to be rescued by some mystery person. When she looks around, she realizes that she's definitely not in Kansas anymore, and this isn't the same land of Oz that she remembers from the movie. This place has been pretty much destroyed, and nobody is happy here. If they are, it's probably a fake smile to show face to the ruler of Oz.
Who's that ruler, you ask? Why, none other than Dorothy of course.
Ding, dong. This bitch isn't dead.
The entire world of Oz is a death zone, with munchkins and flying monkeys getting punished with pain or death. The friendly companions of Dorothy - the Lion, the Tinman and the Scarecrow - are evil and cruel. Just like their good pal Dorothy Gale, who definitely grew up and is not a sweet girl anymore. In this world, the good have turned wicked, and the Wicked may actually be the good guys. If Amy decides to trust any of them.
“Be brave. Be angry. Don't trust anyone.”
So there's only one thing that she has to do, after witnessing some terrible, horrible acts of violence.
She's gotta kill Dorothy. And she needs to learn how to do it fast or risk dying herself.
Amy is not your typical superhero protagonist. She doesn't come into some magical powers without realizing it. She isn't the strongest person to come to Oz. She doesn't even know how magic really works! But she'll have to learn, and that's what matters. She deals with everything in her typical sarcastic way, and she reminds all of us that Kansas girls aren't to be messed with.
I actually enjoyed this book and thought that this new take on the beloved story I've come to know and love was a refreshing take. I may not have liked everything that happened in this book, but I definitely need to know what happens next.
Looking for the buddy read discussion? Stay tuned! It will be in a future post.
Author Spotlight
Courtesy of Goodreads
Twitter: daniellempaige
Goodreads Member Since: September 2008
Danielle lives in NY. Before turning to YA, she worked in television & was nominated for several Daytime Emmy's. Dorothy Must Die is her first novel.
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