Categotry Archives: Fantasy
Dorothy Must Die
Dorothy Must Die, Book 1
Juvenile Fiction
HarperTeen
2014-04-01
432
Review:
Amy is a girl with a less than stellar life in her little Dusty Acres trailer park in Kansas. That is, until a tornado picks up her and her mother’s pet rat and unceremoniously deposits them in Oz. Of course, every girl from Kansas knows the story of Oz, and Amy is more than a little shocked to discover that it is nothing like the beloved movie of her childhood.
Believe me, this book is the last thing you want to pick up if you’re looking for a feel-good story featuring Dorothy and Toto. This is a brutal story with violence that will churn your stomach and quite possibly give you nightmares. And yet, it is intensely enjoyable and loyal to the lore of Oz created by Frank L. Baum. Purists may or may not like it depending on their stomach constitution.
For my part, I loved it. Amy and Knox are excellent characters you want to know more about, though in this first book of the series, Knox remains for the most part a mystery. While there is some romance, the author has chosen to make us wait for it to be more than a feeling in the background. Along with Knox, there is a cast of other fascinating characters who play into the current political climate of Oz and leave you wanting more.
Unfortunately, we all have to wait for that more. This was a good set-up to the series, giving us a background without any resolution whatsoever. It left us with nothing but questions and the suspicion that nothing is what it seems. I recommend it for those who like their Oz mixed with some horror and gore.
Content Warning:
Language, Violence, Gore
Under the Never Sky
Under the Never Sky, Book 1
Juvenile Fiction
Harpercollins Childrens Books
2012-12-04
400
When Aria is exiled from the enclosed city of Reverie, she forms an unlikely alliance with an Outsider named Perry, who could be her only chance of survival providing they can overcome their prejudices.
Review:
Before I begin the review, I have an embarrassing confession about a misconception I formed at the beginning of the book. Between the cover and the multiple mentions of Perry being shirtless and in leather pants, it became set in my mind that I was somehow reading a Harlequin Romance fantasy. Obviously, this was wrong, but nevertheless I breathed a sigh of relief once he finally put on a shirt and things got going in earnest.
The reason for the three instead of four stars in my rating is the fact that it took me a full third of the book to really get into it. Being a fan of how the worlds are built in dystopian novels, I found this one lacking. There was very little to go on at the beginning, and while this may be intentional, it made me apathetic to what happened to them one way or the other.
That being said, once the two main characters were together, things picked up quickly. The world and characters become more than one-dimensional and I began to care what happened to them and everyone else. Perry and Aria are both very interesting and complex, and the ultimate love story evolved beautifully. It was nice to see a book lacking a love triangle and keeping the complications to what they were going through, as opposed to which boy Aria should kiss.
In the end, I was so drawn into their world that I immediately ordered the next in the series and expect I will not have the difficulty getting into it that I had with this one. If you find yourself wanting to give up at the beginning, I encourage you stick with it. It’s worth it.
Content Warning:
Language, Violence, Sexual Situations
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