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
