Dorothy Must Die
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4.5 • 382 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
The New York Times bestselling first book in a dark series that reimagines the Oz saga, from debut author Danielle Paige. Start at the beginning and discover your new series to binge!
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: Remove the Tin Woodman's heart. Steal the Scarecrow's brain. Take the Lion's courage. And—Dorothy must die.
I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero. 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 blue birds. 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 road of yellow brick—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.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Amy Gumm is a poor teenager with an addict mother and a bully at school. So when her trailer is swept up in a tornado and lands in Oz, she figures anything must be better than home. But this Oz is a dystopian wasteland ruled by a tyrannical Dorothy—and as an outlander, Amy is the only one who can stop her. This twisted fairy tale features nonstop action and a wildly imaginative setting, but the dark themes might be best suited for older teens.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A former writer for television, Paige makes her YA debut with this edgy update of Baum's classic series. When Kansas teenager Amy Gumm is carried away by a tornado, she arrives in a nightmarish version of Oz. The Scarecrow is a mad scientist, the Tin Woodman a sadistic military commander, the Cowardly Lion a ravenous beast, and Dorothy a vainglorious tyrant obsessed with stealing the land's magic and enslaving its people. After being thrown in prison for breaking the rules, Amy is rescued by the witches of the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked, who train her in magic and combat, and charge her with a singular mission: kill Dorothy a near-suicidal task requiring her to go undercover in the Emerald City. While Oz purists may howl with outrage over the subversion of a childhood favorite with some characters meeting gruesome ends Paige delivers a solid, intense, and strange narrative that draws deeply on its source material. However, the lengthy buildup and abrupt ending make this installment feel like setup for the planned subsequent novels. A Full Fathom Five property. Ages 14 up.
Customer Reviews
Oz is Twisted
Not just a reimagining like McGuire where the wicked we know is good but the good we know is really wicked. Fantastic, fresh perspective...but the second half of the book slows down tremendously in comparison to the first half. The last 30 pages are totally worth making it through. Worth a re-read. :)
Compelling and Interesting
This book is captivating on so many levels. The plot is incredible. The story is well thought out and keeps you interested and wanting more by the second!
I loved this so much I couldn’t put it down! Can’t wait to read the rest of the books
I loved it so much I couldn’t put it down