Book Review: “Dorothy Must Die” (Dorothy Must Die #1) by Danielle Paige

“Dorothy Must Die” (Dorothy Must Die #1) by Danielle Paige (2014)

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Fiction

Page Length: 464 pages (hardcover edition)

Synopsis:

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 the yellow brick road, though—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. (description from Goodreads)

Review:

So glad I got the chance to read this novel! I’ve seen it reviewed on numerous blogs and I when I saw the cover I knew this book would be an absolute thrill ride. Dorothy Must Die takes a popular children’s novel and puts its own unique and sinister twist on it. Everything you knew about the wonderful land of Oz and its loveable characters has changed.

Our protagonist, Amy, is also from Kansas, just like Dorothy, but it turns out both girls are complete opposites. Dorothy (from the original novel) is this innocent, good-natured girl from the country turned bad. Amy, however, is sarcastic, kind of outsider amongst her peers, has bright pink, hair, and a pet ferret/rat. She is taken by witches after a bad encounter with the baddies of Oz and learns she will be trained to become the girl who will destroy Dorothy and her reign.

The writing in this novel is detailed and it feels like you can picture the very landscapes and characters of Oz right before your very eyes. There is also lots of action and drama placed throughout the entire story and it definitely keeps readers entertained.

Final Verdict:

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars! I like the way the plot is set up in the first installment of the series. I can’t wait to see how Amy’s journey continues in the next book.