Series: Dorothy Must Die
Release Date: April 1st, 2014
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 said 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:
Remove the Tin Woodman’s heart.
Steal the Scarecrow’s brain.
Take the Lion’s courage.
Then and only then – Dorothy must die!
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
• Violence (Blood and gore)
• Murder
• Slavery
• Mild language
• Underage drinking
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
First, I just wanted to say, Dorthy Must Die was AMAZING! I was surprised that this book started in the typical monologue of a down-on-her-luck teen, but God, it just evolved into so much more! The book was a decent length, but it wasn’t until the end that I discovered that the book was part of a series–yes, that’s right, we get more, but sadly, we have to wait.
I loved how the multitude of genres overlapped, allowing me to really get a look into Amy’s feelings and her mind as the tale started out (with her being so alone) to her suddenly being put in the position as the one to save Oz! And can I just say that I love books that have a kick-ass heroine? And especially when they’re the “heroes” and everyone has to rely on them? It’s so awesome, and at the risk of sounding terribly cheesy: empowering.
The quality of the writing was consistent with the story. Although, at times, the story pacing paused a little in the beginning. But during the middle and the end of Dorthy Must Die, I just wanted to know more and more and more! There are so many intricate details that I overlooked in the beginning because Amy is so overwhelmed and quite honestly, disbelieving. What I adored though about Danielle Paige’s new take on the Dorothy tale is how Amy’s pet Todo was actually a rat named Star. Also, the fact that Amy’s so different from Dorothy (who’s super, like inhumanly sweet) just added another layer of questions.
The significance of Dorthy Must Die is the main plot: Dorothy must die. And as Amy enters the world of Oz–or what appears to be Oz but looks a little worse for wear and a lot darker–Amy encounters an abundance of characters who are all angry. The story is filled with blowing hot temperaments, underlying tension, and distrust litters every page. But that’s what makes it awesome! Because even though Amy learned differently, in this Oz, the Wicked Witches might just be the good guys.
There was a light romance, and it was cute … and he’s definitely swoon-worthy. But I emphasize it’s a light romance since Dorthy Must Die is very much about the Amy gaining enough power to assassinate Dorothy. Although the romance took a backseat in the novel, the romance did keep the pages turning. I cannot wait for the next installment in this series and am seriously looking for a whole bunch of questions to be answered.
