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.
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.
My Review
I am a total Wizard of Oz fan. I’ve read the original, I’ve read adaptations. I’ve seen Wicked on stage. I own the original movie. I love it! And I’m also a huge fan of twisted fairytales! So when I came across this book, I was more than a little excited. And Danielle Paige didn’t disappointment me!
I have to admit I was skeptical a few pages in. The main character, Amy Gumm, bears little resemblance to Dorothy from the original WOO movie or book. And the start of the novel really is like a realistic YA book. So I was confused. And then the tornado hit … and I couldn’t put the book down.
The characters are so well developed and the protagonist is a girl I couldn’t help loving. The witches are good, Dorothy is bad … or are they? Paige keeps you guessing. I truly galloped through this read, eager to see how it all turned out for Amy and the characters of Oz.
The book ends with a great climax and left me with more questions than answers. But I’m relieved … Book 2 (Wicked Will Rise) comes out this March and I will definitely be reading it! And apparently there is a prequel as well (No Place Like Oz).
A great new series to discover for the holidays. Be sure to check it out!
