• Original Title: Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige
• Edition: Hardcover, 452 pages
• Published: April 1, 2014 by HarperCollins
• Characters: Amy Gumm, Nox, Gamora, Gert, Dorothy Gale
• Rating: 3/5

Description: 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 bluebirds. 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 yellow brick road – 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.

So, I was drawn to Dorothy Must Die solely because of the premise. I am a huge fan of retellings and I’m a fan of The Wizard of Oz, so this book was a definite must read. It did not disappoint!

Amy Gumm is the primary character in this story, and she wishes to escape from her poor, sad life in Kansas. When a tornado comes, her wish is granted and she’s transported to Oz, but it’s very different from the Oz we all know and love. As Amy explores this new and wicked Oz, she discovers all the horrors imposed by Dorothy, who returned to Oz and usurped the status quo. Soon Amy meets the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked, a group of once wicked witches who have banned together to fight Dorothy and restore the balance to Oz.

I admit that the first few chapters were not very engaging, but I did give Danielle Paige a pass because this is her debut novel and creative writing is very different from her background of screen writing. Sometimes the writing is a bit bland, but the actual story is entertaining and interesting enough to ignore some minor flaws. The story moves along at an acceptable pace and there’s plenty of action, suspense, and drama to satisfy. While there’s a twinge of romance, it’s not the primary focus and it definitely doesn’t define our heroine.

I’m looking forward to reading the sequel, The Wicked Will Rise. I would definitely recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a little twist on a classic.