Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die #1) by: Danielle Paige

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Retelling
Published: April 1, 2014 by: HarperCollins
Pages: 452
Rating: 4/5 stars

Amy Gumm never asked to be swept up in a tornado and sent to Oz, but soon she is swept into a mission like no other. Lonely and an outcast, Amy would do anything to be respected in her small Kansas school. However that wish will have to wait when she is swept into a tornado and sent to the Wonderful World of Oz. But this journey is no fairytale. Amy is recruited by The Revolutionary Order of Wicked to spy on Oz's ruthless queen: Dorothy. In order to save Oz from a terrible fate, Amy is chosen to carry out a deed like no other: kill Queen Dorothy. Will she succeed?

I have to admit, I'm not the biggest fan of the Wizard of Oz. As a matter of fact, it's probably the most hated classic in my family. I never really read it properly, and it wasn't a major part of my childhood like some. However, this book took a story beloved by many and turned it into an incredibly badass assassin novel that was nothing short of creative! It was all kinds of unique.

I loved the main theme and the idea behind this book. It can be shocking to some to have to accept the fact that Dorothy is now a ruthless villain, but I thought that it was awesome! I loved the change in character roles, and how everyone basically grew a dark side to make way for new protagonists. I thought the change was done really well in a way that was interesting to non-Oz lovers like myself.

I really liked Amy as a character. She was funny, sassy and sarcastic and you could still get a feel of her modern teenager persona throughout the book. I wouldn't classify this book as an urban fantasy, but there were definitely hints of the modern world in her that made her more relatable and more appealing to me.

I did have some issues with the other character though. Besides Amy and Dorothy, none of the other characters really stood out to me or made much sense. Maybe it's because I'm not familiar with all the creatures of Oz to begin with, so I was left feeling really confused as to who was what and who was a good guy and who was a bad guy. It was also very hard to visualize them in my head.

Overall, this book could be very appealing to all those who are fans of The Wizard of Oz, as well as those who just love a good retelling. The new plot was incredibly appealing, although I do think you need some background knowledge on Oz to begin with before you start.

Have you read Dorothy Must Die? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess