Reading is my ESCAPE from Reality!

"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.

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." (from the book jacket)

This version of Oz is nothing like the one we all remember. It is a darker, scarier Oz and it really works. We discover the strangeness of it along with Amy and we understand her confusion. Where are the munchkins? Where are the poppy fields and all the beautiful colors? And Glinda is bad? It's like the world has been turned upside down.

As it turns out, Dorothy came back and apparently became obsessed with power. She is draining all the magic from Oz and in the process, turning it into a barren wasteland. And the Wicked Witches have banded together in a secret rebellion. They believe Amy is there for a reason and she can stop Dorothy and kill her. They believe that is the only way to bring back the magical Oz we all remember.

But, can Amy commit murder, even if it means saving Oz and maybe her own life?

As you may have noticed from my previous reviews, I enjoy reading books that take a familiar story and twist it into something new. This book is no exception. I LOVED it. And I can't wait for the sequel. There is a prequel novella as well that I am going to look into (No Place Like Oz).

Recommended to:

Fans of fractured fairy tales or anyone who likes classic stories told with a new twist. Also fans of magical adventure stories. This is a "young adult" novel, but keep in mind it contains a lot of violence and gory details. :)