Dorothy Must Die

By: Danielle Paige

Narrated by: Devon Sorvari

The New York Times bestselling first book in a dark new series that reimagines the Oz saga, from debut author Danielle Paige.

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.

To die for

Dorothy Must Die is probably the best fairytale retelling I have seen. The main character Amy, is likable for the most part but she does get a little whiny at times.
This book kept me guessing till the end and I really liked that they used the original heroine as the villain.

Fantastic

This book was very, very good. Creepy bloody twist on The Wizard of Oz characters. Can't wait for number two!

Great Book!

I just loved this book! The narrator was not that great, she could have been more enthusiastic. My most memorable moment of this book was when they said "The Good is the Wicked. The Wicked is the Good."

Love the Gumm reference

I’ve listened to this complete series including the novellas, many many times and I just realized Amy’s last name might be an ode to Judy Garland as her given name was Gumm. A little fact that just makes me love this series even more. I’m hoping more books might come out in the future. There are so many interesting characters and I get bummed every time I get close to the end.

Like American McGee's Alice But for OZ

What other book might you compare Dorothy Must Die to and why?

I would compare (as I said in the title) this book to American McGee's Alice. It is a dark twist on a classic world that we all know.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scene is one of the first that takes place in the land of Oz where Amy climbs a hill to get her first view of what Oz has become. A crazed looking Glenda the good witch is hovering high in the sky while she forces the munchkin people (Enslaved by Dorothy and her minions) to harvest the magic from the land which has turned the Oz landscape into a grey, barren wasteland.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Murder, over the rainbow.
OR
The Emerald City is about to be painted red.
OR
Lions and tigers and bears will die!

Any additional comments?

This is a fun YA novel for those that enjoy the twisted fairy tales. The author actually has a handle on the English language and doesn't pander to people who don't know how to speak it. (I'm looking at you Divergent)