Review: Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

Title: Dorothy Must Die
Author: Danielle Paige
Publication Date:  April 1st, 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Won in a Giveaway
Where to find: Goodreads / Amazon / Book Depository

Summary: 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.

"All you need is a little push sometimes. Sometimes it's a tornado; sometimes it's the kind of right arm that gets you a football scholarship. He had been set to go. Until eight and a half months ago, that is."- pg. 5

I know there is some controversy with this author, along with the publisher, but I don't want to judge this book based on any of that. I went into this book with no expectations, I was just looking forward to reading a book about an alternate Oz. Right off the bat, this book impressed me with its vivid descriptions and its world. I loved the idea of this almost post-apocalyptic Oz, where Dorothy has run rampant and has enslaved the people.

I appreciated that like the Wizard of Oz, we got to see a little bit of Amy in her own world and the hardships she goes through pre-tornado before she is thrown into Oz. Then once she is in Oz, we get this amazing back-story on what happened after Dorothy left and then when she came back.

I really enjoyed our main character, Amy. She was reluctant at first, and slowly saw why she was needed. I appreciate a hero who does not agree to fix everything right away and has to grow into their role. As for the other characters, I have no idea who you can trust and who is on what side, and I really like that. I like that there is the potential for so many twists and turns.

One last thought, I'm beyond peeved by the back cover of this book. It gives away a huge plot detail that you literally do not find out until the last like 10 pages of the book. This was horrible marketing for the book and incredibly disappointing to me that something that is revealed that late in the story is blatantly put on the back. So as an FYI for everyone who wants to read this, do not look at the back of the book (hardcover at least) or you will be spoiled.

Now I really need to get my hands on The Wicked Will Rise after that ending! Have you read the series? What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments!