Monday, April 4, 2016

Review of "Dorothy Must Die"

"This wasn't Dorothy's Oz."

     In Danielle Paige's Dorothy Must Die, true stories never quite come to an end. When Amy Gumm is suspended for not punching a pregnant bully, the last thing she expects is to be abandoned by her mother, swept up in a tornado, and carried to Oz. When she emerges from her ruined trailer, though, that's exactly what has happened--except nothing about this magical land is remotely familiar. Apparently, the happy-go-lucky Dorothy Gale has returned to the world of her previous adventures, seized power, and drained the land of magic. Soon, Amy is swept up in a quest to save Oz and restore its former glory. To that end, she joins the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked, a team of witches and fighters who want to overthrow Emerald City. The Order claims Oz won't be free until Dorothy is dead. But when "Good" and "Wicked" have lost their meaning, right and wrong become all the more important...and Amy isn't sure who she can trust.

     Amy is everything Dorothy Gale is not: smart-mouthed, judgemental, and pink-haired, with a will that makes iron look like putty. Although this is generally a good thing, sometimes she is just too mouthy for her own good. It gets her in trouble, though not as often as one might think; more often than not, it leads to something terrible that affects someone else. And since she is the only character we really get to know, no amount of her incredible empathy and guilt can completely overlook how easily she dodges consequences.

     Still, there's something to be said for the way this plot progresses. One minute, Amy is dealing with a petty bully and resigning herself to another night of cleaning up after her drug-addicted mom; the next, she and her mom's pet rat are tumbling through the air, crashing alongside the Yellow Brick Road, and setting out for the Emerald City. Once she joins the Order, she is trained to fight, be it with her fists, a knife, or magic. While some of the hand-to-hand combat is a little unbelievable, the magic is fresh and ironically realistic. To accomplish her goal, Amy must go undercover for a time, and this time is fraught with tension and unpleasant discoveries that propel the story forward.

     The writing style is straightforward--no surprise, considering Amy's pragmatic nature. The author and narrator say what they mean and mean what they say. Those around them, on the other hand, are not so helpful. Secrets and conspiracies lurk around every corner, just waiting to jump on the unsuspecting trespasser. Friends come and go, while enemies close in from all sides. In some tales, the hero only thinks they can't trust anyone; in this one, it's true. And that's what makes it so interesting.

     Part of Amy's natural pragmatism means she doesn't skirt around the details--even if what she is describing is enough to turn one's stomach. The Wicked are at war with Dorothy's regime, and for good reason: Princess Gale has locked up the true heir and twisted the her friends' gifts to make them into twisted, sadistic killers. The Lion feeds on fear; the Scarecrow performs heinous experiments on prisoners; and the Tin Woodsman commands an army of vicious, half-metal soldiers. When someone dies, it isn't pretty, and while nothing is exceptionally graphic there is a bit of gore. The rare animal deaths are much cleaner. A few characters curse from time to time, holding little back when they do so. There is a very mild romantic undercurrent that leads to one kiss, and a hint at a love triangle that never comes.

     I would recommend this book to older teens who are skeptical of happy endings. In this Oz, returning home to Kansas means living a life doomed to obscurity, while staying behind can lead to wonderful opportunities. But everything comes at a price, and Amy arrives right in the middle of Dorothy's. This is a fast-paced novel led by a strong voice with a sharp tongue, and though we never actually get to know anyone else, she shoulders the storytelling burden well. Thanks to a great plot, an interesting premise, and a powerful protagonist, Danielle Paige's Dorothy Must Die deserves four gold stars.

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