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Reviewed by:
  • Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige
  • Kate Quealy-Gainer
Paige, Danielle. Dorothy Must Die. Harper/HarperCollins, 2014. [464p]. ISBN 978-0-06-228067-1 $17.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 8-12.

Seventeen-year-old Amy Gumm is definitely looking to leave her trailer-park home and addict mother behind, but getting swept up in a tornado and landing in Oz was not part of her plan. Amy’s presence in Oz is, however, part of the plan brewed up by the witches of the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked to defeat Dorothy, who has apparently been wreaking havoc after deposing Princess Ozma, declaring herself ruler, and unleashing the fury of her sadistic minions on anyone who defies her. What’s worse is that Dorothy is sapping Oz of its magic, which will eventually lead to its ruin. The Wicked witches are certain that Amy, as an outlander, has what it takes to defeat Dorothy—they just need to get her in fighting shape beforehand. A black-clad, tattooed munchkin welcomes Amy to Oz, but it’s that munchkin’s gruesome death at the hands of one of the Tin Soldiers that makes it very clear that this is no usual depiction of Over the Rainbow; Paige, in fact, plays fast and loose with the lives of several beloved characters, but she also mines the entirety of Baum’s fourteen-book Oz series for her plot, incorporating elements of the whole mythology of Oz rather than limiting herself to just the movie. Amy’s dry wit and snarky narration makes a nice counterbalance to the darker events, and she’s believably complex, especially as the daughter of an addict—sure, she’s angry at being asked to play savior yet again to someone else’s crisis, but she’s also looking to prove herself. This strikes a similar tone to Marisa Meyer’s Cinder series (BCCB 2/12, etc.), with its blend of fantasy, humor, and horror, and it will likely inspire fans of that series to make their way to the Emerald City. [End Page 471]

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