Book Review: Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

Amy Gumm is an intelligent young teen from Kansas who goes through her life with a sense of grim acceptance. Through a series of unfortunate events, Amy soon discovers that not only does Oz really exist but Dorothy does as well, and she has become a dictator that rules Oz with an iron fist. Amy is then tasked to stop Dorothy by any means necessary.

While current trends are making heroes out of villains (Wicked, Maleficent, etc.), Danielle Paige unwaveringly took a darker, gloomier route. Dorothy Must Die isn't your typical Young Adult fiction. In fact, I was surprised by how... morbid... the story came out to be. I was afraid it was going to be one of those children's book-in-disguise, shallow-plotted, revised Oz story. It wasn't. It was, in many ways than one, my type of story.

I was absorbed and dumbfounded by how Danielle twisted Tin Man, The Cowardly Lion, The Scarecrow, The Wizard and most especially, Dorothy into something so sinister it should be illegal. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to go out of their comfort zone and finally pick up something that is not Fifty Shades of Grey nor TFIOS.

I guess the only drawback I experienced was that I didn't know this was part of a book series. I only found out when I was already down to two chapters. Oh the frustration... Nevertheless, it was something I did not expect from the YA category. This genre has finally redeemed itself. Now, Danielle, the second book please. Thank you.