Mini-Review: No Place Like Oz by Danielle Paige

Nook Book, 150 pages

Release Date: November 12, 2013

Published by: HarperCollins

Dorothy Must Die, #0.5

Source: Own

For fans of: Retellings, Fantasy, Novellas, YA

In this digital original novella, Dorothy travels back to Oz to reunite with old friends, but her story may not have a happy ending. No Place Like Oz is a prequel to the forthcoming novel Dorothy Must Die.

     After returning to Kansas, Dorothy Gale has realized that the dreary fields of Kansas don’t compare to the vibrant landscapes of Oz. And although she’s happy to be reunited with Aunt Em, she misses her friends from the yellow brick road. But most of all, Dorothy misses the fame and the adventure. In Kansas she’s just another prairie girl, but in Oz she was a hero. So Dorothy is willing to do anything to get back, because there really is no place like Oz. But returning to the land she left comes at a price, and after Dorothy is through with it, Oz will never be the same.
     Perfect for fans of Alex Flinn, Marissa Meyer, and Gregory Maguire, No Place Like Oz is a dark reimagining of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Building off of its rich mythology, Danielle Paige creates an edgy, thrilling story for teens that chronicles the rise and fall of one of the literature’s most beloved characters. This digital original novella is a prequel that sets the stage for the forthcoming novel Dorothy Must Die.

 

*MY THOUGHTS*

     I bought this long ago when it first came out, but I put off reading it until right before I knew I would be reading Dorothy Must Die. Why? Because I knew there was no way I could read this and then be content for five months until the book comes out. And after reading it, I'm so glad I waited.

"'Around here they don't believe in anything they see with their own two eyes."
9%

     I can already tell that I will love Dorothy Must Die. In this book alone there were so many references to The Wizard of Oz and I kept falling more and more in love with the World of Oz. There was a melting reference, all your favorite characters from the original was there, and there is a twist that I was not expecting. As y'all know I'm a huge fan of re-tellings that stay true to their original, and this one delivers a twist but it is just about spot on. I really liked it.

"'I was their niece and they had raised me, but we were in Oz now. Here in Oz I wasn't just another prairie girl. I commanded respect."
79%

     The only thing I didn't like about.... I got kind of bored in the middle.  It seemed like nothing was happening. Granted it was a novella, but that should be all the more reason to gut punch me into wanting the book. Finally when Dorothy began to see her *ahem* new self, that's when I really began to like it again. Unfortunately, that was 85% in. But still, I was entertained and I can't wait to read the next one.

"'Home isn't just where you're born. It's where you b/elong."
90%

    No Place Like Oz is a short, semi-entertaining read that will make you want the next in the series right away. Never fear, you don't have to wait much longer!

Overall, I give this