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monarchbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I think my one qualm was the Tin Man's obsession with Dorothy, it's just creepy okay
I think the dark twist on the beloved characters made sense in their own ways and I liked the foreshadowing on who Pete really was (which i think was a nod to The Marvelous Land of Oz) and the identity of the handler. The Lion being so courageous that now he has no sympathy for the ones afraid was imo, a perfect twist on his character. The witches were all so interesting and unique, in fact the whole cast of characters was well characterized, despite being large. The intoxicating pull of magic and wickedness was really interesting to read about through Amy's character. I also found each of the character deaths extremely sad, which is a hard task for an author in the first book with a large cast and little time for side character growth.
I think the dark twist on the beloved characters made sense in their own ways and I liked the foreshadowing on who Pete really was (which i think was a nod to The Marvelous Land of Oz) and the identity of the handler. The Lion being so courageous that now he has no sympathy for the ones afraid was imo, a perfect twist on his character. The witches were all so interesting and unique, in fact the whole cast of characters was well characterized, despite being large. The intoxicating pull of magic and wickedness was really interesting to read about through Amy's character. I also found each of the character deaths extremely sad, which is a hard task for an author in the first book with a large cast and little time for side character growth.
ashction's review
3.0
I feel very... indifferent about this book.
Parts of it - certain characters and the intricate mystery that surrounds the truth of Oz and Dorothy and more - were very intriguing, exciting, and worthy of the praise that this book has received.
But even more parts of it, such as the narrator herself and the battle of Good and Wicked (which has no meaning, or at the very least a twisted one, no pun intended), were annoying and created an unusual amount of frustration for me as a reader. Overall, I definitely feel as though I will continue with this series if only to find out what happens next and uncover everyone's secrets. But it isn't going to be with eagerness - just a slim hope that things can only go up from here.
Throughout this novel, I was constantly annoyed by Amy. Not because I didn't feel sympathetic towards her (even if there was very little of that to go around), but more so because her voice was like that of a toddler. She wanted so much so quickly that she was oblivious to everything she needed. And when she didn't want things, she was in the middle of a spiral of self-pity and anger. Not that she didn't have a good cause to be; I just grew tired of it very quickly.
Of course, I know why Amy is the way she is. It's all very obvious what the author is doing with her character, making her both a lens for the reader and a symbol of the confusion between what is Good and what is Wicked. That doesn't mean that it is, in any way, a personality that appeals to me as a reader and makes me want to join whatever cause she is on.
I could go on, but my primary gripe is that this first installment didn't make me need to continue it. I could and would gladly stop here if it wasn't for the things that Danielle Paige did right. Despite the gray quality that leaks out from Dorothy's Oz into my opinion of this book, Paige creates characters who enchant and enhance the mystery of the story, such as Pete (no spoilers here, but the twist certainly changes things), Nox (though perhaps Nox is a personal favorite, because if the Wicked truly are Wicked, then I like to believe he doesn't realize it entirely), and Glamora and Glinda. If anything, Glinda is the wild card. Glamora hates her, and with good reason, and the Wizard thinks she's bad - but whose to say that her goals are any different from theirs? There's definitely evidence that Glinda isn't too happy with things herself, so I want to see more of her revealed.
Oz isn't a world I love, and this book isn't one that I can't live without. But there are still mysteries unsolved and a war of Good and Wicked that is brewing, and I'd like to see how it turns out, so I'm holding out hope that the next installment delivers much more than this one.
UPDATE (12/31/14): I've been made aware of the scandal surrounding the author of this series, and it has made me do nothing but dislike it even more. If I ever continue these books, it will be through means that allow me not to support this series with my money any further.
Parts of it - certain characters and the intricate mystery that surrounds the truth of Oz and Dorothy and more - were very intriguing, exciting, and worthy of the praise that this book has received.
But even more parts of it, such as the narrator herself and the battle of Good and Wicked (which has no meaning, or at the very least a twisted one, no pun intended), were annoying and created an unusual amount of frustration for me as a reader. Overall, I definitely feel as though I will continue with this series if only to find out what happens next and uncover everyone's secrets. But it isn't going to be with eagerness - just a slim hope that things can only go up from here.
Throughout this novel, I was constantly annoyed by Amy. Not because I didn't feel sympathetic towards her (even if there was very little of that to go around), but more so because her voice was like that of a toddler. She wanted so much so quickly that she was oblivious to everything she needed. And when she didn't want things, she was in the middle of a spiral of self-pity and anger. Not that she didn't have a good cause to be; I just grew tired of it very quickly.
Of course, I know why Amy is the way she is. It's all very obvious what the author is doing with her character, making her both a lens for the reader and a symbol of the confusion between what is Good and what is Wicked. That doesn't mean that it is, in any way, a personality that appeals to me as a reader and makes me want to join whatever cause she is on.
I could go on, but my primary gripe is that this first installment didn't make me need to continue it. I could and would gladly stop here if it wasn't for the things that Danielle Paige did right. Despite the gray quality that leaks out from Dorothy's Oz into my opinion of this book, Paige creates characters who enchant and enhance the mystery of the story, such as Pete (no spoilers here, but the twist certainly changes things), Nox (though perhaps Nox is a personal favorite, because if the Wicked truly are Wicked, then I like to believe he doesn't realize it entirely), and Glamora and Glinda. If anything, Glinda is the wild card. Glamora hates her, and with good reason, and the Wizard thinks she's bad - but whose to say that her goals are any different from theirs? There's definitely evidence that Glinda isn't too happy with things herself, so I want to see more of her revealed.
Oz isn't a world I love, and this book isn't one that I can't live without. But there are still mysteries unsolved and a war of Good and Wicked that is brewing, and I'd like to see how it turns out, so I'm holding out hope that the next installment delivers much more than this one.
UPDATE (12/31/14): I've been made aware of the scandal surrounding the author of this series, and it has made me do nothing but dislike it even more. If I ever continue these books, it will be through means that allow me not to support this series with my money any further.
a_strix_named_strix's review
2.0
Look at how Not Like Other Girls the mc is! Look at how slutty everyone else is!
jenmangler's review against another edition
2.0
This book started off strong but petered out as it went on. It seems needlessly convoluted. How many different factions can there be? And how many different people can tell Amy that she shouldn't trust anyone, including them? An endless number, it seems. I knew this was the first in a series going in, but it drives me crazy when the first book is treated like a prequel with a massive cliffhanger. It makes me not want to read further, just on principle. Each book should tell its own story and feel like a satisfying read. Finally, and this is a personal peccadillo, I wish young adult authors would resist the urge to constantly pair up the main female character with the first hot guy she sees. Seriously. A love interest had absolutely no place in this book at all. It wasn't needed. Please, authors, resist the urge!
breezy610's review
3.0
it was okay. it was different then what I thought it was going to be. I will definitely check out the rest of the series though
kate4ez's review
3.0
Interesting premise that moves right along once it finally gets going, but it loses a full star because the title is a big fat lie. I was incredibly disappointed when I realized Dorothy wasn't going to die. The whole book felt like wasted effort.
tracyfeye's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25