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saroz162's review against another edition
4.0
'Tis a silly book, but I enjoyed it.
I admit that I don't read much YA literature, despite a love for a variety of genres and an academic specialization in literature for children (most specifically, mid-grade novels). I have a sort of image in my head that a lot of YA revolves around fairly unsubtle tropes: high school popularity, doomed first romances, witchcraft and demons, Harry Potter-lite wizards and witches in training. None of these topics interest me, particularly, and so I avoid them. I picked up Dorothy Must Die: Stories because of a display for the series in my local Barnes and Noble. As a lifelong fan of L. Frank Baum's (and others') Oz books, I'm always intrigued - and usually disappointed - by new takes and continuations of that magical world. Usually, though, new stories trade on the imagery and associations with the famous 1939 Judy Garland movie, not the book series (or, indeed, the original novel). I understand why: the film is far better known in popular culture. And I like the film a lot; it's a great classic of golden age American cinema. But I love the Oz books.
So it was with some surprise that I started flipping through Stories and discovered several names I didn't expect to be there. Ozma, Jellia Jamb, Polychrome, the Saw-Horse, Mombi: these are characters from the Baum books, and Ozma aside, not even the most obvious ones. On the basis of that alone, I was interested enough to buy the book and take it home. I really had to find out what Paige was up to and if she got it "right."
Truth be told, Paige's Oz is a mix of awkwardness and inventiveness. She is clearly very well-versed in the original novels; there's a reference to Sky Island, for crying out loud, which isn't even one of the regular Oz books. The characters from the books that she features are reasonably recognizable, if a little tweaked in personalities sometimes, and her Oz has the same basic geography and design as Baum's. It's definitely been retooled to appeal to a fantasy-reading audience, which is perfectly appropriate; instead of Baum's vast frontier lands, Paige has super-colorful fanciful vistas with, for instance, malevolent pixies the size of butterflies. It's very Hollywood Oz, and that's fine. It certainly works better than Gregory Maguire's Wicked series, where the most American of fairylands has been transformed into what feels like a series of European hamlets, with a St. Petersburg-esque Emerald City looming at the center.
Speaking of Wicked, like Maguire, Paige often has to tread the line between Baum's characters, the famous 1939 film characterizations, and something entirely new of her own creation - and that's where the book is probably most awkward. Dorothy is recognizably Judy Garland's Dorothy, telling us she originally visited Oz in a blue gingham dress when she was 14. She lives in a Kansas that seems reasonably 1930s in its landscape and culture, which is consistent with the film. Yet she doesn't talk like she comes from the 1930s. In fact, almost every "young" (or really, "not old") character in the book speaks in a modern, familiar vernacular that feels way, way too 21st century. At times, it's really quite jarring, and it can throw you out of the narrative when Oz personalities start talking like they're living in the world of The O.C.. I assume this is a concession to the teen reader, and it's really, really not necessary. Similarly, there are some bizarre half-concessions to the 1939 film - which, remember, Paige has no rights to reference directly (unlike the original Baum books, which are in the public domain). So Dorothy used Baum's Silver Shoes on her original journey, but she returns to Oz in magical sparkly red shoes - of course. Glinda, who is described as the vivacious young woman of the Baum stories, appears and disappears in a ball of glitter - rather like a bubble. You see where this is going, right? Occasionally, Paige uses these little inconsistencies to her benefit; Glinda's public persona, for instance, is familiar as the teeth-grating, simpery sweetness of the movie, but it turns out to be a mask for something very, very different. When it works, it works. But it does take getting used to.
Did I mention that Ozma has become a sort of juvenile Galadriel, capable of changing her stature and appearance during displays of power? Did I mention she has butterfly wings now? No? Well, you win some, you lose some.
Importantly, what I haven't discussed yet are the actual stories, and there's a reason: they're all setup, especially the final two of the three. The first, narrated by Dorothy (and nearly the combined length of the other two), brings the "Witchslayer," her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry back to Oz, where she quickly discovers that everything is not as it should be. This is easily the most interesting of the stories, not just because it's the most developed or because it features the most Baum elements, but because there's an underlying mystery for the reader to try and resolve. Oz seems pretty idyllic under Princess Ozma's reign, and Dorothy is quickly established as a self-absorbed little prat, so it's up to you to decide whether her perspective has any validity at all. Certainly by the second novella, Dorothy is established as the ultimate in Mean Girls, with her friends the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Lion acting very against type. The narrator for this story is Ozma's young maid, Jellia, and while her perspective seems clear, there's again a question of just how these characters turned so wrong so quickly. The final, third-person story represents a slight step back in time (and probably should have been ordered as the second of the three). Here, the Wizard is introduced - oddly, clearly not an old man as depicted either in the original novel or the film - and set on his own destiny back to the broken world of Oz. By the end of the volume, the stage is set for three very different campaigns to try and wrest control of Oz. It's all pretty simple, plot-wise, but it's immensely easy to read and - frankly - 400 pages flew by. I would call that a pretty good success.
Now, where it goes from here is anybody's guess. Some of the machinations in this volume are absolutely ludicrous - one, right at the end of the first story, is manipulated to "book-end" the original Wizard of Oz so cutely that it almost defies belief. (Personally, I chose to simply set the book down and laugh out loud for a solid minute.) Some of Paige's inventions are also pretty trite or just plain boring, like the "mysterious" and "amoral" fairie folk who seem like emo elf rejects from The Lord of the Rings. Others, though, are kind of interesting, at least enough to deserve further investigation: the idea that Oz's magic users draw their power from the land itself, for instance, and that that magic can be mined like oil. In his one extended appearance, the Lion has become not just evil, but primal, and with no explanation given for that here, I'm intrigued to find out more. This may not end up being a great series, but I think Paige has enough creativity on display for it to be worth my time to keep on going.
Plus, she name-dropped Sky Island. I mean, what the hell?
I admit that I don't read much YA literature, despite a love for a variety of genres and an academic specialization in literature for children (most specifically, mid-grade novels). I have a sort of image in my head that a lot of YA revolves around fairly unsubtle tropes: high school popularity, doomed first romances, witchcraft and demons, Harry Potter-lite wizards and witches in training. None of these topics interest me, particularly, and so I avoid them. I picked up Dorothy Must Die: Stories because of a display for the series in my local Barnes and Noble. As a lifelong fan of L. Frank Baum's (and others') Oz books, I'm always intrigued - and usually disappointed - by new takes and continuations of that magical world. Usually, though, new stories trade on the imagery and associations with the famous 1939 Judy Garland movie, not the book series (or, indeed, the original novel). I understand why: the film is far better known in popular culture. And I like the film a lot; it's a great classic of golden age American cinema. But I love the Oz books.
So it was with some surprise that I started flipping through Stories and discovered several names I didn't expect to be there. Ozma, Jellia Jamb, Polychrome, the Saw-Horse, Mombi: these are characters from the Baum books, and Ozma aside, not even the most obvious ones. On the basis of that alone, I was interested enough to buy the book and take it home. I really had to find out what Paige was up to and if she got it "right."
Truth be told, Paige's Oz is a mix of awkwardness and inventiveness. She is clearly very well-versed in the original novels; there's a reference to Sky Island, for crying out loud, which isn't even one of the regular Oz books. The characters from the books that she features are reasonably recognizable, if a little tweaked in personalities sometimes, and her Oz has the same basic geography and design as Baum's. It's definitely been retooled to appeal to a fantasy-reading audience, which is perfectly appropriate; instead of Baum's vast frontier lands, Paige has super-colorful fanciful vistas with, for instance, malevolent pixies the size of butterflies. It's very Hollywood Oz, and that's fine. It certainly works better than Gregory Maguire's Wicked series, where the most American of fairylands has been transformed into what feels like a series of European hamlets, with a St. Petersburg-esque Emerald City looming at the center.
Speaking of Wicked, like Maguire, Paige often has to tread the line between Baum's characters, the famous 1939 film characterizations, and something entirely new of her own creation - and that's where the book is probably most awkward. Dorothy is recognizably Judy Garland's Dorothy, telling us she originally visited Oz in a blue gingham dress when she was 14. She lives in a Kansas that seems reasonably 1930s in its landscape and culture, which is consistent with the film. Yet she doesn't talk like she comes from the 1930s. In fact, almost every "young" (or really, "not old") character in the book speaks in a modern, familiar vernacular that feels way, way too 21st century. At times, it's really quite jarring, and it can throw you out of the narrative when Oz personalities start talking like they're living in the world of The O.C.. I assume this is a concession to the teen reader, and it's really, really not necessary. Similarly, there are some bizarre half-concessions to the 1939 film - which, remember, Paige has no rights to reference directly (unlike the original Baum books, which are in the public domain). So Dorothy used Baum's Silver Shoes on her original journey, but she returns to Oz in magical sparkly red shoes - of course. Glinda, who is described as the vivacious young woman of the Baum stories, appears and disappears in a ball of glitter - rather like a bubble. You see where this is going, right? Occasionally, Paige uses these little inconsistencies to her benefit; Glinda's public persona, for instance, is familiar as the teeth-grating, simpery sweetness of the movie, but it turns out to be a mask for something very, very different. When it works, it works. But it does take getting used to.
Did I mention that Ozma has become a sort of juvenile Galadriel, capable of changing her stature and appearance during displays of power? Did I mention she has butterfly wings now? No? Well, you win some, you lose some.
Importantly, what I haven't discussed yet are the actual stories, and there's a reason: they're all setup, especially the final two of the three. The first, narrated by Dorothy (and nearly the combined length of the other two), brings the "Witchslayer," her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry back to Oz, where she quickly discovers that everything is not as it should be. This is easily the most interesting of the stories, not just because it's the most developed or because it features the most Baum elements, but because there's an underlying mystery for the reader to try and resolve. Oz seems pretty idyllic under Princess Ozma's reign, and Dorothy is quickly established as a self-absorbed little prat, so it's up to you to decide whether her perspective has any validity at all. Certainly by the second novella, Dorothy is established as the ultimate in Mean Girls, with her friends the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Lion acting very against type. The narrator for this story is Ozma's young maid, Jellia, and while her perspective seems clear, there's again a question of just how these characters turned so wrong so quickly. The final, third-person story represents a slight step back in time (and probably should have been ordered as the second of the three). Here, the Wizard is introduced - oddly, clearly not an old man as depicted either in the original novel or the film - and set on his own destiny back to the broken world of Oz. By the end of the volume, the stage is set for three very different campaigns to try and wrest control of Oz. It's all pretty simple, plot-wise, but it's immensely easy to read and - frankly - 400 pages flew by. I would call that a pretty good success.
Now, where it goes from here is anybody's guess. Some of the machinations in this volume are absolutely ludicrous - one, right at the end of the first story, is manipulated to "book-end" the original Wizard of Oz so cutely that it almost defies belief. (Personally, I chose to simply set the book down and laugh out loud for a solid minute.) Some of Paige's inventions are also pretty trite or just plain boring, like the "mysterious" and "amoral" fairie folk who seem like emo elf rejects from The Lord of the Rings. Others, though, are kind of interesting, at least enough to deserve further investigation: the idea that Oz's magic users draw their power from the land itself, for instance, and that that magic can be mined like oil. In his one extended appearance, the Lion has become not just evil, but primal, and with no explanation given for that here, I'm intrigued to find out more. This may not end up being a great series, but I think Paige has enough creativity on display for it to be worth my time to keep on going.
Plus, she name-dropped Sky Island. I mean, what the hell?
hitbooksnotgirlz's review against another edition
4.0
The first two of the three stories were great. In the first, I got to get to know Dorothy when she was still a wholesome girl from Kansas. I saw her return to Oz, grow more powerful and wretched and learned exactly who was responsible for it. In the second, I got the backstory on Jellia and understood more of the role she played in the Emerald Palace, her power and it’s origins, and how she came to work alongside the witches in the Order. Lastly, I learned some fucking bullshit about the Wizard that I could have done without. Boring. I strongly prefer a female MC, and the Wizard was nothing more than a lacklustre prick.
greatolcatsby's review against another edition
3.0
And with a knock of her heels, Dorothy returned to the magical land that made her a star - and Oz would never be the same.
No Place Like Oz 4/5
The Witch Must Burn 3/5
The Wizard Returns 2.5/5
No Place Like Oz 4/5
The Witch Must Burn 3/5
The Wizard Returns 2.5/5
lillythebaer's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book! At first it took me a while to get into it, but once I did, there was no stopping me. *Kind of maybe a spoiler (nothing actually involving the plot* I thought that after reading from Dorothy's point of view, I might be like, "Oh, something bad happened that made her evil," and I thought I might sympathize her. Nope. Not one bit. The book has three short stories in it. The first one takes place in Dorothy's point of view, the second in Jellia Jamb's, the head maid of the Emerald City, and the third follows the Wizard. I wouldn't necessarily suggest this book be read before at least reading Dorothy Must Die. I just found that I understood a bit more of what was happening because I read Dorothy Must Die and The Wicked Will Rise. But I also found out stuff about the books in the actual series that I haven't read yet. For some, that might be considered too much of a spoiler, but it just made me more eager to read the rest of the series, because there weren't actually any spoilers, just subtle suggestions that something is going to happen.
beths0103's review against another edition
4.0
I received a review copy of the audio of Dorothy Must Die: Stories thinking it was the original, but soon realized they were short prequel stories to help give the reader more background into the Dorothy Must Die novel. Now that I've read (listened to) these short stories, I MUST read/listen to the novel!
paigeavenue's review against another edition
2.0
I wasn’t able to finish this. I read through 1 of the 3 stories and it was a struggle to finish even the one.
The writing wasn’t gripping and I just wasn’t a huge fan of it so didn’t want to force myself to finish a book I wasn’t enjoying.
If you’re really into the wizard of oz or the series this book is referring to you may enjoy it although you don’t have to have read either to understand what was happening.
The writing wasn’t gripping and I just wasn’t a huge fan of it so didn’t want to force myself to finish a book I wasn’t enjoying.
If you’re really into the wizard of oz or the series this book is referring to you may enjoy it although you don’t have to have read either to understand what was happening.
saffigon's review against another edition
3.0
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!
Cursing is heavy in this review.
This was the best of the bind ups for this series. But there were still major problems.
No Place Like Oz:
I think this story drags on. I think it would have been better if there was less to it. Although, it wasn't that bad. It was okay. Dorothy shows her bitchiness. I do hate it in books where the character is clueless, but the reader knows what's happening. It's really frustrating. The character embarrasses themselves in one way or another. Once she go to the palace, she was a brat. Ozma wouldn't teach her magic, so Dorothy threw a fit. It was just plain rude and annoying as hell. The battle between her and Ozma was like the best part of the story.
The Witch Must Burn:
This story was the best of the three. We get to see Jellia, who was a character we couldn't see much of because she died so early on. Jellia had a mysterious past. She was a part of the Order, but the reader didn't know how she got in it or her role in the Order. This story explains EVERYTHING. Basically, Jellia is invited to work with Glinda in her summer home. There, she meets Nox. They start to talk and he basically invites her to work with the Order. It was well written. It didn't drag on. It kept your interested. It's only flaw was that I think it was a LITTLE too short. It could have done for, like, 20 more pages.
The Wizard Returns:
I was impartial to this story. I think that it gave more of a mystery to the Wizard that wasn't there before. We knew he had a hand in everything, but we didn't know that the Nome King had an eye on him from the cane he carried around. That was a big change in his role. Another thing that was interesting was that Pete helped the Wizard remember who he was.
Cursing is heavy in this review.
This was the best of the bind ups for this series. But there were still major problems.
No Place Like Oz:
I think this story drags on. I think it would have been better if there was less to it. Although, it wasn't that bad. It was okay. Dorothy shows her bitchiness. I do hate it in books where the character is clueless, but the reader knows what's happening. It's really frustrating. The character embarrasses themselves in one way or another. Once she go to the palace, she was a brat. Ozma wouldn't teach her magic, so Dorothy threw a fit. It was just plain rude and annoying as hell. The battle between her and Ozma was like the best part of the story.
The Witch Must Burn:
This story was the best of the three. We get to see Jellia, who was a character we couldn't see much of because she died so early on. Jellia had a mysterious past. She was a part of the Order, but the reader didn't know how she got in it or her role in the Order. This story explains EVERYTHING. Basically, Jellia is invited to work with Glinda in her summer home. There, she meets Nox. They start to talk and he basically invites her to work with the Order. It was well written. It didn't drag on. It kept your interested. It's only flaw was that I think it was a LITTLE too short. It could have done for, like, 20 more pages.
The Wizard Returns:
I was impartial to this story. I think that it gave more of a mystery to the Wizard that wasn't there before. We knew he had a hand in everything, but we didn't know that the Nome King had an eye on him from the cane he carried around. That was a big change in his role. Another thing that was interesting was that Pete helped the Wizard remember who he was.
donitaluz's review against another edition
5.0
I might be a little bias.. Because I just love this series.. :)
There's no Place like home:
Except from what happened to Oz, I keep asking myself while reading Dorothy Must Die..
*What happened to Dorothy really?
*How did she become evil from being a nice and kind girl she was?
*How did she manage to return to Oz? and
*Why did she return at all when all she wanted to do was to go home, back from Kansas, when she was still at Oz?
*What happen to her after she returned from Kansas?
All of those question were answered in there's no place like home, told in the POV of Dorothy herself.
Her life in Kansas after returning back from Oz, has never been the same. People was happy she came back, Ofcourse she was happy to be with her Aunt and Uncle. In fact, she was so thrilled she told them all of her adventure in Oz. Guess what? They thought she hit her head and had a fanciful dream. Yeah, it's not everyday you get to hear this kind of fantasy.
When she got the chance to return to Oz, she gratefully accepts it. I mean, it was all she ever wanted after returning to Kansas, why hesitate?
The girl realizes that something wrong is happening to her, she has learn how to be rude to her own uncle and auntie and she keeps wanting so much more.
The witch must Burn:
This part was told in the POV of Jellia. The head maid we all met from Dorothy Must Die. I feel a little bad about the girl ofcourse after what happen to her in the first book, but I honestly find her story a little bit boring, this is actually my least story in this collection. But the fun part is when I get to read about Nox in this story so I guess, I am good.
The Wizard Returns:
We get glimpses of the Wizard from the Dorothy Must Die. But we didn't really know what happens to him when the scarecrow takes over the palace. Everyone thought he return to the "Other Place" but how did he manage to return to Oz, when things are turning into ruins? Yep, he got help.
This is the part of the book where the Wizard has his own adventure while Dorothy is in her peak of her Reign. I honestly find this story more entertaining than The witch must Burn story. I find the Wizard's story more intriguing.
This book certainly make me want to pick up The Wicked will Rise the soonest.
This book is not required to read to understand the story of Dorothy Must Die. But it will certainly help answer your questions, because it did answer mine..
There's no Place like home:
Except from what happened to Oz, I keep asking myself while reading Dorothy Must Die..
*What happened to Dorothy really?
*How did she become evil from being a nice and kind girl she was?
*How did she manage to return to Oz? and
*Why did she return at all when all she wanted to do was to go home, back from Kansas, when she was still at Oz?
*What happen to her after she returned from Kansas?
All of those question were answered in there's no place like home, told in the POV of Dorothy herself.
Her life in Kansas after returning back from Oz, has never been the same. People was happy she came back, Ofcourse she was happy to be with her Aunt and Uncle. In fact, she was so thrilled she told them all of her adventure in Oz. Guess what? They thought she hit her head and had a fanciful dream. Yeah, it's not everyday you get to hear this kind of fantasy.
When she got the chance to return to Oz, she gratefully accepts it. I mean, it was all she ever wanted after returning to Kansas, why hesitate?
The girl realizes that something wrong is happening to her, she has learn how to be rude to her own uncle and auntie and she keeps wanting so much more.
"I had gotten exactly what I had wanted, and still it wasn't enough. I had wanted. And now I wanted more"Yeah, disturbing. After all the encounter she had with the wicked.
"I certainly try not to be wicked (After my experience with Wickedness)."Well you have to try HARDER girl. Obviously, she wasn't able to get over the wickedness, thus the Dorothy Must Die book occured.
The witch must Burn:
This part was told in the POV of Jellia. The head maid we all met from Dorothy Must Die. I feel a little bad about the girl ofcourse after what happen to her in the first book, but I honestly find her story a little bit boring, this is actually my least story in this collection. But the fun part is when I get to read about Nox in this story so I guess, I am good.
The Wizard Returns:
We get glimpses of the Wizard from the Dorothy Must Die. But we didn't really know what happens to him when the scarecrow takes over the palace. Everyone thought he return to the "Other Place" but how did he manage to return to Oz, when things are turning into ruins? Yep, he got help.
This is the part of the book where the Wizard has his own adventure while Dorothy is in her peak of her Reign. I honestly find this story more entertaining than The witch must Burn story. I find the Wizard's story more intriguing.
This book certainly make me want to pick up The Wicked will Rise the soonest.
This book is not required to read to understand the story of Dorothy Must Die. But it will certainly help answer your questions, because it did answer mine..
jcarvajal23's review against another edition
2.0
No Place Like Oz was really the only one out of the three that I found important to know. The other two were irrelevant to the main story as a whole. Nothing really happens in these novellas that provide real clarification for anyone's motives.