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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Probably one of my favorite Oz books next to the original. As a child, this was the first one I read and the only one I owned, and I reread it over and over. I wasn't sure if it would hold up, but I actually think it's one of the most accessible of the stories. There's a little dose of stark reality: Em and Henry's farm has fallen on hard times and they're facing foreclosure. Dorothy, for all her fine qualities, has always been a *little* oblivious to the folks at home, going on her forays (clearly neglecting her farm duties) and not troubling too much about them until after they're already worried, but this time she pulls through and gets them what amounts to a VIP pass to Oz. It's not the smoothest transition for people used to a much simpler life, and their presence shakes things up in a good way. For once, Oz is allowed to be kind of less than perfect. Henry and Em have even more clarity than Dorothy more often than not, and the grandeur of Oz weirds them out more than impresses them, but they're not total bumpkins either. Though they come in skeptical, they also try to adapt, and take Dorothy's feelings to heart as her worlds collide and she's just hoping everyone gets along.
The stage is also set for what is the biggest real threat to Oz so far. As Henry and Em get acclimated (sort of) during their grand tour of some of Oz's weird little pockets, the Nome King launches a devious and alarming mission to rally all the evil forces on the outskirts of Oz for a mega attack, and the bad guys are actually kind of chilling. We also get surprising toughness from Ozma and kind of a big ethical dilemma: how can the Oz people stand firm on their philosophy of non-violence in the face of beings who fully intend to do them real harm?
Don't worry though. There's still plenty of silliness, though be prepared for what might possibly be the most pun-laden passage I have encountered when Dorothy (almost literally) stumbles across Utensia. Baum clearly had a field day with writing that, and maybe in the end, that's one of the things that makes this one of the standout books for me. There are some of the books where you really get the feeling that he was feeling a little fatigued with it all, but here his imagination is really running rampant and you feel his full investment. The midnight council scene with the Scarecrow and Tin man strategizing to save Oz was probably the most memorable scene for me as a child, and it's still pretty poignant even now.
The stage is also set for what is the biggest real threat to Oz so far. As Henry and Em get acclimated (sort of) during their grand tour of some of Oz's weird little pockets, the Nome King launches a devious and alarming mission to rally all the evil forces on the outskirts of Oz for a mega attack, and the bad guys are actually kind of chilling. We also get surprising toughness from Ozma and kind of a big ethical dilemma: how can the Oz people stand firm on their philosophy of non-violence in the face of beings who fully intend to do them real harm?
Don't worry though. There's still plenty of silliness, though be prepared for what might possibly be the most pun-laden passage I have encountered when Dorothy (almost literally) stumbles across Utensia. Baum clearly had a field day with writing that, and maybe in the end, that's one of the things that makes this one of the standout books for me. There are some of the books where you really get the feeling that he was feeling a little fatigued with it all, but here his imagination is really running rampant and you feel his full investment. The midnight council scene with the Scarecrow and Tin man strategizing to save Oz was probably the most memorable scene for me as a child, and it's still pretty poignant even now.
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
lighthearted
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
fast-paced
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The parallel narrative in this was a nice change of pace for the series, though I wish the second character we got to follow was someone a bit more fun than General Guff. Anyway, we loved the end of this one, though it did feel a little bit too convenient, given that Baum wanted it to be his last book in the series. Still, kiddo and I were laughing at the end with all the shenanigans going on at the end of the final battle.
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced