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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
This book, while still largely about a journey as were each of the previous Oz books, actually has a decent plot. (Although I thought it was a shame for Ojo to work so hard for the things he needed and then have his troubles magically fixed and all his work go to waste.)
I liked it. Who wouldn't love Scraps?
I liked it. Who wouldn't love Scraps?
Let me tell you, dear readers...not all Oz books are created equal. I am deep into my mission to read all of the the Oz books (at least, all the volumes credited to Mr. Baum himself) and if anyone should try to follow suit, he or she had better do as the great Bette Davis once suggested and buckle their seat belts, 'cause guess what? It's going to be a bumpy read.
In the Patchwork Girl of Oz the miraculous Powder of Life makes another appearance as a character called the Crooked Magician (nearly as literally named an Oz character gets) mixes up a potion in his kitchen to whip up a servant girl for his wife out of a rag doll made from a patchwork quilt. By now, Oz readers know that any magic with a whiff of ill motives or humbuggery will ultimately go awry, and predictably this experiment is no exception. Although the girl is brought to life, she's a little more than the recipe bargained for, and in the process of her creation, a few dramatic magic misfires result that need a quest to sort out.
Several new characters are introduced, though most of these are quite annoying. The Patchwork Girl herself is goodhearted but sadly, is about as much of a Frankenstein monster in personality as she is physically (I dare you to find an edition of this that *doesn't* have an absolutely terrifying cover. Seriously, go on...I'll wait). She has an unfortunate habit of sporadically launching into bad rhyme and arbitrary looniness, and the fact that her travel companions are just as horrified by the quirk doesn't help it go down any better. The glass cat falls along the lines of one of those broken record Oz characters that can't talk without skipping back to its signature refrain (in this case, its fascination for its own appearance), and don't even get me started on the amorphous (and fairly useless) Woozy. The only saving grace for this particular scrap in the quilt we know as the Oz saga is the appearance of the Shaggy Man, who truly must be charmed by the love magnet, because he seems impervious even to the taint of these tedious travel companions and Ojo, the boy who launches the magic quest, because he feels like a authentic kid at least, even if he may be a bit of a Tip retread.
For readers who like the framework of the road trip/quest, there are books in the Oz series that do it better with less annoying characters. Pass on this one.
In the Patchwork Girl of Oz the miraculous Powder of Life makes another appearance as a character called the Crooked Magician (nearly as literally named an Oz character gets) mixes up a potion in his kitchen to whip up a servant girl for his wife out of a rag doll made from a patchwork quilt. By now, Oz readers know that any magic with a whiff of ill motives or humbuggery will ultimately go awry, and predictably this experiment is no exception. Although the girl is brought to life, she's a little more than the recipe bargained for, and in the process of her creation, a few dramatic magic misfires result that need a quest to sort out.
Several new characters are introduced, though most of these are quite annoying. The Patchwork Girl herself is goodhearted but sadly, is about as much of a Frankenstein monster in personality as she is physically (I dare you to find an edition of this that *doesn't* have an absolutely terrifying cover. Seriously, go on...I'll wait). She has an unfortunate habit of sporadically launching into bad rhyme and arbitrary looniness, and the fact that her travel companions are just as horrified by the quirk doesn't help it go down any better. The glass cat falls along the lines of one of those broken record Oz characters that can't talk without skipping back to its signature refrain (in this case, its fascination for its own appearance), and don't even get me started on the amorphous (and fairly useless) Woozy. The only saving grace for this particular scrap in the quilt we know as the Oz saga is the appearance of the Shaggy Man, who truly must be charmed by the love magnet, because he seems impervious even to the taint of these tedious travel companions and Ojo, the boy who launches the magic quest, because he feels like a authentic kid at least, even if he may be a bit of a Tip retread.
For readers who like the framework of the road trip/quest, there are books in the Oz series that do it better with less annoying characters. Pass on this one.
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
The Patchwork Girl creeped me out, and if I hear "You can see them work!" one more time, I'm going to scream. Good thing they lobotomized her the end.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
fast-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The weakest Oz book so far. I understand that Baum wanted the series to end with the previous book, but setting this one up with such unlikeable characters didn't help me get back into it.
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I believe this is the first Oz story Baum wrote after the intended ending of Dorothy moving to Oz. This is quite evident in the story however it still contains the wonder and nonsensical nonsense of his other books and was still an enjoyable read, taking less than a day to get through. Lost points for that annoy cat, though.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated