Paige, Danielle. Dorothy Must Die. New York: Harper, 2014.

"You have to get this book!" I heard this from more than one student at my school, I was a little embarrassed that is didn't really know the book, Dorothy Must Die. But intrigued by their excitement I thought I'd better get moving. This title was one of the last of my summer reads.

Paige flips the familiar world of Oz and the familiar perception of Dorothy 180 degrees. When Amy Gumm from Kansas finds herself in Oz after a harrowing spin in a tornado, things aren't at all as she's imagined them. Theodore she meets are afraid. The munchkins are victimized and controlled by a not so good Glinda the kingdom is ruled by a power hungry, exceptionally evil Dorothy. The lion feeds offered fear of other creatures and the scarecrow uses captives for horrifying experiments in his secret lab. And what is. Amy Fumm from Kansas to do? Dorothy has made it quite clear that she is to be the only Kansas girl to save Oz. Amy doesn't have that much faith in herself. Life in Kansas had been rough. Her mom was alternately drugged or out at a bar; she is bullied mercilessly by the popular, wealthy girls; her self confidence is at an all time low. When she is bonded to the wicked order who wishes to overthrow Dorothy, she is not at all sure of herself, their cause, or the training they provide. What follows is an epic adventure of twists and turns. Through it all Amy Gumm becomes a newer, stronger version of herself.

The book's juxtaposition of Baum's fantastical Characters and Paige's purely evil ones is both jarring and intriguing. We journey there gradually along with Amy and Paige's world building gradually becomes more and more real. We are drawn into the battle and the suspense.

The language is a bit jarring, I get the idea of character building, but I'm not entirely sure the use of language renders Amy any more believable than she already is through the storytelling itself. The book is also very violent, in the way of dystopias, and not graphic, but could be a bit much for younger readers who might be drawn to the title, based on their familiarity with the original story. But I will surely enjoy getting this into the hands of the mature readers who will appreciate this modern retelling of a beloved classic.