mgallmeyer03's review against another edition
I couldn’t finish this book. While I was intrigued most of the time, I also struggled with the writing. Some passages just lacked descriptions, while others contained flawed dialogue. I’m bummed I didn’t like this book. I really wanted to be able to like it.
tizzyxlish23's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
booknerd777's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, this book was amazing! It was so good! The Wizard of Oz is one of my favorite books of all time so I knew I was going to love this book. This was an amazing retelling. I need the next book now, I can't wait to see what happens next! I will be filming and writing reviews on my blog and channel so stay tuned :)
laurasl's review against another edition
4.0
Ding-dong, the witch is dead
Dorothy è tornata a Oz e ha ritrovato i suoi vecchi amici.
Ma la ragazzina innocente che cantava di luoghi da sogno oltre l'arcobalento è scomparsa. Chissà, forse non è mai esistita.
Io ADORO il re-telling, quell'oscura pratica nella quale si prende una storia e la si riscrive cambiando le carte in tavola. Così Cenerentola può diventare un cyborg, Dorothy una strega cattiva e la Bella e la Bestia magari possono andare al liceo.
Ovviamente si tratta quasi sempre di romanzi Young Adult, quindi non sempre i risultati sono stellari, ma come letture d'intrattenimento leggero vanno più che bene.
Come si può intendere dal titolo, Dorothy must die racconta la storia di Amy, trasportata da un parcheggio di rulotte in Kansas ad Oz da un tornado; il suo compito è quello di uccidere Dorothy, tornata ad Oz e ormai corrotta dalla magia della quale ha abusato.
La premessa mi ha conquistato ancor prima che cominciassero a circolare le prime recensioni e devo dire che il libro è stato all'altezza delle mie aspettative.
Come al solito ci sono dei difetti: percepire lo scorrere del tempo in questi romanzi non è mai facile per me. Certe vole mi sembra che siano passati mesi, poi scopro che in realtà sono solo 3 settimane, cosa che ovviamente rende poco credibile lo svilupparsi di certe relazioni o lo sviluppo di certe capacità da parte della protagonista.
Però l'ambientazione e i personaggi secondari hanno pareggiato i suddetti difetti egregiamente; in certi punti sembrava di trovarsi in un mondo stile Tim Burton, con una bella aggiunta di malattia mentale tanto per gradire.
Sono davvero impaziente di leggere il secondo libro di questa trilogia, dove spero che l'Ordine dei Malvagi dimostri un pelino più di cervello nella gestione delle missioni segrete.
Dorothy è tornata a Oz e ha ritrovato i suoi vecchi amici.
Ma la ragazzina innocente che cantava di luoghi da sogno oltre l'arcobalento è scomparsa. Chissà, forse non è mai esistita.
Io ADORO il re-telling, quell'oscura pratica nella quale si prende una storia e la si riscrive cambiando le carte in tavola. Così Cenerentola può diventare un cyborg, Dorothy una strega cattiva e la Bella e la Bestia magari possono andare al liceo.
Ovviamente si tratta quasi sempre di romanzi Young Adult, quindi non sempre i risultati sono stellari, ma come letture d'intrattenimento leggero vanno più che bene.
Come si può intendere dal titolo, Dorothy must die racconta la storia di Amy, trasportata da un parcheggio di rulotte in Kansas ad Oz da un tornado; il suo compito è quello di uccidere Dorothy, tornata ad Oz e ormai corrotta dalla magia della quale ha abusato.
La premessa mi ha conquistato ancor prima che cominciassero a circolare le prime recensioni e devo dire che il libro è stato all'altezza delle mie aspettative.
Come al solito ci sono dei difetti: percepire lo scorrere del tempo in questi romanzi non è mai facile per me. Certe vole mi sembra che siano passati mesi, poi scopro che in realtà sono solo 3 settimane, cosa che ovviamente rende poco credibile lo svilupparsi di certe relazioni o lo sviluppo di certe capacità da parte della protagonista.
Però l'ambientazione e i personaggi secondari hanno pareggiato i suddetti difetti egregiamente; in certi punti sembrava di trovarsi in un mondo stile Tim Burton, con una bella aggiunta di malattia mentale tanto per gradire.
Sono davvero impaziente di leggere il secondo libro di questa trilogia, dove spero che l'Ordine dei Malvagi dimostri un pelino più di cervello nella gestione delle missioni segrete.
wggleworm's review against another edition
3.0
The beginning was a little too similar to The Wizard of Oz for me, but then the story took on a life of its own and I got very interested. I will probably follow up with the sequels.
pn_hinton's review against another edition
4.0
Dystopian fantasy is big in YA now so it can be easy to just chuck any of them up to just that. I really enjoyed the take on Oz in this story as well as the main players and what happened to them after the events of the story. What happened after Dorothy's return to Oz to make her evil and her friends? What turned them from heroes to tyrants and is it really all their fault or is there something else there? Who is really Wicked, good, or just out for personal gain? It is said many times in the story but it is very true that Amy (and the reader) can really trust no one in this new Oz so I think as the series continues that will be played on a lot (it will be interesting to see if the author even plays with the idea of Amy as an unreliable narrator).
It was a bit drawn out in some places I will admit but even on that it played into the "trust no one" aspect since a lot of the turns were made because Amy made a choice not knowing what the large plan was and no one telling her. You also have to factor in this is the first book and as with any of those a lot of seeds need to be planted to set the stage for the other stories. I am also interested in reading the prequels to see if there is a reason Dorothy is the way she is. It is also (sadly) one of those books where you probably shouldn't get overly attached to anyone because well ultimately it is about the prelude, action, and aftermath of a war. A very good read and new spin on the Oz folklore so if you like YA, dystopia, and Oz you'll enjoy it.
It was a bit drawn out in some places I will admit but even on that it played into the "trust no one" aspect since a lot of the turns were made because Amy made a choice not knowing what the large plan was and no one telling her. You also have to factor in this is the first book and as with any of those a lot of seeds need to be planted to set the stage for the other stories. I am also interested in reading the prequels to see if there is a reason Dorothy is the way she is. It is also (sadly) one of those books where you probably shouldn't get overly attached to anyone because well ultimately it is about the prelude, action, and aftermath of a war. A very good read and new spin on the Oz folklore so if you like YA, dystopia, and Oz you'll enjoy it.
nanu_nanu_narnett's review against another edition
1.0
This book started off strong, I will admit. The conflict between Amy and her mother was very well done and I was rooting for her as a protagonist from the get-go.
And oh, how the good premise flops.
The Wizard of Oz was an absolute favourite of mine growing up, so maybe I'm biased. Perhaps when male-love-interest (I can't remember his name and I don't care) showed up, she turned into a ditsy, jealous moron. I do think it's a disappointment how many YA novels nowadays focus on the love story and fail to deliver on it by either having one of them be extremely unlikable, or just having bad chemistry.
Of course, after the novel turns in this direction Amy just becomes that 'one special cookie who can and has to save the day!' and I just lost interest.
I was open to an alternate view on an established world (I always am) but this was just... no.
DNF at 80%. I had about 100 pages to go, and I just couldn't do it. If that doesn't say something, I don't know what does.
And oh, how the good premise flops.
The Wizard of Oz was an absolute favourite of mine growing up, so maybe I'm biased. Perhaps when male-love-interest (I can't remember his name and I don't care) showed up, she turned into a ditsy, jealous moron. I do think it's a disappointment how many YA novels nowadays focus on the love story and fail to deliver on it by either having one of them be extremely unlikable, or just having bad chemistry.
Of course, after the novel turns in this direction Amy just becomes that 'one special cookie who can and has to save the day!' and I just lost interest.
I was open to an alternate view on an established world (I always am) but this was just... no.
DNF at 80%. I had about 100 pages to go, and I just couldn't do it. If that doesn't say something, I don't know what does.
mythos05's review against another edition
2.0
Original rating: 3/5 stars
New rating: 2.3/5 stars
I originally thought it was well written when I first read it years ago. Now that I have read it again, I am so glad that I didn't continue to read this series years ago. The writing made this book boring. The first few chapters were alright and probably where I paid the most attention. This is where I liked Amy's character the best. All the characteristics, flawed yet well-balanced, that I liked about her were lost as soon as she came to Oz. Also, I realized that this book also included the insta-love trope. Considering everything that was going on during this book, the romance aspect made no sense to me. I feel like if done well, this series could have been resolved in just one book. This series is not worth reading, so I can't recommend it.
New rating: 2.3/5 stars
I originally thought it was well written when I first read it years ago. Now that I have read it again, I am so glad that I didn't continue to read this series years ago. The writing made this book boring. The first few chapters were alright and probably where I paid the most attention. This is where I liked Amy's character the best. All the characteristics, flawed yet well-balanced, that I liked about her were lost as soon as she came to Oz. Also, I realized that this book also included the insta-love trope. Considering everything that was going on during this book, the romance aspect made no sense to me. I feel like if done well, this series could have been resolved in just one book. This series is not worth reading, so I can't recommend it.