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The Shadow of Oz
"It's unpredictable, laugh-out-loud funny in places, intensely dark, whimsical, and a delight."--Helen Lester, reviewer
Enter a fantasy world that is so familiar and yet so different from the Oz of your childhood. Dorothy is a tragic girl trapped inside her own head with memories of the trauma she witnessed. One tragic night, she decides to put an end to her suffering. Instead of waking up in Heaven or Hell, Dorothy awakens in the magickal land of Oz. She is given an option to go home, but why would she do that when the entity living inside the ruby red slippers she wore had promised her so much more. All she had to do was collect all four of the magickal items of Oz and then conquer the corrupt wizard which ruled the Emerald City. She'd have to kill a few people, but what's a little murder when you're fighting to get back the only person you ever loved?
Full of dark reimaginings of your favorite Oz characters plus other characters pulled from the Frank Baum Oz series of books. This is far from being your mother's Wizard of Oz. Dorothy has a dark prophecy to fulfill. She is the Shadow of Oz.
Enter a fantasy world that is so familiar and yet so different from the Oz of your childhood. Dorothy is a tragic girl trapped inside her own head with memories of the trauma she witnessed. One tragic night, she decides to put an end to her suffering. Instead of waking up in Heaven or Hell, Dorothy awakens in the magickal land of Oz. She is given an option to go home, but why would she do that when the entity living inside the ruby red slippers she wore had promised her so much more. All she had to do was collect all four of the magickal items of Oz and then conquer the corrupt wizard which ruled the Emerald City. She'd have to kill a few people, but what's a little murder when you're fighting to get back the only person you ever loved?
Full of dark reimaginings of your favorite Oz characters plus other characters pulled from the Frank Baum Oz series of books. This is far from being your mother's Wizard of Oz. Dorothy has a dark prophecy to fulfill. She is the Shadow of Oz.
374 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2018
5 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 29, 2018
As a fan of the Oz series, I can say the author did his research. I really enjoyed the build up in Kansas, pre-Oz, but once in the "magickal" land, I stopped liking Dorothy. She had every reason to be who she was at that time, but I hoped for a different direction. Still, the book was an entertaining read, and you may love it. I was just disappointed with middle-book Dorothy's decision-making.
April 2, 2024
I had nightmares as a child when I watched the movie. Reading this book has laid those nightmares to rest. This book was wonderfully written. The twists and turns were not predictable. They were surprisingly fresh. I would hands down recommend this book as one of the best out there. The ending amazed me. I had no idea. I thought I knew but oh was I wrong lol.
June 3, 2018
Brilliant!
I couldn't put it down. Loved reading this new take on Oz. Amazingly written. If you love fantasy and a little bit of horror, this book is for you!
I couldn't put it down. Loved reading this new take on Oz. Amazingly written. If you love fantasy and a little bit of horror, this book is for you!
July 25, 2018
First of all, I really didn't like Dorothy, but that didn't stop me thoroughly enjoying the story. She's 17 - no-one's likeable at 17!
Secondly, it's really very cleverly written. Yes, as a previous reviewer said, it's very graphic. The language is very strong, the violence is extreme. But the writing style is so clearly just like a children's story. It totally reminded me of the original Baum stories, but with a Tarantino twist.
Dorothy is extremely messed up; her family life sucks like a very expensive vacuum cleaner. And the really amazing thing about the writing is that, although I didn't like her, I *got* her. She's 17; her life sucks; her family are a nightmare. And it's all done with the most wonderful realism. These aren't fairy tale stories; there is no guaranteed happy ending. There is a realism to the way people behave, how they react to Dorothy and others, that completely drew me in.
I won't lie - it's hard work, because it's a painful life at times, and it's necessary that you feel uncomfortable. It would be entirely wrong if you *didn't* feel uncomfortable. But I was utterly enchanted by the child-like simplicity of the writing juxtaposed against the violence and language.
Not for the faint-hearted; there are triggers for anyone who's ever felt like Life hates them. But there's this wonderful notion that, even if you don't *like* Dorothy, you're still on her side.
It's unpredictable, laugh-out-loud funny in places, intensely dark, whimsical, and a delight.
Secondly, it's really very cleverly written. Yes, as a previous reviewer said, it's very graphic. The language is very strong, the violence is extreme. But the writing style is so clearly just like a children's story. It totally reminded me of the original Baum stories, but with a Tarantino twist.
Dorothy is extremely messed up; her family life sucks like a very expensive vacuum cleaner. And the really amazing thing about the writing is that, although I didn't like her, I *got* her. She's 17; her life sucks; her family are a nightmare. And it's all done with the most wonderful realism. These aren't fairy tale stories; there is no guaranteed happy ending. There is a realism to the way people behave, how they react to Dorothy and others, that completely drew me in.
I won't lie - it's hard work, because it's a painful life at times, and it's necessary that you feel uncomfortable. It would be entirely wrong if you *didn't* feel uncomfortable. But I was utterly enchanted by the child-like simplicity of the writing juxtaposed against the violence and language.
Not for the faint-hearted; there are triggers for anyone who's ever felt like Life hates them. But there's this wonderful notion that, even if you don't *like* Dorothy, you're still on her side.
It's unpredictable, laugh-out-loud funny in places, intensely dark, whimsical, and a delight.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews