Review | No Place Like Oz

No Place Like Oz (#0.1) by Danielle Paige
November 2013 by HarperCollins
125 pages
Four Stars


"In this digital original novella, Dorothy travels back to Oz to reunite with old friends, but her story may not have a happy ending. No Place Like Oz is a prequel to the forthcoming novel Dorothy Must Die.

After returning to Kansas, Dorothy Gale has realized that the dreary fields of Kansas don’t compare to the vibrant landscapes of Oz. And although she’s happy to be reunited with Aunt Em, she misses her friends from the yellow brick road. But most of all, Dorothy misses the fame and the adventure. In Kansas she’s just another prairie girl, but in Oz she was a hero. So Dorothy is willing to do anything to get back, because there really is no place like Oz. But returning to the land she left comes at a price, and after Dorothy is through with it, Oz will never be the same.

Perfect for fans of Alex Flinn, Marissa Meyer, and Gregory Maguire, No Place Like Oz is a dark reimagining of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Building off of its rich mythology, Danielle Paige creates an edgy, thrilling story for teens that chronicles the rise and fall of one of the literature’s most beloved characters. This digital original novella is a prequel that sets the stage for the forthcoming novel Dorothy Must Die." - Goodreads



This was a really interesting novella. It takes place a few years after Dorothy returns to Kansas. She is trying to readjust to her average life in Kansas after being well liked and going on great adventures in the beautiful and mystical Oz. She begins to feel very lost and like she just doesn't belong anymore. No one believes her tales of Oz and she becomes increasingly frustrated and angry.

With this series being very far from the original Wizard of Oz, I really like the realism of this story. There are nods to the original, such as Dorothy's silver/red shoes.. Although it is a fantasy novella, it feels very realistic. The setting and characters are very familiar. 

It was so wonderful to get into Dorothy's head and see what was going on in there. How does such a sweet young girl turn so evil and power hungry? Danielle does a really good job at making us sympathize with Dorothy. I've always had a soft spot for evil characters you just love to hate, and Dorothy takes the cake. 

I read this after reading the first full book in the series, Dorothy Must Die. I didn't realize that it was actually published before the first novel. I almost liked reading it afterwards better. Knowing how Dorothy was in the present, I liked going back into the past to see Dorothy evolve. I love this series so far, and I think this novella was a great addition. It allows you to really understand this world and get the bigger picture of how things got where they are. Danielle Paige's writing is so addictive and I can't wait to see where the story goes next.