I'm very glad I had actually read the original Wizard of Oz. If I hadn't, some of this book wouldn't have made sense. But it was very delightful. The ending did make me sad and left me with hope that things can be changed.

I find that this novella gives wonderful insight into the world of oz but more importantly, Dorothy. I couldn't imagine why she was so horrible but now I understand.
I really like how you get to see how much Dorothy misses Oz and how it was almost like Torture for her to stay in Kansas.
I liked Ozma as soon as she was introduced but knew she was keeping a secret. I like how the pieces come together and now you see that Glinda is the cause. I was sad when Ozma lost everything because if Dorothy and I hope to learn more!

I've never really read a novella before, but I'm glad that I started with this one! I had read DOROTHY MUST DIE before reading this, so I was happy to some of the people from the book in this. And the way that Dorothy slowly started spiralling down into a dark and forboding world of darkness, it was superb!!! Recommend to newcomers of the series, and loyal readers as well!

Although some fans of either/or/both the 1939 movie and original book by L. Frank Baum may scoff at this reimagining of what happens after Dorothy returns to Kansas after her life-altering trip to Oz, I found the novella intriguing. Her descriptions of Oz were pretty wild but believably so since it is a fantasy. Like another reviewer said, the world is even more fantastical than the movie or book yet it retains the same sense of wonder and terror that you feel when you stroll down the Road of Yellow Brick, as it's called in this series.

I really felt that Danielle Paige did capture the essence of the original characters and added even more depth to them. She must be a Wizard of Oz connoisseur or studied every book, movie and any other form of media involving it to manage writing a tale quite her own but with an extensive knowledge about Oz and its beloved characters.

Some reviews I read stated that they felt Dorothy was portrayed more as a bitch than anything else, but I disagree. As the story moves along, you sense that Dorothy isn't all she seems, and I completely bought into the concept and cannot wait to delve in to the rest of the prequels as well as the full novels. I wouldn't be surprised if the author took Dorothy's behavior even further down a dark road not taken once this series has ceased.

The novella moves along at a pretty good clip and throughout it, I wondered who really was the villain and what secrets all the characters including Toto were hiding and what their motivations were. I bought all four prequels that have been published due to my fascination with this one. It's short enough, too, that you don't really notice if it ever slows down.

As a kid, I loved watching this movie and reading the books. Like Wicked (which I started, stopped and want to start up again -- truth be told, I still hold a little bit of fright from childhood about the Wicked Witch of the West), it just adds extra elements and dimensions to Baum's classic book that are charming and captivating, making you clamor for more. Usually, as a person who gets tired of the reboots of movies and alternate stories retold and thinks it's just a way to cop out and cash in, I think every fan of this story has found themselves speculating about what happens next in Oz and muses about other roads that never materialized in the books but could if you clapped your heels together three times.

And, as for this series, I would love to see it on the small or big screen! Where's the big screen debut of Wicked, BTW? Even if you're a pop culture and/or literature purist, this is worth a read because it upends the series in a crazy, exciting way.

I love a good villain origin story and this story really does a great job of detailing Dorothy’s grand second arrival in Oz and how she becomes the person introduced in Dorothy Must Die.

A quick read that gives background to the novel Dorothy Must Die.  This book takes place after Dorothy returns from Oz.  She is lonely and wants to go back...and the things that happen after set up the book Dorothy Must Die.  Not necessary to read these in order, but it does help to understand some of the background before Dorothy Must Die.

Took me a few days to get through but I wanted to know why Dorothy went bad. After starting Dorothy Must Die, it almost seems as if two different authors wrote the series. Here's hoping the back story pays off in the first book.

Aveam așteptări de la ea, fiindcă auzisem păreri bune de la persoane pe care le urmăresc, însă "dezamăgită" e puțin spus.
Mi-a plăcut să văd cum se face trecerea de la bine la rău, dar a fost cam forțat totul și prea rapid. Din primele 5 pagini deja vedem că personajul nostru este schimbat. Deși au trecut 2 ani de la acțiunea din "Vrăjitorul din Oz", trecerea asta mi-sa părut oricum prea bruscă.
Acțiunea este prezentă doar în ultimele 20 de pagini, și nici acolo. Avem descriere peste descriere. Dacă avea un scop aș fi înțeles, dar nu are. Este pusă de umplutură acolo.
Iar gândurile personajului sunt și ele acolo, cu un scop și nu prea. Unele aveau evident sens, pentru că evidențiau modul în care personajul devine antagonist. Altele au fost tot de umplutură.
Totuși, mi-a plăcut ceea ce a dus la întâmplările din ultimele 20 de pagini despre care vorbeam, mai ales că e o legătură fină cu romanul principal, după care este scrisă povestea, adică "Vrăjitorul din Oz". În rest, nimic care să îmi atragă atenția sau care să mă facă să spun că e o carte bună.

"Without magic, you're just left with Kansas."