Amy Gunn’s trailer is swept up in a tornado and she finds herself in Oz, but something has gone horribly wrong. The characters from the story that Amy knows are all twisted and changed. She has to get back home, but she also has to save Oz.

The trouble with this book is not the premise, which is excellent, but it’s in the execution of it and in the decision of the author to place this poorly written story in one of the most beloved worlds of fantasy literature. Not a similar world or parallel, the girl in this story is plopped right down in the magical land of Oz. No matter what came next, everything that was written was going to be held up and compared in the light of Baum’s masterpiece. And, this story is found wanting.

The horror twist is interesting but because this is a YA piece, I feel that the author holds back or dumbs down the material. One only needs to read Gaiman to discover that a world can be completely appropriate for a YA audience (Coraline comes to mind) and also be absolutely terrifying. The strange variations that are presented of the beloved characters from the story of Oz are repulsive but not earth shattering. I was so disappointed.

Thanks for reading!