Kayleigh {K-Books}

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.

Oh. My. Word. There are no words to explain just how amazing this novella is. When I first heard of Dorothy Must Die I thought hmm that sounds interesting. With me being a massive musicals fan I have, of course, watched The Wizard of Oz a gazillion times and memorised every word. So anything to do with Wizard of Oz I instantly was interested in. Dorothy Must Die was on my radar of a 'I want to read... eventually... at some point." When seeing there was a prequel I decided to get it to get a taste of what Dorothy Must Die would be like. After reading it is now a "I must have this book... like seriously... RIGHT NOW."

No Place Like Oz gives us a backstory and a sequel all at the same time. Dorothy has returned to Oz after her adventure when she was younger. Now 16 years old all she wanted was to get back to Oz and now she's there with her beloved aunt and uncle. But as they start to have more and more disagreements Dorothy starts to change... and it will impact not only her family but the whole of Oz.

No Place Like Oz was so much better than I ever expected. I love that we get a kind of sequel from the original Wizard of Oz story. In a lot of books that have a new take on a already known story it tends to take the viewpoint of retelling the story in a different, more magical or supernatural or more modern way. One thing I adored about this one is that it doesn't. It take The Wizard of Oz having already happened and gives you a "What happened next" story.

I completely expected this to be a very quick short read with it being a novella but I felt like it was more like a full story. I have a very love-hate relationship with novellas. I love getting the back story for books but I feel like there isn't a whole arc of the story because as soon as you get into it and are dying to find out what happens it's over. But that's what novellas do. That's their job. No Place Like Oz is more like a whole full-length novel. It may not be in length but it feels like it as there is everything you want in a novel included in it. You have the characterisation, the story arc. Everything is there.

Get ready to see a whole new side of Dorothy. From the original story I always liked Dorothy. I hate her now! Dorothy has changed from the innocent girl she once was who only wanted to go home. She has grown up and I really felt more and more dislike for her the further I read. She is selfish and pretty bitchy right throughout the book. She's just awful.

I am completely surprised that Dorothy Must Die will be Danielle's first novel as just from this prequel novella you can really feel the talent, passion and love for her writing. I was completely drawn in right from the start and I seriously couldn't put it down. I am a fan for life now. I cannot wait for her work.

No Place Like Oz was incredible and I don't even see it as a novella... to me it's a book. It has everything you could possibly want in a book. It completely sucked me in and took me on this journey to Oz. It made me fall back in love with the characters I loved in The Wizard of Oz as well as introducing me to new ones. Ozma... I adore her! It also makes you rethink everything you ever thought about the characters. I am so beyond excited to get my hands on Dorothy Must Die. It's going to be absolutely phenomenal and breathtaking if the prequel is anything to go by. I went ahead and pre-ordered as soon as I finished this. If you are curious about Dorothy Must Die then I urge you to go and read this prequel. It will make Dorothy Must Die one of your most anticipated books of 2014... I know it is mine. March cannot get here fast enough. The countdown begins!