Dorothy Must Die is a 2014 alternate Oz novel by Danielle Paige which is the first book in her Dorothy Must Die series, it was released on April 1st which ironically was April Fools' Day.
Plot Summary[]
A power-hungry Dorothy Gale returns to Oz after her rather innocent first visit only to rule it with a terrible and tyrannical iron grip with her old friends becoming willing henchmen. Another young teenager from modern day Kansas named Amy Gumm who realizes upon coming to Oz vita cyclone that Dorothy Must Die.
She prepares herself for a dangerous assassination plot with the help of new friends and a league of conspiring former 'Good Witches' (with the exception of Glinda) who may as well be considered Wicked by Dorothy's standards.
List of Characters:[]
(with information taken directly from the Wikipedia article)
Protaganists:[]
- Amy Gumm: The protagonist of the story who's had a rough life with an alcoholic, pill-popping mother and being bullied in school. She's swept out of Kansas with her mother's pet rat Star and into Oz by a cyclone. Her sarcastic attitude gets her into trouble from time to time.
- Pete: A mysterious young boy who saves Amy when she arrives in Oz and pops in at different parts of the story.
- Indigo: A spirited and bad-tempered goth punk Munchkin who Amy meets and leads her to the Emerald City. She bears tattoos that tell the history of Oz before Dorothy's rule.
- Ollie: A wingless talking monkey that Amy and Indigo save when he's strapped upside down to a pole for the crime of "Sass". He wants to save his little sister from the Scarecrow's experiment lab.
The Order of the Wicked: A group of witches that have formed an alliance and recruit Amy to kill Dorothy.
- Gert: The former Good Witch of the North who is now a member of the Order of the Wicked. She's the nicest member of the group, encouraging Amy to improve when she initially fails during her training.
- Nox: A mysterious male warlock who's part of the Order who is also Amy's love interest.
- Glamora: Glinda's twin sister who a member of the Order. Her so-called "Good sister" gave her a nasty scar many years ago that she covers with magical makeup.
- Mombi: Member of the Order who rescues Amy from the Emerald City's dungeon and brings her to the other witches, and thus introduces her to the order.
Antagonists:[]
- Dorothy: The main antagonist as she is no longer the sweet, kind-hearted farm girl of The Wizard Of Oz. Now she's a highly sexualized, power hungry tyrant who's ruined Oz, zapping the land of most of its magic. Her frequent mood swings and cruel punishments leave her subjects constantly on edge. Though she donned Silver Shoes during her first time in Oz, she now wears Ruby slippers that she never takes off.
- Scarecrow: No longer satisfied with the brains given to him by the Wizard of Oz, he performs barbaric experiments on winged monkeys and takes bits of their brains for himself.
- Tin Woodman: His tin body is now monstrous with knives for fingers. Despite his evil actions, he has an unrequited love for Dorothy. The princess is aware of it, but disgusted by him.
- Cowardly Lion: No longer a coward, the Lion is now a blood hungry, super buff beast who kills people by literally draining the fear out of them.
- Glinda: The Good Witch of the South who has aligned with Dorothy and forces young Munchkin children to mine for magic by use of a violent, seesaw-like machine. Her mouth is permanently shaped into a grotesque grin by use of a new invention called Perma-smile.
Other characters:[]
- Ozma: The former princess of Oz usurped by Dorothy after her return to Oz. Subjects outside of the Emerald City haven't seen her in years, but those who live and work in the palace see an Ozma who is vacant and bubble-headed. A shell of her former self.
- Jellia Jamb: Dorothy's top maid. Her sweet, bubbly persona masks a fear of her mistress though she does everything in her power to please her
- Madison Pendleton: A girl who has bullied Amy since elementary school and is now pregnant by her boyfriend whom Amy allows to cheat off her homework. A fight between the two girls causes Amy to be suspended from school.
Upcoming Television Adaptation[]
It has been noted that the television network The CW is producing a show based on the series as Dorothy Must Die (TV series).
Trivia[]
- That Dorothy now wears Ruby Slippers instead of her original Silver is a hint at the 1939 movie.
- This is author Danielle Page's debut novel.
- This is the first alternate Oz novel and series to be officially considered for a screen adaptation before Wicked: Part One was confirmed to be in the works.
- Also started in 2014, a book series by Laura Burns called Bewitched in Oz follows a very similar plot but has Ozma as the villain.
Links[]
| Danielle Paige's Dorothy Must Die series |
| Novels | 1. Dorothy Must Die 2. The Wicked Will Rise 3. Yellow Brick War 4. The End of Oz |
|---|---|
| Prequels | 1. No Place Like Oz 2. The Witch Must Burn 3. The Wizard Returns 4. Heart of Tin 5. The Straw King 6. Ruler of Beasts 7. Order of the Wicked 8. Dark Side of the Rainbow 9. The Queen of Oz |