This just did not work for me. It was awkward and boring.
I don`t know, i know how the story goes and all, but this just...was.. awkward and all. Sadly.

Oh gosh, where to even began with this review…

I requested Dorothy in the Land of Monsters off of NetGalley ages ago, but I kept putting off reading it because after I requested it, I saw a lot of negative reviews that made me think I wouldn’t like the book. I was correct in thinking that I wouldn’t like this book. I’d even go so far as to say that I despise this book.

Dorothy in the Land of Monsters is a retelling of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but in this reimagined Oz, there’s zombies, shifters, vampires, and other dangerous creatures that have made Oz unsafe to live in. Dorothy befriends a zombie, a heartless axeman, and a werelion in her journey to get back to her home in Kansas.

This book caught my eye mainly because it’s a retelling of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I grew up loving The Wizard of Oz movie, so I was excited to relive my childhood but with a little bit of a dark twist to the story. However, this book ended up being a massive disappointment that made me question my love for the original story.

The first warning sign that made me realize this book was going to be a disaster was how many times the word “gray” was used in the first chapter. It was used so much that I ended up searching the word on my file of this book and I found that it was used 108 times throughout the entire book. It was a bit excessive and I kept rolling my eyes every time that color was mentioned. We get it - Dorothy’s home in Kansas is gray. There’s no need to shove it down our throat nonstop.

Speaking of the words used to describe the setting, it was like the author took out a thesoraus and tried to just start replacing every adjective with bigger words to sound more “sophisticated.” This didn’t have the intended effect though as it made some of sections of the book almost unreadable.

I had an issue with Dorothy’s shoes throughout this entire book and I wish the shoes would’ve been done differently. In the movie, they’re ruby red shoes that end up on her feet after she kills the wicked witch of the East. They don’t have many magical abilities to them until the end of the story. This book wasn’t like that at all. The shoes in this retelling felt like they were too overpowered. Dorothy didn’t have to be brave, use her brains, or even do anything that faintly resembles thinking because the shoes did everything for her. All the fighting and her ideas about what to do next were provided by the shoes. It felt like there wasn’t a chance for Dorothy’s character to develop because these shoes turned her into a completely different character. I understand wanting to have a strong, powerful main character, but the shoes turned Dorothy into the equivalent of a God, which I felt was a bit extreme for this story.

Ardie and Werelion, two of Dorothy’s companions, lacked character development, too, but it was because they were shoved in the background and not given enough time to shine. The tin man and the lion are integral parts of the original story, but they weren’t important in this retelling unfortunately. They could’ve been completely left out of the story and the book would’ve been pretty much the same. I think their role in the story was cut down because of the romance that was shoved in the story at every opportunity.

The romance gave me massive ick, meaning that it was so terribly written and borderline wrong that I couldn’t stand reading the romantic scenes. Their first romantic encounter was somewhat wrong, like full on lying and tricking Dorothy to get her to do romantic/sexual things. It was borderline sexual assault/coercion. Then there’s the whole issue of Dorothy being 17 and the love interest being 19, which I won’t get into here because I know some people don’t view that age gap between a minor and an adult to be wrong. The first encounter and age gap aside, their romantic scenes weren’t even entertaining. They were all annoying and there were so many cringeworthy lines in those scenes that made me roll my eyes. There were also some conversations that Dorothy and her lover were forced to have because of the fact that they care about each other, but these conversations were repeated ten times or possibly even more. I ended up losing count. For example, the conversation regarding whether or not Dorothy should fight. This book would’ve been half its length if the unnecessary repetition of conversations was cut down. A conversation really only needs to happen once or twice in a story to get the point across to the readers.

There were tons of passages in this book that were supposed to teach lessons, but they were so forced and unnatural. These passages covered topics like sexism and guns, but these topics weren’t woven into the story in a natural way at all so every time an “educational” topic was brought up, it pulled me out of the story.

My final two critiques aren’t as big of issues, but they still frustrated me.

The first is that this book doesn’t seem to know what age level it wants to be. The writing style was very young adult, but there were some sections of the story with very strong sexual language. It was characters discussing sexual things and not characters actually engaging in sex, but it was bad enough that it made me wonder if this book can even be considered young adult. Speaking of sexual stuff, what the heck was that sex slave stuff that was randomly in there then never discussed later? It was so weird.

My final critique is that there’s some consistency errors, but I hope that the consistency errors were corrected in finished copies. An example of this is after the zombie is first introduced. The zombie hasn’t given his name yet and he’s referred to as the zombie or zombieman. Out of the blue, he’s all of a sudden called Ardie. I thought that was bad enough that Dorothy started to call him by his name before he told her what his name is, but then a few paragraphs later, he introduces himself as Ardie. There were a couple other inconsistencies throughout the book, too. It was things that I thought would’ve been caught before ARCs were sent out to reviewers.

I’m sorry that my review turned into somewhat of a rant, but as you can see, I have a lot of strong feelings about this book. I honestly wouldn’t recommend this book unless you’re trying to read every retelling that exists. It’s better to just watch The Wizard of Oz movie or read the original text.

This story was a Wizard of Oz retelling. The story was pretty good. I liked the twist on it with the shifters, zombies and vampires. It was definitely a fun read to read around the spooky season. It was also a quick and easy read. The only complaint I have is that it gets a little repetitive and Dorothy kind of complains a lot. Other then that it was okay, not the best book I have ever read.

I love a good re-telling of a fairy tale. My book shelves are full of them. So I automatically become drawn to new idea's people dream up when thinking of the old tales.

Hence why I requested this book. Also because the cover is gorgeous.
I loved the idea of such a dark and gory OZ but alas it fell short for me. I found myself wanting more. I don't know if I hyped it up so much in my head or what but this book just did not cut it for me.

This is a bloody retelling of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and if you love retellings full of monsters and danger at every corner, you’ll want to step into this Oz ReVamped tale! Super enjoyed the world-building and revisiting The Land of Oz with all the creepy twists, but it still managed to keep the wondrous charm of the original tale.

I thought this book would be a different kind of retelling to Wizard of OZ. I found that I was not invested in the concept of vampires versus zombie idea and was unable to finish the book. I think it would work better for those who like stories with zombies and vampires than a novice like me. A younger audience would b=probably enjoy it more than I did!
SInce I did not finish the book, I would not be able to provide a complete review on social media.

DNF'd @ 10%
Sadly this book just wasn't for me. I really enjoyed the premise of this story, with a terrifying version of Oz. Sadly, when I started reading it, there was nothing scary, just the mention of vampires, and zombies, and werebeasts. Actually, the first zombie we meet is friendly... I requested this one for the horror factor, and unfortunately this book is definitely more of a quirky retelling than a scary take on the Wizard of Oz.

This book was really funny and cute, I just loved the writing style and the content. This novel was one of the best recreations of The Oz world. The way it was written and the way the story was carved was so beautiful that I couldn't get my head off this book. I literally drooled over this book for 1 and a half week. I had the worst book hangover that I have ever had in this novel. The story was simple. It was just like reading Dorothy in the land of Oz but with a Halloween touch. I was not so interested in this novel when I first started it but when I got to the 5th chapter, I was hooked. The novel was a bit too long and the author went to really great lengths to explain it and in my opinion, he over-explained it. The descriptions were too descriptive but it had its own beauty too. I did feel the novel was stretched and that 416 pages were not needed but I must say that however much they were, they were excellent. I took the 0.5 because of the lengthiness and the over explanations as they did make the novel somehow exhausting but trust me if you haven't read this book you really need to. It's the best in the market and it's totally worth it. I am dying to read the second book in this series😍. I would give it a 5-hour book club discussion as this is a classic recreated and has some great features in it that make it unique and worth reading.

Sadly this book was archived before I could download to read it. It has been added to my TBR and I’ll keep an eye out for it again in the future or at my local library.

Dorothy in the Land of Monsters is an amazing retelling of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
If you love stories full of danger & monsters, then this is a book for you!
Garten Gevedon has done a fantastic job with this retelling and I can't wait to read by her.

Unfortunately, it was not possible to download this book in time. The 5* star rating was chosen in order to not hurt the book sales or ranking, even though it was not possible to read it.

Amazing cover but the book fell a little flat for me. I live retelling of an old favourite but for me this one missed the mark for me.

I received this book as an ARC in return for my honest opinion.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange of an honest review.

I was so excited the receive the arc of this book. I am a huge Wizard of Oz fan, and have seen or read every version that I can find. I am a super fan so this was a fun read. It definitely was a reimagined version of the tale. Dorothy ends up in a twisted nightmarish reality where we have zombies, vampires and other crazy monsters. This was still similar to the original story but also had its own world and history .This book was very bloody and I was so enthralled with the craziness of it all. I enjoyed this book.

Got bored after 30% too much info-dumping. I felt like the author was throwing all of his ideas at us rather than letting us discover them for ourselves.

This is a retelling of the Wizard of Oz. And it's not just a retelling but a paranormal retelling. You will meet vampires, zombies, a yellow brick road that's soaked in blood and even a sorceresses. This book has it all for the paranormal book lover. This is not Worthy and Toto on the yellow brick road to home with the lion scarecrow and tin man at all. This one's bloody and surpsies and filled with twist and turns

What a nice find. This was the first book I've read from this author and I really enjoyed it. The story was different from anything I've read recently and really captured my attention. It was so well written and the characters were fantastic.

A zombie scarecrow! What a book, I love how this book has been changed into something so unique but still keeping the real story with it.

Dorothy in the Land of Monsters has an eye-catching cover and a fun, cool premise: The Wizard of Oz but darker and bloodier– the scarecrow wants brains because he’s a zombie, the tin-man hunts vampires and it’s made him unfeeling, etc — lots of action and style.

Unfortunately, it felt to me, that premise only makes up a small part of the book and the rest is Dorothy whining, engaging in cringy “sassy” dialogue or having the weirdest romance ever.

Dorothy’s life in Kansas is dull — grey, you might say, and she does — grey people, colourless lives, she’ll turn grey if she goes back. We get it, we’ve seen the movie and know what a metaphor is.

Similarly, her relationship and interaction with the tin-man character, Nick, is repetitive. He’s so heartless, but he’s hot, but so unfeeling because he’s heartless but hot, but if he was less jaded because his heart is …. but he’s so hot. Heartless. Hot. So anyway, Nick is pretty unfeeling and a prick at times, but he’s hot. And Dorothy’s going to tell you forty fucking times.

The dialogue… did not work for me. Maybe that’s just preference? I thought it was pretty cringe-worthy, especially pre-fight scene, but it might come off as more “sassy comebacks” for other readers. I don’t know.

At some points though, the writing is actually really good, for instance when Garten considers some interesting ideas like fate and Dorothy’s choices. It just felt like a different book stitched in. Particularly since this is a long book — 460 pages. It’s not ridiculously huge, but I felt it could have been cut by at least a hundred pages.

This review probably comes off as harsh, but it’s more frustration I think. I really, really wanted to like it. I really thought Dorothy in the Land of Monsters had a lot of potential, so it might be one you have to read for yourself to judge. I’d love to see other readers’ reactions.

A big thank-you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for giving me a copy of this book for an unbiased review.

1/5 - Would not recommend

It's difficult to give such a negative review to something that is clearly the writer's passion project, but my reviews would mean nothing if I were not honest. And also, fair warning, I criticize the book's vulgarity in this post, so sexual content up ahead.

I love "The Wizard of Oz" so much that I've read all of the books in both the American and the Russian series (yes, there's a Russian spin-off. It's every bit as magical and then some). So of course I'd jump at the opportunity to read a spooky, modernized version. Unfortunately, this book does not do the "Oz" universe justice. Here is why I think this one should be left on the shelf:

1. Vulgar content.
I'm no prude, but execution is key. I felt that the author was trying to relate to a teenage demographic but in a way that made me thoroughly uncomfortable. The "banter" between Dorothy and Nick gave me secondhand embarrassment. Here's an example: "I look up at him as he finger combs my hair, and he smiles at me, one corner of his mouth quirking up in the sexiest grin. 'I will be your comb.'"

And even when Nick (AKA the love interest) is out of the picture, we're somehow reminded that apparently all men in this universe are lecherous creeps and that Dorothy weirdly engages in their disturbing come-ons. Here's the moment she first meets a vampire.

"'You're a bold one. Perhaps I will turn you instead of feeding on you. You've got nice tits too,' he says, staring at my soaked chest, and I realize you can see through my shirt thanks to my dripping wet hair.

'Thanks. They're not even done growing yet,' I say with a sassy shrug."

Why is this necessary to the progression of the plot? To the development of Dorothy's character? I'm disturbed and uncomfortable. But it gets worse. The characters go on to have in-depth discussions about douches, rimming, and various uses and names of genitals. Do these discussions contribute in any way to the storyline? No. They don't.

2. Nick and Dorothy
Their relationship is unhealthy at best and abusive at worst. Dorothy even raves against Nick's misogynistic ways, but in the end it's fine because he's hot and the only halfway decent man she's ever met. You know, if you ignore the fact that he lied to her, tried to sexually assault her, and is disturbingly controlling throughout the book. Dorothy's not much better - she is insecure, manipulative, and equally willing to resort to deceit to get her way.

3. Bland storyline
Unlike "The Wicked Years," which actually bring something new to the table, this is an almost exact retelling of "The Wizard of Oz" but with half-baked monsters and lots of awkward sexual content. The narration is also incredibly repetitive. Dorothy whines about the grayness of Kansas, Dorothy and Nick argue about the same two or three topics, Dorothy is sad that she has to leave, *insert conversation about genitals here*. Oh, and there's a whole conversation about student loans. Not exactly riveting content.

4. Poor writing quality
Not much to say here - unfortunately the writing itself did not make me want to keep reading.

To be fair, there were a few things I did appreciate. I liked the modernization of the City of Oz. I enjoyed Glinda's character. I thought that some of the monster twists were clever. But these delightful nuances did not make up for the long slog through this novel. I feel as if this book truly had potential, had the sexual content been moderated or removed, the relationship between Nick and Dorothy re-written, and the editors more engaged in helping the author create a more readable narrative. This is part of a series and I genuinely hope that this gives the author an opportunity to grow and improve. In the meantime, I might re-read the original series again.

An enjoyable read for a classic retelling. Will recommend for many that enjoys adaptations of classics.