• Dorothy in the Land of Monsters by Garten Gevedon
3.5
Dorothy in the Land of Monsters Book Cover Dorothy in the Land of Monsters
Oz ReVamped Book 1
Garten Gevedon
Young Adult Monster Fiction
Amazon Digital Services LLC
October 11, 2019
Kindle
554

Shifters, Zombies, and Vampires? Oh my!

My name is Dorothy Gale, and I think I might be dead.

When my dog Toto and I got swept up in a twister, we landed in hell. A very colorful hell. Like a rainbow dripping in blood. Now it looks as though this dreadful underworld plagued with vampires, zombies, and shifters will be the site of my eternal damnation.

They say this terrifying land called Oz isn’t hell or purgatory and escape is possible, but first I must survive the journey down the blood-soaked yellow brick road to the only place in Oz where vampires dare not tread—The City of Emeralds.

With enchanted footwear and the help of my three new friends—a friendly zombie, a massive shifter lion, and a heartless axe murderer of evil night creatures (who also happens to be the hottest guy I’ve ever seen)—Toto and I have a chance to make it to the Vampire Free Zone. When we get there, I must convince the most powerful wizard in this magical land of monsters to send us out of this radiant nightmare and back to the world of the living. They say he’s just as frightening as this monstrous land, that he detests visitors, and even the most horrifying creatures cower in his presence. But I must seek him out. And when I find him, I’ll do whatever it takes to make him send me home.

Dorothy in the Land of Monsters by Garten Gevedon

Oz ReVamped Book 1

Wizard of Oz retelling? Yes please!

Imagine if Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland married Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, but invited Kate Beckinsale’s Underworld character to the party…. I know right?! How does one get invited to such a shindig?

     By reading this book.

I will spare you explaining the plot of The Wizard of Oz, I mean we all know what happens in the end. If you have never heard Judy Garland singing, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, then my friend, we have some pop culture catching up to do.

 

This book very much follows through with the original plot of The Wizard of Oz. Starting with the Tornado, landing on the witch, inheriting her shoes, but this Dorothy will end up being your very personable and relatable heroine. She will soon realize she is not in Kansas anymore and there are horrible monsters ruling and running amok in the Land of Oz. She has to quickly adapt and cope with this sudden change. As well as making some spooky friends along the way.

The way Gevedon re-wrote the Scarecrow needing a brain, the Tin Man needing a heart, and the Lion needing courage was such a fantastical and fun twist. I admired them throughout the story. They had really funny moments which helped them all grow closer as the story developed. I had many many moments where I literally laughed out loud at their banter. Their togetherness was well done but I could have used more dialogue between them. Even with that being said, the author did well to always keep the group close together during the challenges on the way to Oz.

Dorothy in the Land of Monsters by Garten Gevedon is a cool, macabre, dark, and kick-ass take on your typical Oz story. If you are into that sort of adventurous (can get a little violent) kind of stories I highly recommend it. But lest we forget those that like a little romance sprinkled on top, it’s there for you too. I too sometimes crave a little attraction here and a little longing there. In which I don’t want to spoil it for you, but alas, you get a “lil something something” for that story requirement.

Dorothy in the Land of Monsters is a debut novel for Garten Gevedon.
 I found her plot overall enticing and creative. I will be ready for book two when it does make its appearance.