In this second book of the Dorothy Must Die series (Dorothy Must Die, 2014), Amy Gumm is still trying to destroy Dorothy and restore Oz to its rightful ruler. But before she can, she must gather the Tin Woodman's heart, the Lion's courage, and the Scarecrow's brain. As the book opens, she already has the Tin Woodman's heart and is in hot pursuit of the Lion, with the Emerald City burning behind her, and Ozma, the real queen of Oz, in tow. Once again, Paige has embellished upon the original Wizard of Oz story to create a completely new, even more bizarre Oz and cast of characters. Her world building is fascinating, with familiar people and places taking on entirely new personae and functions. It is also complex, with good and evil changing places or, at times, becoming indistinguishable. Since Amy cannot trust anyone, even the boys she is attracted to, she slowly learns to trust herself. Readers will learn if her strategy works in the upcoming third novel.

Gr 9 Up-Still reeling from the events of Dorothy Must Die (HarperCollins, 2014), Amy Gumm is separated from her WICKED cohorts, including her would-be love interest, Nox the warlock. Having failed at assassinating evil Dorothy, the Kansas teen sets out on a quest to collect the Lion's courage and the Scarecrow's brainsmagical items the Wizard has assured her will be Dorothy's undoing. With a semilucid Queen Ozma in tow, Amy travels to the Queendom of the Wingless Monkeys and the land of the Rainbows, making new allies while learning how to use her growing dark, witchy powers. When choosing between the greater good and saving her loved ones, the antiheroine realistically falters, giving this YA title believable heft. Action-packed scenes and snappy dialogue continue to amp the pace, and the body count mounts quickly, giving readers not much time or space to mourn for supposedly dear characters. An interesting take on sexuality and gender identity elevates the narrative, but inconsistent characterization, leaps of logic, and choppy text sometimes mar the reading experience. Still, a mysterious and nefarious connection to Kansas as the possible root of dark magic in Oz will have teens anxious for the next installment. VERDICT A cinematic work that Oz purists will balk at but reluctant readers will devour. Shelley Diaz, School Library Journal