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Review – Dorothy in the Land of Monsters

Posted in Book Blogger

Dorothy in the Land of Monsters

by Garten Gevedon

Dorothy in the Land of MonstersSeries: Oz ReVamped, Book 1
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult
Release Date: October 11, 2019
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | KoboiBooks
My Rating: ★★★★☆

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.


Review

While I greatly enjoyed the story and characters of Dorothy in the Land of Monsters (DitLoM), I was a little befuddled by some of the vocabulary choices the author makes. The book is listed as Teen and Young Adult, and the story line supports that designation, but the vocabulary, especially in the first half of the book, is more appropriate for holders of, or those studying for, advanced degrees.

I certainly don’t mind elevated word choices if there’s a clear reason for it, but they seem out-of-place in a teen book. It’s also odd to me that the author’s use of higher level vocabulary diminishes as the book continues. Perhaps DitLoM would benefit from an extra edit to standardize the vocabulary levels.

If you can get past the pretentious-feeling vocabulary to the latter half of the book, it’s a fun story. The author expertly works their new elements into the Oz story we all know and love. The characters are well-written and likable.

I’m eager to read the future installments of the Oz ReVamped series. I want to see more of Dorothy, Nick, Ardie, Werelion, and Toto. I’m curious to find out how the story continues, and where their adventures will take them.


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About the Author

Garten Gevedon lives in New York City with her family. She’s a sci-fi, fantasy, and paranormal author who loves taking fairy tales and turning them inside out.

Author links: Website | Goodreads | Instagram | Twitter | BookBub


Disclaimer: This review is based on a complimentary eBook I received from Xpresso Book Tours. The complimentary receipt of this book has in no way affected my review or rating.

Xpresso Book Tours

3 Comments

  1. Christina Az
    Christina Az

    Thank you for the review. I love fairytale retellings especially if they come with twists like this one by Garten, but now I’m wondering if I’ll get past the vocabulary thing you mention or it’ll annoy me to the point of not being able to finish the book.

    October 11, 2019
    |Reply
    • It’s hard to say. It probably depends on how quickly you get annoyed with things like that. If you can make it through the first 3-4 chapters, then you can ignore it much easier through the rest of the book. It really was a fun story, and I’m glad I had a reason to continue reading it through to the end.

      October 11, 2019
      |Reply
  2. Thanks for being on the tour! 🙂

    October 8, 2019
    |Reply

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