Seeing as the latest installment in this series just recently came out, I thought I'd better get this out so I can tackle the final installment when I get a chance. This series never fails to entertain and I'm always so glad to see how easy it is to pick right back up after being away from it for so long. Let's dive right in.
It's been a long road for Amy Gumm, the other girl from Kansas who stumbled into Oz and caused all kinds of havoc. Now, however, she finds herself right back where she started: Kansas. Thrown out of Oz and thrust back into her life, many things seem to have changed since Amy left. But the wonder that was left behind hasn't truly gone. A new threat looms just around the corner and now Amy has more to protect than ever. Will she be able to save her home, her friends, her family, and Oz from the powers that threaten to overcome them all? It's all in her hands.
I was hesitant when I first got into this book and found that we were back in Kansas for a good half of the story. However, it seems that the progressive growth that Amy has been going through has also been going on in Oz. Amy's mother had to live with the guilt of being responsible for the loss of her daughter and started down the hard road to becoming a better person. Amy's bully, Madison Pendleton, had an amazing transformation as well. She went from being this stereotypical mean girl and spoiled brat to an actually really nice person who was legitimately glad to see Amy alive and well. I really liked this and was just as dumbfounded as Amy to find that one of the more disgusting attributes of her life in Kansas actually turned into a thoughtful, helpful and likable character. I was deeply impressed.
I also really like that these changes are, as usual a reflection of the events in Oz. In the original story, though a bit more prevalent in the movie, Kansas and Oz are parallels and this story really reflects that. As Oz gets better, so does Kansas. As Amy grows and changes, the people back home change too. It's played up big time in this book where most others stories don't really get into this very often. By intertwining the two worlds and Amy's influence in both speaks volumes of what one person's influence does to the world, even if the world is only as big as a rinky-dink town in Kansas.
But the book isn't called Yellow Brick War for nothing. There's still a fight to be hand and once the action gets started, it's a bloodbath. The stakes have never been higher for Amy and the Witches of Oz. Sacrifices are made, friends are lost, new enemies are made, and it's all the action and glory that we've come to expect from this series. It does, sadly, have to take a little time away to deal with the boring romantic subplot where they want to be together but now they can't and they don't have a choice and moping ensues, etc. But the latter half of the book does keep the action going and the first half installs an element of intrigue and mystery as Amy explores Dorothy's past life in Kansas and what drove her to go back. It all comes together in one of the most jaw-dropping, are-you-serious, cliffhanger endings that'll make any reader run straight to the nearest library/bookstore to get their hands on that last book.
Final Verdict
Another fine installment to an already great series, this book is thrilling, fun, sad, and heartfelt. It does a great job getting us pumped up for the final chapter and I'd say that this, like the others is totally worth your money at your local bookstore.
Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. If you have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation, please contact me via goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer
Next Time: Flee into a land of really weird names....
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