The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Page

Published: HaperCollins, 2015

# of Pages: 293 

Source: Books-A-Million, Purchased Copy

Goodreads Blurb/Summary: To make Oz a free land again, Amy Gumm was given a mission: remove the Tin Woodman's heart, steal the Scarecrow's brain, take the Lion's courage, and then Dorothy must die...

But Dorothy still lives. Now the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked has vanished, and the mysterious Princess Ozma might be Amy's only ally. As Amy learns the truth about her mission, she realizes that she's only just scratched the surface of Oz's past--and that Kansas, the home she couldn't wait to leave behind, may also be in danger. In a place where the line between good and evil shifts with just a strong gust of wind, who can Amy trust--and who is really Wicked?" 

"In this dark, high-octane sequel to the New York Times bestsellingDorothy Must Die, Amy Gumm must do everything in her power to kill Dorothy and free Oz.

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My Thoughts/Review: Ladies and gentleman, Danielle Paige has done it once again! In her second installment of the Dorothy Must Die series, Paige beautifully and successfully continues the story of Amy's descent into the twisted and dark world of Oz. What's truly unique and captivating about this book is Paige's ability to give the reader further insight to the internal struggle and battle of our main character Amy. 

In the first novel, the reader is given the opportunity to perceive Amy as this young, naive, and quite frequently bullied teenage girl who is thrown into a power struggle between what we originally thought was good vs. evil. However, through the pages of The Wicked Will Rise we see a new found confidence and power in Amy, a power, ironically, that has the ability to both build and destroy her as a character.  As Amy tries to rectify the "mistakes" made in this last novel she must truly decide her own fate, identity, and gain a pinch of faith in who she is and who she will become. 

Paige's writing has a sense of fluidity about it that always seems to catch my attention. She utilizes words to create a sense of imagery that places the reader in the world of her characters. In this novel she truly captures Amy's struggles with her identity. While reading, I, like Amy, felt the beckoning issue of what it feels like to have so much power, yet fall so closely between doing what's considered to be right and what's considered to be wrong. Even the brief dialogue between Princess Ozma (who may not be as lost as we think) and Amy warranted a greater sense of meaning. It is not easy for an author to convey so much depth and meaning when so little is said and Paige beautifully accomplishes this task. 

The plot of the book was relatively slow at first and took some time to catch my attention especially since the first novel moved at such a quick pace; however, I think Paige wanted to utilize this novel to build towards a greater and more in-depth finale. This novel was less about action and more so about self-discovery and the dangers hidden in the power and beauty of OZ. The ending truly was a twist that was greatly unexpected, one that I had no power to see coming. With a cliff hanger that left me at the edge of my seat, Paige once again reminded me that nothing is ever as it seems in the beautiful land of Oz. 

Rating: 4.5 Stars

If you're interested check out my video review of her first novel Dorthy Must Die below: