REVIEW: OUT OF OZ BY GREGORY MAGUIRE

Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire
Available in stores now

As you could tell by my previous post I was super beyond excited by this book, and once again a huge THANK YOU to HarperCollins for sending it to me.

The book opens with an update, of sorts, on Dorothy with her Auntie Em and Uncle in the city.  Her Aunt and Uncle keep making reference to her time in Oz as a delusion, and they are doing every thing they can to help her to "forget" her time there.

Then it jumps to my absolute favourite part of the entire book... Glinda is under house arrest and my god that woman is funny.  I was reading the first 1/3 of this book in total glee, and inhaling every word with absolute happiness.  Glinda is a hysterical character, and even if you have not read any of the books, if you saw the musical "Wicked" you will know what I mean.  She is desperately trying to cling on to any respectable hoity toitiness she can muster, and she is not having any luck.  Her "capture" General Cherrystone provides some sexual tension which is always an added bonus.  Among Glinda's household minions is Rain.  She is the grandaughter of Elphaba, and daughter of Liir and Candle, but she does not know it yet.  Meanwhile, Glinda uncovers a mysterious and rather large tome known as the Grimmerie.  This book is not unlike The Clock of the Time Dragon in that it seems to be alive and have its own mind, so to speak.  Glinda cannot seem to get the book to reveal anything handy, until Rain gets ahold of it.  Suddenly it comes alive in her hands and they are able to read only one spell out of the book, which comes in handy a little later.

Oz is in a state of major conflict, and as Glinda's world is further and further shrunken down until she is only able to live in her bedroom, there comes a visitor.  The Clock of the Time Dragon rolls into town and she arranges a performance for the troops where the dragon and its cast mates put on a play that is more prophecy than performance.

As the prophecy fortold, Glinda and Rain are able to stave off a massive attack by the military and Rain is able to make a run for it , Grimmerie in hand, with the odd ball bunch traveling with The Clock.  The Cowardly Lion, Brr with his human wife, and the cranky Mr. Boss, etc.

Even as I was reading the Glinda section I worried that she would disappear and no longer be the person from whom the story is told.  And sadly that is exactly what happened.  Once Glinda was gone the book took a turn for the worse and there was no climbing back.  Suddenly I was on a lonely road with a bunch of extremely dull people, animals and creatures yammering on an on and nothing ever happened.

This is where I put the book down, I'm sorry to say.  I will not be doing a giveaway of this book as I think that for me to giveaway a book I have to be super excited about it.

It's always difficult when you are sent a review copy of a book and then you really do not like what you read in it.

I am a huge fan of Maguire's books and always will be, but so far this ranks as one of my least favourites of his.

RATING:  2/5