Title: No Place Like Oz
Author: Danielle Paige
Publishing Information: November 12th 2013 by HarperCollins
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling
Series Information: Dorothy Must Die 0.5
Format: eBook 196 pages
Source: Bought for my personal library
Recommended For: Readers who are not complete Oz enthusiasts like myself.
I picked up No Place Like Oz because I am a HUGE Wizard of Oz fan. I actually collect different editions of the novels as well as anything else Oz related. Perhaps that is why I had such a hard time with this novel, I wanted to get a glimpse of the world to see what Danielle Paige was working with and I don’t know how to feel about it. On one hand there were some aspects that were reminiscent of Baum’s Oz, and those parts I really loved, the imagery could have been taken directly out of the original novels. Unfortunately, there were so many aspects of the novel that had me rolling my eyes. I didn’t like Dorothy, and not in the “she’s the villain and we aren’t supposed to like her” way, but I found her incredibly annoying. Though the idea behind this series is a really great concept, I was not enthralled while reading. Instead I found that I just wanted it to be over, and it didn’t make me excited to read the upcoming novel at all. How disappointing.
Title: Men Who Wish to Drown
Author: Elizabeth Fama
Publishing Information: August 28th 2012 by Tor Books
Genre: Young Adult, Mermaids, Fantasy, Romance
Series Information: Companion story to Monstrous Beauty
Format: eBook, 32 pages
Source: Available for free here
Recommended For: Those of you wondering if you should give the full novel, Monstrous Beauty, a chance.
I found Men Who Wish to Drown to be filled with beautiful and captivating writing. It really was a novella that set a tone that was a perfect backdrop for the bittersweet story. The story itself stayed with me long after I finished reading and I was captivated by Elizabeth Fama’s haunting imagery. I had heard pretty mixed reviews of Monstrous Beauty. Many readers had said that it was THE “mermaid” book to read, but I had been so disappointed by mermaid books that I was too wary to pick it up. Then, I found the (free) companion novella and jumped on it immediately! Men Who Wish to Drown was filled with beautiful writing and an interesting story. It did make me want to read the novel, though it didn’t light a fire under me to move it up on the TBR.
Books Take You Places 
novellas didn’t become “my thing” until very recently, and that’s still very select few by authors i love. i think for both no place like oz and men who wish to drown, they serve to set the world and tell stories that the author couldn’t allow for in her actual novel. since they are quick, light reads, might just give them a go before deciding to pick up the big book… maybe not so much for dorothy must die? not a major oz fan, and i can’t appreciate terrible retellings so :p
Alicia @ Noverly Things