Thank you to Gordon McAlpine and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of After Oz!

This book had me intrigued from the get-go. I was really excited to see someone tackle this topic with such a fresh and realistic POV. I enjoyed the story over all from start to finish. The middle did get a bit repetitive and I felt like a lot of information was unnecessary to the story. Again, overall this was a great read that I would recommend to anyone! Such a unique twist of a classic and timeless story. Well done!!

Firstly I would like to thank Gordon McAlpine , Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of 'After Oz'.

I have been enthralled by the original books and films since my childhood and through the years I have read many that relate to the originals , but none of them quite captured the essence until this novel. The book encapsulates the same magical charm as the 1939 film and it became apparent from the very start that the author shares the same passion and love of the original L.Frank Baum tales .
The whole novel felt authentic and true to the time period and locational setting. Whilst I am sure a few readers could find the religious quotes throughout the book quite overwhelming - to me this only added to the realism as it fits perfectly into giving the reader a sense of the era .

Whilst I don't want to give away any spoilers , I loved how the novel had a refreshing take on the original story being told from a different perspective and from the view of an onlooker rather than from the main characters. It felt genuinely like I was reading a classic sequel novel written in the same time period. I could certainly see this book being directed as a movie at some point in the future and I would be the first in line to view it.

I found myself engrossed with the novel and read it into the night . In all honesty I'm not sure what I can read next to fill the void that this book will leave. I cannot endorse this book enough . It has been a wonderful read that will stay with me

#AfterOz #NetGalley

This was interesting and gripped me from the start. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley for my ARC

As a lifelong fan of The Wizard of Oz I loved this concept. Dorothy could be a murderer? What a fun twist on an old story. I'm a sucker for religion in books too, so those details added a lot to the book for me.

The middle did get little slow and repetitive. It was very sleuth/investigation heavy for a while. That was my only complaint. That ending really brought it back for me. Very satisfying.

I would love to read more from this author.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this digital ARC of Gordon McAlpine's 'After Oz.'

I've been fascinated by Wizard of Oz-related creative work for years. 'Was' by Geoff Ryman is one of my all-time favorite novels and David Lynch's 'Wild at Heart' is one of my all-time favorite films so when I read the description of 'After Oz' I was very happy when I received the approval for the ARC.

The premise is that having disappeared for several days in the wake of the famous twister, 11-year-old Dorothy Gale is found alive in a pumpkin patch and confuses people with tales of 'Oz,' talking animals and inanimate objects, wizards, witches, and the Emerald City she encountered on her magical travels. However, what were discounted as the ramblings of an already odd child made worse by her encounter with a tornado are suddenly given much more gravitas and attention when some of the fantastical tale can be read as a description of real life events, particularly the murder of a much-unloved local wealthy spinster.

We see the unfolding narrative through the eyes and words of an unidentified local man and young psychologist Dr. Evelyn Grace Wilford, unusual for her time.

Written very cleverly in the style of the late 19th century, the novel turns into somewhat of a whodunnit as Dr Wilford peels back the layers of this hypocritically self-righteous 'Christian' community to get at the truth behind the horrific murder.

I thought it was a very clever extension of Frank L. Baum's classic tale (though the Oz in this book is more derived from the film than his books, no harm in that as far as I'm concerned). But I also saw in it clear reflections of modern day America where the hypocrisy of evangelical Christianity is laid bare by their willingness to trot out Bible verses in support of their own poisoned piety while ignoring or willfully misinterpreting those verses which don't serve their needs. The populace of the town like to paint themselves as god fearing, upright Christians but are riddled with self-righteous, self-delusion and are, in reality, weak, easily led, and often nasty individuals who'll do anything, rationalize their worst behaviors as long as it retains their status quo and extends their control over others.

Dorothy herself is (deliberately, I felt) a peripheral figure in the novel. We know her story, we meet her a couple of times, but this is a story about exposing hypocritical behavior and insidiously pious individuals who'd rather bury their heads in the sand than face the reality of what's happening in their own community.

This is partly a dark and very interesting take on beloved fictional characters and partly an excoriation of the poisonous 'Christianity' that pervaded America then and still does to an extent, nearly a century and a half later.

Thank you, Gordon McAlpine NetGalley, for the ARC. I leave this review voluntarily and happily. Also, thank you publishers for your hard work!

I loved this book. Even though it got slow in some places, I really enjoyed it. It really makes you stop and think about all the strange and unique stories out there, and if they were told today and a person truly meant what they said, how would we as people respond to them. I believe this book explains that decently, even though sad to say. This book is definitely church induced, so if you don't like things from the Bible and such, turn the other way. There is also death.

Dorothy tells the tale of her experience in Oz, but no one believes her. In fact, she's sent to the doctor, and others take in her mental state. If not for the fact a body showed up and she keeps saying she 'melted' a witch, she's now in the asylum. What's going to happen to her and the town? What does Dorothy truly believe, and will anyone believe her?

This book was truly the real take of what would happen if a girl told the story of Oz. It's git interviews and so many opinions, but even so, do you believe? It's up to you. I think this was well worth the read.

It was a refreshingly unique twist inspired by the classic Wizard of Oz. I loved that the author stayed true to the period of the late 1800’s in the way the characters talk and act. It may be hard for some readers that don’t understand the life of those in the 1800’s (for example the religious/biblical aspects) , but I thank the author for his integrity in staying true to the period and not trying to modernize it for today’s thinking.

Ever wonder what happened to Dorothy after she returned from Oz? After Oz by Gordon McAlpine explores this narrative through the dual POV's of Dr. Evelyn Grace Wilford (psychologist) and an unnamed resident of the small Kansas town where Dorothy lived. Did Dorothy actually go to Oz, or is she possessed by some evil demon that is forcing her to tell lies? Things take a turn for the worse when a local woman is found "melted" and the community is quick to blame Dorothy especially when word gets around of her melting the Wicked Witch in Oz.

I felt that the pacing of the story was a little slow for my liking. That being said, I did enjoy the dual perspectives. Dr. Wilford was investigating the truth's behind murder. Not convinced that Dorothy murdered the woman, she takes to interviewing the locals. The other perspective is from an unnamed man that spells out the religious beliefs of the town and how quickly mob mentality can take over when "evil" is suspected. There were parts of Evelyn's narrative that I felt drug on a little bit too long. She got a little wordy with psycho-analyzing herself that it detracted from Dorothy's story. In the end though, I felt this was a good possibility of what could have actually happened after Dorothy's return. The last chapter also gives a good nod to the author of the original Oz books.

Wow what a read. Dark and twisty and you just couldn’t put it down! I loved this after the wizard of oz book.

A very interesting and different twist to The Wizard of Oz. It is a little slow in the beginning but it picked up about 1/4 way through. I had a few different conclusions thought up in my head but nothing close to what really happened. Definitely recommended!

This was a really interesting take on The Wizard Of Oz. When poor Dorothy tells her tale, she’s put into the mental ward! It was a quick read that held my attention until the end. I would recommend it not only to Wizard of Oz enthusiasts, but anyone who enjoys a good alternate retelling. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read in advance!

This was like a dark and twisted sequel (or arguably a prequel) to the Wizard of Oz. When Dorothy turns up four days after a twister hits her small town, telling tales of talking animals and witches, her religious community believes her to be a diabolical pagan. Her claims of melting witches weren't perceived as childhood fantasy, but as sacrilegious and disturbing. When a local spinster, referred to by children in the neighborhood as a witch, is found dead a few days later, the community fully turns against Dorothy, banishing the 11-year-old to an insane asylum.

A psychiatrist takes an interest in Dorothy's strange stories and interesting circumstances. Dorothy seems like a clever girl, but is she really capable of murder?

If you're interested in cults, witch hunts, and mob mentality, you'll probably like this book. It was a quick read that had you wanting to get to the bottom of the mystery. But this was more like a 3.5 for me because it felt like there was so much of the text that could be skimmed over, and the book was short to begin with.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC!

This book offers an intriguing question— "What happened after Dorothy came home from Oz?" Well? Would anyone believe her story? What was the aftermath of the twister? And how would she handle the return to reality? Author Gordon McAlpine, takes some creative liberties with the source material. While he includes enjoyable references, mostly from the film NOT the book series, the story unfolds as a break-neck paced thriller. However, there are inconsistencies in character portrayal compared to the broader Oz series, making it feel more like well written fan fiction.

One notable drawback is Dorothy. Although we hear from her sporadically, the reader is left wanting more. McAlpine touches on her treatment in the asylum but does not return to it...

On the other hand, McAlpine's writing style shines. His use of language, specically dialog, brings the people of Kansas to life.

While this is an entertaining read that takes a unique spin on a fairy tale, it doesn't stand out as something exceptionally special.

3.5 rounded up. I’m thankful to have received this ARC! I am all for retelling of classic stories, but this one is a smidge different. What really happened when Dorothy returned from Oz? It’s a mystery to be solved. Dorothy is being accused of killing Alvina, who named Dorothy as her beneficiary. However, nobody knew they ever had a relationship. Dr. Wilford wants to find the truth in the murder. She doesn’t believe Dorothy to be guilty, and she didn’t seem to really be a fan of the townsfolk either. They are a little *sketchy.* I read this book in one sitting. It’s written extremely well and follows the time period as well, in terms of the writing.

So im a huge wizard of oz fan and i loved the book because it was totally something else like added to the story after the twister what happened to dorothy she was nowhere to be seen but then turns up and she is around 11 or 12 years old and goes to a psych ward where a doctor interviews her about her time at oz to try and help her. It was a twisted sort of story to the original wizard of oz i loved it, i ate it up but the cons of the story i just didnt like the biblical quotes im not a god person and the story was like jumbled a bit hard to read in a kindle format the chapters are in between the words fix it for future readers.
great story though. thank you for letting me read this book.

I enjoyed this mystery story about what happens to Dorothy after coming back from the land of Oz. The author's writing style was unique to the time period (late 1800's), the plot kept my interest, and the characters seemed real. I would read more from this author and would recommend this book to my customers.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

A completely different take on the story of Dorothy Gale and the Land of Oz, this book takes a lot of liberties with the source material. There are some really nice references in here, largely to the material of the film and not the book series, and it's a well-written thriller. I did find that there were some inconsistencies with the characterisation, especially when compared to the Oz series as a whole, but I feel this is more of a spiritual successor.

Unfortunately, I did feel a bit like there was a big chunk missing in all of this, and that chunk was mostly Dorothy. We hear from her on and off, but not to a level of substance, and even her treatment in the asylum is missing bits of context. The main character is well-written but lacks certain pieces of her own personality, and she could have been a bit more consistent throughout.

One thing that is well worth noting and appreciating is the way that this book is written. It has a fantastic tone throughout when it comes to the way that the townspeople put things across, and it was very much written for and in the time period that it is set. This is a fun little read that twists a faerie tale in a weird direction, but with that said, it's not something that's overly special.

Review Copy

I'm in shock at how bad this story was. Note I said 'story'. I'll get to that in a sec.

The writing I must say was excellent. It was the writing of the time (1890's). For some people that may make it tough to read, but that didn't bother me. In fact, that kept the book from being a one star read. The only thing that bothered me about the writing was how it was filled with biblical quotes. I totally skipped over those finding them unnecessary and bothersome.

But the story! I love retellings and have read many. I love the 'twistedness' of them. But this wasn't even close to a retelling of L Frank Baum's amazing series but a continuation of the movie. The movie was a compilation of several of the books and gave watchers the smallest taste of the magic of Oz. What this author has done is write his take on what he thinks would happen after the movie. And that's very different. I just could not appreciate this novel. While he did give a nod to Baum, I couldn't help but wonder if he ever read the Oz series.

If you're a fan of the movie who has never read the Oz series, you may enjoy this book. If you're open to wonder and magic you're never too old read the Oz books.

4.5/5 stars!

Really enjoyed this book. I needed a break from the fantasy train I've been on for the last couple of weeks, and this one delivered. I really loved the dark tone/atmosphere that this Oz retelling took on and the murder mystery aspect. The author did a wonderful job of making the audience feel as if they were set in the 1800s (which kind of put me on to a historical kick, I can feel it). Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of retellings (or Oz retellings, since this is my first). I think if you liked the atmosphere of Simone St. James' work, or even Jaime Jo Wright, you would enjoy this novel as well.

Can't wait to get a physical copy on release day!

I received this eARC from Netgalley.com and am providing an unbiased review.

There were several things about this book that caught my eye and piqued my interest with a desire to read it. The title and synopsis reminded me of a "movie" I had seen a trailer about, that seemed sort of along the same idea, and I wanted to read a version of the possibilities that took place after the famous book and movie of "The Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum.

In short, the story starts pretty much near the end of what we know of the original story, but with a little more realistic twist. We find Dorothy survived the tornado, with the unrealistic story of 'Oz'. Then the suspected murder of the local spinster is placed on Dorothy, due to her tale of melting a witch. Dorothy is placed in a mental asylum, where our MC, a female psychologist, meets her, and the story goes on to the details our MC faces over the course of a few short days in trying to prove Dorothy's innocence.

This was a very interesting read, as so many details of the time period were placed that provided a good background. The year being 1896, in Kansas, which I believe is part of the 'Bible Belt', so very strong religious views and following. A small town that has it's secrets. The misnomer that female doctors of any type were basically taboo. Throw in some of the plot twists, and it turned into a very good reading.

I had not read any previous works by McAlpine, but I see there are a few. I have looked at a couple and they seem to be of a similar type to this novel, and the twisted reality of what could be. I hope to be able to read them as well. Would definitely recommend this novel for those that enjoy historical fiction, mysteries, and plot twist with a possible alternate reality.