A snarky Wizard of Oz retelling told from Toto's perspective that is sure to delight Wicked fans and anyone who enjoys stories told from grumpy, irreverent animal protagonists. While I had hoped to enjoy this a bit more than I did, I still thought it was an entertaining and clever take on the Oz tale. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Toto by A. J. Hackwith

The retelling of The Wizard of Oz took me back to the horror of a pet dog being hauled off to what would probably be death, in the setting of a normal Kansas day. That was so hard for me to take every year when I watched this movie as a child and it's hard for me to take in this retelling. But that is how the story starts, with Dorothy and Toto running away to escape the fate that is waiting Toto, only to get caught in a tornado and ending up in a place that is not Kansas.

The story is seen entirely from Toto's POV. Toto is a good dog although he struggles with trying to not be a bad dog. But, he might want to be a bad dog after all, he's not sure but there could be advantages and more enjoyment going to the other side. It's all confusing since even when he tries to be a good dog, humans sometimes think he's a bad dog, rather than just a good dog having fun.

Now he's stuck in this creepy place with his Dorothy. At least he knows that, if nothing else, he's going to do his very best to protect Dorothy. But this world is so different and shady characters want to be her best friends when Toto has no idea who they should trust. There is so much talk of coups, revolutions, everyone calling each other Comrade, it's obvious that this is a very dangerous place and the closer Dorothy gets to the person who might help her, the closer she may be getting to MORE danger. This is a very dangerous place!

There are a lot of references to social media trends, influencing trends, political references, and more and all of that has me cherishing the original The Wizard of Oz movie. I adore Toto, I'd be happy to hang out with him day and night but the other characters aren't really fleshed out very much and what I do know of them doesn't have me wanting to spend time with them. I do think this might resonate better with a young, hipper, different audience than me.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group | Ace and NetGalley for this ARC.

4.5 stars for this adorable and snarky version of the Wizard of Oz told from Toto's POV! Toto is still feeling slighted after Aunt Em and Uncle Henry gave him up to the law and after he makes his way back to Dorothy and they land in Oz, he decides he's going to try being a "bad" dog.
This was a refreshing take on a beloved tale. The time period has been updated as well, which I got as soon as Toto mentions "pocket screens." This was way more fun than the older version!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and ace for this e-arc.*

When I saw this book, I thought wow, what a cute idea, to tell The Wizard of Oz tale from the viewpoint of a little terrier who got all swept up in an adventure that took him to a whole new world full of amazing things, like talking animals. Being a snarky and sparky little terrier, he found himself rather liking the new personality he decided to adopt, that of being a "bad dog". This little change took him on may adventures, but he had to decide if he really did want to go back to Kansas with Dorothy or stay in Oz where he was free to do as he pleased. Well, almost, anyway.

First off, this really was a cute story. I love the whole Wizard of Oz vibe, but with a twist, The friends he and Dorothy discovered and made on their trip, including Scarecrow, Lion, and the Tin Man, among others, were varied and unique. I was a bit disappointed that the story veered off the adventures of that core group when Toto decided to go off on his own adventures, because I feel like we missed out on a lot of possibilities that would have strengthened the story and made it more interesting, Basically, I wish they had all traveled together more.

I enjoyed the book, but it felt like it was only an outline of what the book could have been with more fleshing out. It was a quick read, so if you're looking for a fun but not very filling story, I can recommend this one. I'm giving it 3.5/5 stars, rounded up to 4/5 stars for originality.

4/5 stars.

*** I would like to thank NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and A.J. Hackwith for the opportunity to read and review Toto.

It's cute, but I think it's just too much of a good thing. It's a great concept and Toto's got a heck of a personality, but I can't see myself spending my reading time with the entire book. I finished about 30% of it.

This was such a fun read! I mean, a cozy fantasy retelling of The Wizard of Oz, but from Toto’s perspective? I’m in. Enough of the classic story is included so that you *somewhat* know what is going to happen, but there are also plenty of surprises and it isn’t remotely dull. Toto is the snarky, opinionated terrier narrator we didn’t know we needed. I wish I had saved this book for the week leading up to the US presidential election for the comic relief! He’s a brave little guy, too, and yeah I was basically wrapped around his finger… I mean paw.

Toto is joined by the original and beloved Wizard of Oz cast, with some new characters sprinkled in. The Wicked Witch of the West goes down as my other favorite character! She’s just fabulous and extremely entertaining, in her own witchy way. And I have to mention that Toto also has a new bird friend named Crow (who isn’t a crow).

The only thing I found somewhat lacking is I thought there were some missed opportunities to give more depth to the other characters. I think a big part of this was simply due to the story being told from Toto’s point of view. Regardless, this was a light, fun book that I recommend to all readers, and especially to fans of The Wizard of Oz!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the gifted ARC!

Toto by AJ Hackwith. Thanks to @berkleypub for the gifted copy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When Toto finds himself and his owner,
Dorothy, far from Kansas in the land of Oz, he is surprised to find the animals talk and run the show. It’s up to him to keep Dorothy from trouble.

You really can’t go wrong with a funny and witty narrator such as Toto. His wit grabs you from the beginning and doesn’t let go. I wish I remembered more of Oz and the original story to compare, but regardless I had a heck of a time. I loved how you could tell it took place in modern times, just from Toto’s take on Dorothy and her daily teenage life.

“It’s better to be a Bad Dog, a wild dog, a lone wolf. That’s me. Feral and untamed. Toto. Toto of Oz, Toto of the revolution.”

Toto comes out 11/12.

Life is different when your perspective comes from close to the ground. A.J. Hackwith uses that different perspective to good effect in Toto, which revisits the Land of Oz in a story told from the viewpoint of Dorothy’s dog.

Living up to the feistiness of his terrier ancestors, Toto is a more active participant in Hackwith’s version of the story than he was in the tale penned by L. Frank Baum. Toto provides a more searching view of the Land of Oz, exploring gender role expectations, power imbalances, and resource exploitation in an entertaining story that prompts readers to revisit who the good guys really are. A fresh and entertaining take on a familiar tale.

Note: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The premise of this book sounded great - taking a beloved tale and telling it from a different perspective: Toto’s! However I soon realized I did not like this book. I did not like the writing style and it was just trying too hard to be Gen Z. It is overall the same story but when I was about 40% through I started skipping further ahead and it still took forever.

I really enjoyed Toto. This is a unique retelling of the classic story of The Wizard of OZ told from the perspective of Toto. Toto is a delightful narrator, equally snarky, brave, and smart. While he often refers to himself as a bad dog, he truly has a heart of gold. The framework of the original story is clear to see, however, the author has given us unexpected twists, new characters, and a re imagining of who is good and bad. In Oz, Toto is able to talk and quickly makes friends with Crow a bird who, in fact, is not a crow. All of the meeting with the original characters from Oz take on a new perspective through Toto's eyes. Additionally, they are a bit different from the classic versions of the tin man, the scarecrow, and the cowardly lion.

The found family element of the story still preservers and gives this entertaining retelling a lot of heart.


Thank you NetGalley and Ace for providing me with an advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

I loved this modern re-imagining of the Wizard of Oz. It takes the core aspects of the original story and adds in social commentary and answers to questions so many of us ask when we re-read the book as an adult (most importantly, if Glinda knew how Dorothy could get home from the beginning, why didn't she say so). The perspective of the story from the eyes of Toto adds so much to the story as well, because we know we all wondered what he actually thought of everything. This blend of Wicked and Wizard of Oz through the perspective of 'your little dog too' can act as both a palate cleanser and a deep dive into political/philosophical/activist arguments. I think it would be a great addition to many a high school reading list, especially for students who were previously expected to read the original story!

Berkley Publishing Group provided an early galley for review.

I was not familiar with Hackwith's earlier works (three novels in the Hell's Library series), so jumping in on their first standalone novel where they take a page out of Gregory Macguire's playbook (i.e. doing a reinterpretation of an Oz story) felt like a safe starting place. From a very young age, I was a fan of the enchanting world created by Frank L. Baum anyway. So, why not?

Right out of the gate, the reader gets enough details to tell this one hundred and twenty-four year old tale has been brought into the 21st Century (thanks to the original material being long out of copyright bounds). Like the original tale was a reflective commentary of the times, Toto touches upon elements of pop culture, social media and political trends. It could have gone harder though, really brining this into the 21st Century.

Giving us the story from a dog's perspective is certainly novel. However, this particular narrative view can be a double-edged sword. Every situation and interaction comes from the lens of the pet protagonist, albeit a rather smarter one thanks to effects of the magical land Toto and Dorothy find themselves in. But it is a dog's interpretation and thus ultimately a bit limited. Also, in the original story Toto tends to be more of an observer so I feared his role would be limited in a similar capacity here. Turns out, here he's right in the center of everything that happens, but I still felt that he was more of an observer and commentator.

And that's really what had me losing focus several times. I felt like I was missing the depth of the other characters. They came across as flat, one-dimensional and at times uninteresting.

The more I wanted from a retelling/reimagining just wasn't there.

A creative and entertaining update of adventures in OZ, narrated by Toto! Filled with plenty of original details and twist so that the reader who is familiar with the original book or movie still has plenty of twists and surprises to discover. I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it. A caution for those who are sensitive that there are a few profanities uttered by Toto, but otherwise appropriate for a young reader with strong skills.

A beloved children's book seen through the eyes of an unlikely character - Toto. When Toto and Dorothy land in OZ killing the witch it turns them both into heroes of sorts but also sets off a sibling war. The crooked wizard snags Dorothy into doing his evil business with the promise of getting them home and Toto leads a small revolution of his own among the animals in OZ. We see OZ in a different shade of green with the familiar and new characters added to the storyline. Wonderfully witty with normally "good boy" Toto acting out and putting on his "bad dog" fur to protect his human and his new friends from dirty dealings in OZ. The transition of bit player animals to the main stage worked well for me but I wish the ending had more punch. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

This book was so fun and I loved the story from not only Toto’s perspective but one that’s been a bit updated.

I was lucky enough to win an e-ARC of TOTO by A. J. Hackwith from a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thank you for the early look, and enjoy the rest of your summer!

This was so much fun! I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did but it was so unique and brilliantly written. Plus I love anything wizard of Oz related. I will be recommending and adding to our library!

I like The Wizard of Oz, but I just couldn’t get into this book. I didn’t like the whole Good Dog/Bad Dog thing; it went against everything I know about dogs. This was a DNF for me.

This book is a total delight! The witty, offbeat humor had me laughing out loud while the clever reimagining of Oz’s iconic characters brought a fresh, exhilarating twist to the tale. It’s a perfect blend of humor, adventure, and heart. I loved every moment of it.

In this delightfully irreverent version of the Wizard of Oz, the author gives us a whole new version of the story. Told from the point of view of Toto the dog, we see all of the familiar characters in a brand new updated light. Who knew that Dorothy's preferred fashion was goth? At times laugh-out-loud funny, I nonetheless wished for the plot to advance a bit more quickly, and I can't say I really cared about how things worked out for Toto for the first half of the book. The action picked up midway through, leading to somewhat unexpected results and a satisfying conclusion. Terrific cover.