This was an intriguing concept that fell a bit flat for me. (Although, that could have been because I listened to the audiobook and found myself zoning in and out.) The religious nonsense and sexism was vomit-inducing, but I gave it all a pass since, well, it's exactly how things would've gone down if a girl returned to her home in the Bible belt in the late 1800s saying she had seen a magical land with witches and flying monkeys. Straight to the asylum! Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

I think I would've enjoyed this a bit more if I opted for the physical book instead of the audiobook, but some of the twists got me, and I always enjoy a good small-town scandal. Overall, it was average to me. Not great, but not terrible either. A thought-provoking look at what would've/could've happened if a girl named Dorothy really did see Oz and then come home to the Bible belt where everyone accused her of being a witch/ murderer/ witch murderer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an advanced version of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. I would consider this book a solid 3.5 stars, especially enjoyable for those who like The Wizard of Oz!

After Oz is a sort of spinoff of the events that followed the Wizard of Oz, posing the question: what happened following Dorothy's return to Kansas? According to the author's interpretation displayed in this book, upon Dorothy's return and her stories of witches, wizards, and talking animals that accompanied her through a magical land, and accidentally melting a witch, people are quick to declare her as insane. Coincidentally, a resident of the town was found deceased in her home, "melted" by a chemical, and the fact that she was a spinster and some joked resembled a witch seemed to lead the town to incriminate Dorothy in this heinous act.

The novel takes place in 1896, so naturally there are themes of religion and small-town prejudice that play a large part in the town's feelings toward Dorothy and outsiders alike. The book is told by two narrators, one being the doctor trying to prove Dorothy's innocence and one unnamed resident of the town who is convinced of her guilt. The townsperson is full of hate, accompanying many of their thoughts and opinions with bible verses to justify themself, while Dr. Wilford is a much more sympathetic character who wants to see the events without bias. I was invested from first mention of Alvina's murder to find the real culprit alongside Dr. Wilford, and did not see the twist coming!

Sadly, Dorothy is not all that prominent in the story, nor are her telling's of Oz, and most of the inclusions of her in the book are from Dr. Wilford's conversations with her in the Topeka Insane Asylum (where she was banished to after the decision of her guilt). All this is to say, I still found the story to be very enjoyable, despite the lack of detail from the original Oz story. I really enjoyed the author's take on the classic, adding a whodunnit twist and really leaned into the realistic outcome of what could have happened to Dorothy when she returned to her small town in Kansas speaking of this magical land she visited.

I also wanted to mention that the narration of the audiobook by Maria Ru-Djen was wonderfully executed. I am newer to the audiobook format and found her distinction of all the characters to be done really well.

3.5 stars rounded to 4

This was a really interesting take on the Wizard of Oz. I thought it would be more of a thriller but it was definitely a mystery. I listened to the audiobook and the narration was good. I just thought the story was a bit disjointed and repetitive at time. That being said, it stuck with the theme of the Wizard of Oz (the movie, not the original book) and gave a different insight on the events of the tornado and Dorothy's disappearance.

3 star's. This is a retelling of the wizard of oz but what happens after Dorothy returns home. I have mixed opinions on this. on one hand, it was a really good idea and concept for a book but it got really boring and drawn on at times. some chapters were an hour and a half, like that's a whole movie.

The author also made this book really religious, mentioning bible verses every 10 minutes. I'm a Christian so I never have an issue with that but other people might. it also felt at times like the author was mocking the bible though so I don't know.

Overall, amazing concept but could've been done a little better. thank you to netgalley for providing me with this ARC

I have always been a fan of the Wizard of Oz so I was super excited to stumbled across this book that takes the reader through the aftermath of Dorthy’s return to her small town and how the people in the town view her after her confession. The story is told by two different perspectives, an unnamed town person and the other the psychologist who is visiting Dorthy. Overall I thought this was well written and had an interesting and entertaining mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC

After Oz is a dark twist on the Wizard of Oz, but also very different. Yes some characters are similar, but the story is a whole lot different. I don't want to dive too deeply into it so as to not ruin the experience for someone else. It was definitely a fun ride, it does start off on the slower side. There are some twists and turns that make things become clearer but some things still are left unclear to me. Although I know the author was in a rush to finish the book as he was very sick and unfortunately passed in 2021. If you want a different take on Oz this might be the one for you !

🎧 The narration by Maria Ru-Djen was great. I really enjoyed listening to her, she was easy to understand and had a great tone of voice. I thought it was a good audio performance.

✨️Thank you to @netgalley, @dreamscapemedia & Gordon McAlpine for my gifted ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an entertaining, but dark, alternative origin story for the Oz books by frank Baum. I can't say too much about what happened without giving it all away, but think of a gritty crime investigation novel, where a child gets convicted of a crime. And it's old timey, and there's feminism in the late 1800s and at the same time you get reminded of the Wizard of Oz and has some fun connections to the story.

All in all I really liked this book and the writing style and I'm sad that it'll be the authors final book. Recommended for grown ups who have always loved Oz.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and to NetGalley for an ARC of this audiobook.

I love all things OZ. When I saw that this audiobook was on NetGalley, I knew that I needed to request it.

Dorothy Gale goes missing after a tornado touches down in her small Kansas town. She shows up a bit later in someone's pumpkin patch telling wild stories of killing a witch, scarecrows, and other animals that talk. A disliked woman in her town ( some call a witch) turns up dead and the town Blames Dorothy.Is Dorothy a murderess? When Dr. Wilford comes to talk with Dorothy, she gets very involved in her story. Can she help unravel the mystery of what happened in this small town?
This was not exactly what I was expecting, but I did really enjoy it. I really liked the murder mystery plot and thought that they story wrapped up in a neat way. I also loved the nods to L. Frank Baum and the original OZ books.

I thought the narrator was perfect for this book and did a fantastic job!

Thank you to NetGalley, Gordon McAlpine's publishing team, and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review (unpaid).

I would also like to pay respect to Gordon McAlpine, who sadly passed away in 2021 to cancer. While I had not heard of him before this work, I am sad that it is his last and plan on working through his backlist as his writing captures the human mind in a way I have not read before.

I was enraptured by the first half of this book which consisted of mostly ruminations of Dr. Evelyn Grace Wilford and her conversations with Dorothy Gale and I do wish we had gotten to see more of that. Evelyn's main goal was to assess Dorothy's psychological state and yet we hear so little about or from Dorothy and more about how Evelyn simply believes Dorothy could not have committed the murder.

About halfway through, Evelyn becomes obsessed with finding the actual murderer and we become focused on her perceived psychological state(s) of the murder suspects ( and none of her thoughts on the actual murderer). I think this would have worked better as 1) a psychological assessment of Dorothy or 2) Evelyn spiraling into her insanity as she obsesses over Dorothy and the murder (or both), and not simply a commentary on religious groupthink. As is, I find it a little disappointing.

I really enjoyed this book. I will be honest and say that I might be biased as I will read anything Wizard of Oz related but this was one of the better ones I have read. As a lifelong fan of Baum's classic I never wondered what happens to Dorothy when she returns to Kansas but McAlpine answers questions I never knew I had, and answers them well. Dorothy returns home with stories of a fantastical land where she accidentally killed a witch by melting her only for the town "witch" to turn up dead in the same fashion landing Dorothy in an asylum. It is a very interesting new take on a old story.

This book is dark and explores themes of prejudice and religious bigotry. While it takes place in a historical setting the themes of religion justifying horrendous things and allowing prejudice is very timely for today's audience. It is interesting to see the story told via dual perspectives, one being a member of the small Kansas town Dorothy is from and the other a psychologist who has come to help Dorothy.

This was a great read and I highly recommend!

This book had a captivating plot - Dorothy’s life AFTER Oz- where she is essentially framed (or did she do it?) for murder. Did she really melt a witch? And confess to it during rural Kansas in the 1890s?

I enjoyed the perspectives from this book, from the psychologist trying to help Dorothy after she’s commuted to an asylum and to an unnamed townsfolk who provides perspective into the small town.

I enjoyed the overall plot, the book did move slowly but it let the events unwind. I do wish the ending had even more “after the reveal” to answer all my burning questions. However I did love the overall tie into the original tale of the Wizard of Oz

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review

Publication date set for August 6, 2024

What would really happen to Dorothy after she regaled her small, Bible Belt town with the tales of a wizard, witches, flying monkeys, and a talking scarecrow?

After Oz takes on the interesting and realistic perspective of what it would have been like for her in a small, conservative, very religious community.
You definitely need knowledge of The Wizard of Oz to understand but you’ll be disappointed if you expect all of the beloved characters to make an appearance or even a significant appearance outside of Dorothy and her aunt and uncle, so keep that in mind as you go on to it.

I would have given the story 5 stars except the end left me feeling a little disappointed. I guess McAlpine set it up throughout the story but I felt like it was mentioned so briefly and such in an insignificant manner that not having a solid motivation was disappointing. Otherwise it was a fantastic twist on an old favorite.

A retelling of Oz sort of. This is a tale of what happens to Dorothy after Oz. When I read the synopsis or this book it sounded so intriguing and I couldn’t wait to read it.

Though the book is interesting and I did enjoy it, I was sad that Dorothy wasn’t really even the main character in her own story. Yes it’s about proving Dorothy’s innocence but we barely get her POV.

I really would have loved to learn more about what really happened after the tornado. But it’s a take for sure.

3.5⭐️ rounded up.

In the aftermath of a devastating tornado, young survivor Dorothy is found alive sleeping in a pumpkin patch, spinning yarns about a magical land, talking animals, and most concerningly, killing & melting a witch.

In the days that follow, however, a curmudgeonly local woman is found dead, her face melted with lye. Rather than dwell in the face of such a horrific act & blight upon their town, the resident elect to blame Dorothy and cart her off to an asylum rather than investigate to preserve the peaceful facade of their town. Until a "nosey" psychologist from the city begins poking around.

For all the historical trappings, and mild Oz inspired backdrop, this book has a distinct perspicacity regarding even the modern state of small town and religious prejudices, and the small town tendency to be overly concerned about appearances in all things.

The book wasn't quite what I was expecting, but nevertheless, it drew me in and kept me engaged with it's believable characters, even long after I had (mostly) figured out the central mystery.

Particular shout to the narrator, who couldn't have been better chosen. Perfect performance across the board.

*ARC provided by NetGalley & Dreamscape Media*

What happened to Dorothy when she returned from Oz? Gordon McAlpine brings you into 1800s Kansas and tells you exactly what Dorothy went through as she returned. Told from two alternating narrators, the story of Dorothy and the small town she lives in unfolds. The mystery of the murder of one of the townspeople and Dorothy's return from Oz slowly mingles together, and an entertaining dark, retelling of the Wizard of Oz is left. I enjoyed this one and thought the audio narrator did such a great job. 3.5. Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced audiobook.

After Oz - A Novel by Gordon McAlpine and narrated by Maria Ru-Djen is simply brilliant! I am a huge fan of all incarnations ad interpretations of this literary classic (yes, the film too, I admit it) But this reimagining is a whole different ball gae

Dorothy disappears for two days after an immensely destructive twister has destroyed the community of Summer Bonnet. Dorothy is then found asleep in a field, and upon waking talks of a wonderful land of Witches, Wizards and talking animals. In this deeply religious Mid-West community, this talk is that of a heretic or someone light in the head and as such, Dorothy is consigne to the care of the local Pastor and his wife.

However, when the murder is discovered, Dorothy is blamed due to it reflecting her story of throwing water on the witch and her melting. Without any contradictory evidencce and with Dorothy being the only beneficiary in the neighbours will, it's an open and shut case . Or is it?

McAlpine artfully uses symbols such as yellow brick in houses, the unaliving of a neighbour with Lye, even a file box marked O to Z to create a real world suspicion of Dorthy G's story. The inclusion of Psychologist Dr Evelyn Grace Wilford as the narrator and specifically her dialogues with Dorothy as she is confined in the pastors home and the asylum is genius

The narration is outstanding and matche the narrative perfectly

I love love love this audiobook and yes, I absolutely recommend this dark imagining of what happened when Dorothy got back to Kansas and found that there really was no place like home, Just not in the way it first seems

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, the author Gordon McAlpine and narrator Maria Ru-Djen for ths ALC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

In the Wizard of Oz movie that we all know and love, Dorothy wakes up at the end in Kansas, everyone believes her adventures in Oz were all a dream, they all have a good laugh, and that's that. In the original book by Frank Baum, she wakes up in a field, believes Oz is real, and ends up going back later in the series, even taking Uncle Henry and Auntie Em with her at one point.

But back to the end of the original story: Gordon McAlpine, the late mystery writer, asked the question in the last novel, written before he passed in 2021, what might have actually happened after Dorothy returned from Oz telling tales of witches and wizards and talking animals and animate objects and, well, you know.

The setting being rural Kansas at the end of the 19th century, it's easy to imagine, as McAlpine does, Dorothy being labeled a blasphemer, heretic, and pagan. But when Alvina Clough, a curmudgeonly spinster not all that different than Almira Gulch, who likewise owns half the county, turns up dead in a manner too similar to Dorothy's claim of having melted the wicked witch, a murder mystery kicks in.

The whole premise is quite intriguing and engaging. The contemporary climate in 2020 when McAlpine was writing this book figures indelibly into his portrayal of the conservative religious Kansas town and townsfolk (so says the writer of the afterword), especially in how its women are viewed and treated, including the forward thinking Boston psychologist who takes up Dorothy's cause and solves the murder.

All in all, a great idea well executed, except for one thing: Dorothy and Oz are not really big parts of the story. Oz not at all, except as the object of Dorothy's heresy -- and isn't that a shame when you consider the theory that Baum wrote a political allegory of his era where Oz was a stand-in for Washington DC and all the rest of that jazz. (BTW, Baum himself has a cameo in this book.)

Dorothy, locked away in an insane asylum, appears prominently in the early part of the book, but hardly at all once her psychologist starts to work on the mystery. Likewise, there are no real world counterparts for the other Oz characters, except for Alvina Clough being an analogue for the wicked witch. Oh, practically no Toto either.

But it's a good story nonetheless, well written (if a little too reliant on letter writing), so I can only deduct one star for the dearth of Dorothy and lack of most other things Oz. Thanks to NetGalley for providing an audio edition of this book for review -- on the audio front, I was not too thrilled with the narration, but it was OK and other people seem to have liked it well enough.

3/5 ⭐️
The story of what happens after Dorothy returns from Oz. This is a retelling with a dark twist, I got the opportunity to get a copy of the audiobook and I really enjoyed the narrator, the only thing I would say is that I would have enjoyed hearing more from Dorothy’s POV. You don’t have to wait long to get a copy of it as it comes out on August 6th, 2024

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6672156476

What a unique look at Dorothy After Oz. I have always wondered what happened when she returned to Kansas. Now we have an idea. This is a very enjoyable book and in no way ruined my fond memories of the Wizard of Oz.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced e-audiobook in exchange for an honest review. I was so excited when I read the premise of this book, but found the plotline to move too slowly to entirely suck me into the story. I would have liked to see Dorothy featured more prominently and her tales of Oz described more thoroughly. I will recommend this book to fans of the Wizard of Oz and patrons who enjoy slow burn whodunnit stories.