Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Book Review: The Wizard in Wonderland

Hi everyone! Thought I'd post a little something that didn't have to do with cosplay and see how it went over.  I recently had the pleasure of reading “The Wizard in Wonderland,” written by local Kalispell author Ron Glick. It's a brand-new adventure for the protagonists of two timeless classics, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland. In short, the Wizard disappears and Dorothy sets off to find him, only to meet Alice. Alice is accidentally summoned back to Oz in Dorothy's place, and Dorothy is led to Wonderland in further search of the Wizard. As the two travel deeper in the other's world, it becomes evident that outside, potentially sinister forces are at play.

I'll admit, I first approached this book with caution because I had very limited knowledge of these worlds. I've watched “The Wizard of Oz” movie a couple times, and performed a couple songs from “Wicked” in high school orchestra. As far as “Alice in Wonderland” goes, I've seen the Disney versions, as well as read a couple manga re-interpretations. So I was a little nervous coming in that I would be totally lost. Much to my relief, Glick does an excellent job of providing essential history and backstory. What was provided was clear and succinct; I was informed enough to be able to follow the current story and not slowed down by an overly-lengthy recap.

Next, the characterization of the two protagonists was excellent in my opinion. I remember Dorothy as always acting rather shocked when she is surprised or caught off-guard, whereas I see Alice as always taking things in stride and going with the flow (which makes sense because she is convinced she is dreaming half the time.) Glick stays true with these characterizations, and it made the character interactions interesting and lively as well. How Dorothy and Alice interacted and reacted in their new situations felt really natural to me, and did not seem forced. One character portrayal that I felt confused by was that of Glinda the Good. I remember her as being a sweet and patient woman, but in this case she seems more stoic, coming off as defensive and troubled at times. I'll once again admit I've only seen the musical adaptation of the “Wizard of Oz,” so I don't know if my image of Glinda is skewed or not, but I was slightly perturbed by her personality in this appearance.

The pacing of the plot is another point I would like to touch on. The viewpoint alternates between Dorothy and Alice, which keeps it at a refreshing pace yet I don't feel rushed at any point. While some people find this flipping back and forth to break up the plot, that was not the case in this instance. The plot itself moved quickly enough to keep me engaged, but not so fast that I felt uneasy or frantic. The book ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, which doesn't bother me personally as long as there is a followup novel!

Overall, this was a delightful read, full of the whimsy found in the two classics, but with a fresh twist. I would encourage anyone to check it out, whether you're a fan of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” “Alice in Wonderland,” or have limited experience with either but still want a good read. Find it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AVISKUI/?tag=bookshowme-20

Until next time, friends!

-Alycia