There is a darkness brewing in the West and alarming rumors of dragons and an evil enchantress building an army to overthrow the Great Head of Oz. A demon fairy which the Land of Oz hasn’t seen since Dorothy Gale destroyed the Wicked Witch of the West. Soon to be sixteen-year-old Samantha Goodwitch, the daughter of Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, knows she is disobeying her mother’s wishes when she leaves the castle to search for dragons, but she’d rather have an adventure than follow her mother’s command. When one of the Shadow Mountain Cats, Akasha, unexpectedly saves her life, the adventure turns deadly and a friendship grows between them. But the rumors soon become real, and the freedom that had captured the hearts of the citizens of Oz is quickly unraveling. As tensions mount and battles begin, Sam and Akasha find others who join them in the last Great War of Oz, to fight against the darkness that is devouring a once peaceful land.
Assessment:
Plot: The Good Witch of the South is an engaging continuation of L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz storyline. With details from both the film and books, this plot imagines a second generation of heroes as they band together to battle a new wicked witch. The plot is at once imaginative and classic, and the mature themes such as war, loss of innocence, and death are presented in an accessible manner for a middle grade audience.
Prose/Style: Every sentence is written as eloquently as poetry; the prose overflows with vivid descriptions of the characters and the world of Oz, bringing the story to life and expanding the preexisting world. However, the story is so abundant with description that it can tire the reader at times. The novel is more prose-driven then dialogue-driven, which can be effective, but it may benefit from more easy-to-read dialogue to move the story along.
Originality: The Good Witch of the South clearly outlines the hero’s journey arc, including a call to action, refusal of the call, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Though many plot points may be predictable, this basic structure seems to be very effective for this classic story and the original themes of The Wizard of Oz. Despite its preexisting elements, this novel creates new characters, creatures, and heightened danger to the world of Oz that make the reader feel as if they are reading a different book entirely.
Character Development/Execution: Like the original Wizard of Oz, The Good Witch of the South begins with the heroine, Sam, who then gathers a diverse set of allies along her journey. These allies, Jo, Akasha, Thorn, and her sister, Elle, help Sam discover who she is apart from being Glinda’s daughter. Though each character has a personality unique from the others and the characters do form a strong partnership with one another, the reader doesn’t quite form a connection with any one of these companions, who might be given their own backstory apart from their role in the world of Oz. The characters we do learn a lot about and who have a historical connection to Elle and Sam are described at the beginning of the story yet don’t appear again until the end, leaving the reader with questions. Despite these missing connections, the novel is still an imaginative and engaging story with meaningful messages of loss, coming of age adventures, and fighting for those we love.
Date Submitted: April 20, 2021
