The Wizard In Wonderland – Cover A by Ron Glick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
You know the feeling when you fall head over heels for two books, and then realize that an author has launched a book that has your favorite characters from both these plots? Well, the fans of Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz have an opportunity to take a dip into this feeling. Ron Glick has written The Wizard in Wonderland by introducing our favorite characters from these books. I hope you remember that Dorothy helped in shattering the wall of illusion that Oz had created in the hearts and minds of people of the Emerald City, and then they became friends. However, Glinda, the good witch, and Ozma, the princess of Ozmaland, reveal the truth of Oz being a prisoner in their city to Dorothy. Obviously, she is taken back by shock and surprise. She does not believe any of it to be true. Nonetheless, when Ozma explains the various truths involving her and Oz, Dorothy has no choice, but to believe Glinda and Ozma. On gaining the knowledge that Oz has escaped the Emerald City, Dorothy insists that she will go to lead him back. By using the magic of a belt, Ozma sends her in his search; however, this magic takes Dorothy to Alice — yes, our Alice from Alice in Wonderland. After a certain turn of events, Alice ends up in front of Glinda and Ozma; whereas, Dorothy is stuck in Wonderland. Ozma receives a peculiar message from the wicked witch of the east. This message sends Glinda and Alice to pay a visit to this wicked witch. In Wonderland, Dorothy is lost in the confusing and hysterical world of Wonderland.
If you know me even a bit, then you must know that I love Alice in Wonderland. The humorous plot of Lewis Carroll in that book was out of the world. That’s why my bar of expectations was set very high from The Wizard in Wonderland; I was scared of disappointed, as well. However, Ron’s interesting plot and the strong story made reading his book worthwhile. I read the whole book in one go. There are various twists in the plot that kept me engaged and curious throughout the read. Seeing Wonderland from the eyes of Dorothy was fascinating. We all know how Alice behaved in Wonderland; therefore, it would have been quite repetitive to follow the same path with the same character. I was excited to see how Dorothy will interact with the weird characters of Wonderland, and how Alice will act in the Emerald City.
The characters of Wonderland continue to express themselves by being rude, and Ron has used the clever wordplay of Lewis’ characters. The conversation of Hatter and Hare was the most hysterical one in the book. I could not help but laugh at the funny remarks Hatter made on Alice. In the Emerald City, the stories of wicked witches and good witches were amusing. However, I wish Ron could spend more time towards improving the character of Alice. There are many shades of the original character of Alice and that’s what makes her adorable. Lewis Carroll had given her a perfect combination of wit and innocence. I was looking forward to seeing the same level of depth to her character in this book, as well.
Having said that, this book has great potential, and it would draw the fans of these highly admired books like a moth to a flame. The story is well-written and the characters of Wonderland will not disappoint the readers.Humor, adventure, the chaos of Wonderland, and various twists and turns make this book worth a read.
