Take it from a dog who has accomplished many calculated hijinks with his sterling reputation intact—you can get away with a lot of terrible shit when you're small and cute.
Hackwith has written an updated version of Oz. After all, Frank L. Baum wrote the original tale 125 years ago. Dorothy in this version wears jeans and hoodies. She carries a pocket screen which she and Toto use to watch videos. She may live in Kansas, but she's plugged into internet culture. In other words, she is a 21st century Dorothy. And the other main characters get a fresh look too. The Scarecrow began life as hedge witch; the Tinman has been transformed from human (with a patriarchal incel leaning) and he comes with a Munchkin sister/defender; and the Cowardly Lion is maybe less cowardly than cautious.
When Dorothy and Toto end up in Oz, Toto enters his Bad Dog era. Finally, he can talk and be understood. He can use that terrier brain to keep them safe in this tricky new world. He may aspire to be a Bad Boy, but he is the one starting their networking, making friends with a Blue Jay named Crow. A would-be revolutionary, Crow wants to overthrow the elites who run Oz (or at least cause some mayhem). Toto is a perfect pal for him: When in doubt, cause chaos. That’s the motto of terriers everywhere, and it’s always served us well.
I've only read the first book of Baum's Oz series, so I may have missed a bunch of references. Also, I've only seen glimpses of the movie, but I think I prefer Hackwith's Rooks to Baum's flying monkeys. This was a perfect summer read, complete with snappy dialogue and magical action galore.
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