okay, so most of my friends found this mediocre at best, and I'm really in the minority. But I really enjoyed it--it's not going to change the literary landscape, but the author pretty clearly knows her way around Oz, and that makes me happy. 
 Some parts of this were, admittedly, unnecessary (cute boys! ... is this a kissing book?), and the protagonist does far more reacting than acting--which is something one of the witches calls her on early. She's not ready to do what she's supposed to do, but she's the only chance they have. 
 I really liked the murkiness of good vs evil. This isn't a particularly nuanced look at it, but it's refreshing to find a story that doesn't address it in strict black and white terms.