5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 7, 2022
Quite delightful. I looked for other material from Henry Summers but came up short. If this is his first book, I hope it will not be his last. Road trippy with dose of L.F. Baum thrown in.
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable Road Trip Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 16, 2022
This book took me to places in the US I have yet to visit. I sometimes felt like I was along on the road trip. I did have a little trouble reading one of the fonts used by the narrator, but other than that, it was an enjoyable book. Would be a great read for a week at the beach.
5.0 out of 5 stars Very enjoyable read Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2023
This book started off a little slowly but quickly got into a very interesting voyage, quite humorous at times. I found the text for the words from the deceased friend to be a little difficult to read but at least there was no mistake where these thoughts were coming from. It is a very well-written story with some very imaginative scenarios. There is a hint at the end to a sequel. I will look for one and definitely get it.
Online Book Club
4 out of 5 stars – [recommend it to lovers of thrillers or road trip/adventure books with some fantasy elements] Reviewed November 9, 2023 (revision with corrections due summer of 2024)
Michael “Draco” Rooney has one objective now: to help Dot navigate the terrible situation he’s been thrown into. The more complicated things get, the more he realizes he will need a lot of help to ensure things turn out well.
Dot seems to be in over his head, and other people’s lives hang in the balance now. The problems pile up, and he often seems to run out of luck. He needs help — maybe a trusted hand to guide him or someone else to take the reins for a while and relieve him of the pressure. Unfortunately, his closest friend is no longer with him — or is he?
By the Oz. by Henry Summers is a wild ride. With crazy twists and dizzying uncertainties interspersed with philosophical questions and drastic decisions, you won’t be able to put this book down until the end.
The idea behind this book was fascinating. The book was written in alternate perspectives, shifting between Dot’s and Draco’s points of view. Most of it was from Dot’s point of view, so we were not always aware of what was happening behind the scenes until we were reintroduced to Draco’s thoughts. It created a sense of suspense. There were so many moments when things changed so drastically that before I could come to terms with the new development, it triggered a whole new sequence of events. This fast-paced quality of the book made it very difficult to put down and would make the reader eager to find out what would happen at the end. For instance, when some characters successfully reached the airport, I thought they had finally made it home free. At the last minute, a shocking twist made me (and the characters) aware that the journey was still far from over.
The author’s writing did justice to the story. He wove an incredibly complex web without getting too lost in the details. I marveled at his ability to add more elements to the book, building scene upon scene and raising the suspense.
The characters, though diverse, were real and easy to relate with. Despite Dot’s occasional flashes of panic, guilt, and regret, he was admirable for his boldness and determination to keep those around him safe.
I found some errors in this book. The book could use another round of editing. Due to the number of errors, I’d rate it 4 out of 5 stars. (Note: revision with corrections due summer of 2024)
Apart from the number of errors, I found nothing to dislike about this book. I’d recommend it to lovers of thrillers or road trip/adventure books with some fantasy elements.
5.0 out of 5 stars Very enjoyable book with interesting characters
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2024
The author does an excellent job developing the characters and keeping the book very interesting. Small sections of the book were a bit hard to read because of the type of print used but I believe new editions will correct this minor issue.
March 21, 2025 5 out of 5 stars
What a wonderful book! Always read it while hanging by the pool and the detail made me feel as if I was with Mike throughout the journey.
Melanie McCloud
June 10, 2025 – 4 out of 5 stars
This book will take you on a wild ride! The character’s journey takes you across several states and some intense situations. As the story unfolds, more characters embark on the journey with Dot and Toni. The story started a bit slow, but once it got going, it became action-packed, and it was hard to put the book down. The characters took many risks, were taunting the law, and were chased by some very bad actors. The spirit of an old friend kept watch over the group of travelers.
The author has a unique style in the settings of the book. There are no page numbers on the pages or the contents page. The chapter titles each contain three short phrases. The font would also change throughout the book. It was indicative of one of Dot’s dreams or inner thoughts of a character. There were a few grammar errors in the book, but they never distracted me from the story. Because of the errors and the slow start to the story, I give the book a 4 out of 5-star rating.
In the ending, the author does a good job of wrapping up the story with where and what each character did after their journey ended. The descriptions of the characters and the scenes were very descriptive. You felt like you were there with them. There were many close calls, and you find yourself rooting for their escape.
A trigger warning may be needed for some readers, as there are drug scenes that involve the drug trade and the effects of the drugs on the characters. It also contained some death scenes.
I would recommend this book to anyone ready for an edge-of-your-seat action storyline. This book is the first in a series. I am interested in reading his future books.
Samantha Farnsworth
Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2025 – 4 out of 5 stars
What a wild ride! I felt like Dorothy on this adventure jam-packed with travel, drug use, helpful spirits, and a tangle of bad guys on the way to Oz. This journey is narrated by an acquaintance of the main character, a spirit new to his form. The spirit learns many lessons on the way to help guide the main character to his fate. The main character, naive about the spirit’s assistance, faces numerous life questions and unexpected threats on his journey to pay for his last semester of school. This is the ultimate dangerous college road trip. The road is long, the entourage grows at every turn, and the action is fantastic.
The author did a great job creating an immersive story and showing the experiences and thoughts of a person under the influence of drugs. There was a lot of driving time, and it was rare the pacing felt slow. The characters’ minds were active during the ride or while experiencing the effects of drugs; the dialogue and banter between characters were great. The point of view was interesting as well. The spirit narrator allowed for an omniscient point of view, allowing us a closer relationship to the minds of all characters involved. Through the story, the narrator’s spirit would give us glimpses of his discoveries in his new spirit form. It was a really interesting perspective on how spirits can have a presence and impact in the human world.
I give this novel a four out of five rating. It was a joy to read. I enjoyed the plot and how immersive the story was. The author did a great job describing the settings and characters with their different backgrounds. The point of view was a little confusing at times; there were not always clear indications whose mind we were in, but it was still enjoyable. I also enjoyed the three-lined poems at the chapter’s introduction, preluding us to the scenes ahead. I would recommend this book to most adult audiences. Keep in mind the topic of drugs is frequent, and some violence, so please take note if you are sensitive to these topics.
Nna Emeka
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2025 – 3 out of 5 stars
A great book with great plot narrative. I liked how the characters were introduced to the book’s plot.
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2025 – 5.0 out of 5 stars By The Oz
(Author’s Note: This review is consolidated from reviews on two different platforms. It is rewritten but captures the essence of the reviewer statement. Thank you, Nancy Egop.)
By The Oz.[ounce] by Henry Summers is a very interesting book, and I cannot emphasize enough how interesting it is. The book is a crime thriller. Think drugs, and cops, you know, that kind of scenario.
The book is about two men and a girl, namely Draco, Dot (Mike Pharr-Moore), and Toni.
In the beginning of the book, Draco is the one narrating the story. It will surprise you to know that Draco, at the point where he starts narrating this story, is dead. The person, or thing, narrating the story is Draco’s ghost, or spirit, as it is referred to in the book.
…Draco got busted, and Mike [Dot] inherited his problems. Draco was shot by the police who were pursuing him following a drug deal. Guess what? During the chase, Draco would have escaped, but he turned back to save a dying cop, the very one who was chasing him, and that was how he got shot. That part of the narrative,alone is evident that the book has more than enough to deliver to the readers, as far as adventure and thrill are concerned.
Dot is a student who is desperate for grades in order to graduate, and from the look of things, he didn’t meet up. What that meant was that he would have to find a way to extend his grant, or foot the bill of extra semesters himself. Trust me when I say that this is just the tip of the iceberg. The book is full of adventures from start to end. Or is it the story of the girl called Toni?
Toni was an orphan who…ran away with Dot. [Toni] makes it more interesting as they try to flee mob bosses as well as the government. Totally outstanding, this book. It has drama, and a perfect story line. What else can anyone ask for as far as entertainment is concerned?
I’ll give this book five out of five stars. I love everything about the book, from the plot, the narrating style and even the fact that I saw no grammatical errors throughout the book.
Nwaogu Ikenna MacAnthony
Reviewed in the United States in 2025 – 4 out of 5 stars
The book by OZ is a very interesting book written by Henry [Summers]. A very educational and eventful story. Mike, also known as DOT, is a college senior who got involved in drug activities, which made life turn different for him. Mike was very intelligent in making decisions that are accompanied by fear, determination, and loyalty.
When things went south in the drug business, Mike fled with his friend Toni on a dangerous journey to avoid being caught by police and law enforcement.
The book is an eye-opener for many young readers to know that life is all about risk, and also there are some risks that are not worth taking. The author was very detailed in the writing of the book. A lot of young people find themselves in the situation Mike and Toni got into due to peer pressure and the desire to get rich quickly without thinking of the repercussions.
I really find the book very interesting because it is filled with suspense, which creates tension, making me want to know what happens next, and keeping me moving with the story. Every action has consequences, and one must always take responsibility for bad choices. They also portray that we must learn to be content with whatever we have. Sometimes running away does not solve our problems. We must stand to rewrite the wrong done.
The editing of the book was perfect, with no errors at all. One of the things I picked that needed to be improved in the book is for the author to reduce drug-related content and reduce some heavy language or slang for young readers. The author did not emphasize growth and how young people can learn from their mistakes. And did not explain in detail the effect of drugs on young readers; as a result of this, I will give this book a 4 out of 5.
I recommend this book to young adults who enjoy adventurous stories and those who want to grow their personal lives.
Alan Harry Green
Reviewed in the United States in 2025 – 4 out of 5 stars
By the Oz by Henry Summers I was given this book to review and gave it a rating of 4 out of 5, it was an enjoyable read. There were a few typos, but they did not detract from the quality of the tale, but sadly mean I cannot give it 5 out of 5.
Caution – there is a lot of casual drug use in this book. Barely a chapter goes by without someone smoking or snorting.
I would recommend it to anyone looking for an entertaining and amusing read, so long as they don’t mind the drug use that occurs throughout the book.
This is a road-trip tale with a twist. With some elements of Thelma and Louise, Pulp Fiction, Ghost and, of course, The Wizard of Oz.
The main character is Dot. He is a college student whose friend Draco has just been killed by the police in a drug deal. Realising that the police may come calling and that he has two hundred kilos of hash in Draco’s camper, he decides to run. Toni joins him at this early stage. She is a sixteen-year-old minor who has run away from the orphanage.
Unfortunately, they both mistakenly take some drugs that Draco had stored in ice cubes, and the initial getaway happens while Dot is so high he can barely see, never mind drive. This is where Draco starts to assist. Although he is dead, he is like a guardian angel and can help. He can see what happens, but although he cannot physically touch anything, he can mentally interact with people when they are in REM sleep and also when people are high on drugs. This gives him the opportunity to provide mental prompts.
Dot and Toni continue their road trip, heading west towards Las Vegas and Los Angeles. During their trip they accidentally kill a billionaire who, in his dying breath, gives Dot some valuable information – information that the billionaire’s brother desperately wants. Three other people join them on the road trip.
To say more about the story would be a huge spoiler. You need to read it and hopefully enjoy the trip as much as I did.
Jolene Hempel
Reviewed in the United States in 2025 – 3 out of 5 stars
The book “By the OZ [Ounce]” written by Henry Summers revolves around Dot, Toni, and a rather unusual group of people they meet on an even more unusual road trip.
After the death of Dot’s friend, Draco, an ex-veteran who made his living by dealing with drugs, Dot is convinced the police are following him for simply being Draco’s friend and living with him. In a stress reaction, he packs his underage, orphaned friend Toni and takes off across the states in Draco’s mobile home and a massive stack of drugs.
On their drug-induced journey, they accidentally kill a rich guy, who gives them a number as his last words. They’re chased not only by the police but also by the dead guy’s relative.
The premise of the story is quite fun and adventurous, and I really enjoyed the idea of the book! Each chapter begins with a three-liner (a Haiku, I believe), instead of a number, which I enjoyed, though I would have still liked a chapter number to know where I’m at.
Each chapter picks up almost immediately where the last one ends, or shortly after, which made me question at times why there needed to be a cut in the first place.
Throughout the book, Draco, the dead ex-veteran, butts in to narrate scenes and explain some of the things that happened to him and his connection to Dot and how he can affect what’s happening from beyond the grave. The idea itself is compelling, and could have been a fun tool to incorporate into the story. Still, it could have been executed better. Draco’s comments are pretty inconsistent, which makes the “tool” feel forgotten and not thought out.
In the first few chapters, he appears frequently, then disappears for several chapters, only to make a brief appearance, and is subsequently relied upon heavily toward the end to tie up any loose ends.
In general, the story isn’t very dialogue-heavy. It relies a lot on the narrator telling us what is said, rather than having the characters converse, which I didn’t really enjoy.
In my opinion, the characters lack depth. When dialogue is present, the characters are difficult to distinguish from one another, which makes the reading experience confusing.
Toward the end, the point of view shifts frequently throughout the chapters, without a clear distinction between the characters and scenes, making it difficult to follow along.
With Draco being mentioned rarely throughout the middle part of the book, his influence on real life from his grave is easy to forget about, which makes the entire story feel way too good to be true and unbelievable, rather than making, for example, the characters’ meeting feel like higher powers are at play.
In general, I often found myself drifting off. It felt more like reading a summarized, transcribed version of a movie to me. If I were to give the author a tip on making the story feel more alive, it would be to flesh out the characters more and show rather than tell. In the end, I didn’t enjoy the entire book, but there were certainly moments that I found clever and well-implemented. This story has a lot of potential, and the author has some fantastic ideas in store!
Lydia Achiah Badu
Reviewed in 2025 – 4 out of 5 stars
By the OZ. by Henry Summers was indeed one of the books I randomly picked up without high expectations, but it completely won me over. From the beginning pages, there’s a sense of curiosity and unpredictability that kept me reading far longer than I planned. The style of the novel blends humour, light sarcasm and vivid description in a way that makes the story easy to follow but never boring. I love and like how each chapter felt like its own little adventure. The settings are described in a way that made me picture them clearly without slowing the pace of the story. There’s a charm to the way the Author balances action with quieter, more reflective moments. I also enjoyed the dialogue: it felt authentic like people actually or really talk in real life, which helped help readers like me connect more with the characters.
Also I enjoyed how naturally the story unfolded. Nothing felt forced or rushed and there was a nice balance between moments of humour and more thoughtful, reflective passages. The story had an easy rhythm drawing readers in and keeping them curious about what would happen next. I like how each scene flowed smoothly into the next, making it a pleasant read.
The book manages to stay fresh from start to finish. The plot never drags and there’s just enough unpredictability to keep you turning the pages. It’s lighthearted at times but still carries depth, giving it a well-rounded feel. By the time I reached the ending, I felt satisfied. There’s a moment that make you laugh, moments that make you think and moments that catch you by surprise.
If you enjoy stories that combine humor with clever writing and engaging storytelling, this book is definitely worth a read. It’s the kind of book that reminds you why reading can be so enjoyable.
Nushrat Atchia
Reviewed in 2025 – 4 out of 5 stars
By the Oz. by Henry Summers is a refreshing read that delves into the choices that the protagonists, Dot and Draco, make. The title is a double entendre, the first impression suggesting the supernatural while figuratively implying “By the Ounce”. Set on an inadvertent road trip, and a quest for freedom and more money from drug transactions, Dot aka Mike, embarks on a rollercoaster of emotions and choices that carry implications. The author, Henry Summers, implicitly symbolizes paradoxes through “ounce”, that is, more money and more thrills, but at the cost of Dot’s freedom.
I cannot but ponder on the contradictions that exist in life and the meaning of fate as I explore the narratives of the book. Throughout the story, the author indirectly points out to how freedom is conditionally bound by law. Dot’s choices to escape while continuing to trade drugs, not only blur his vision of freedom but ultimately obstruct his salvation. It is Draco’s untwining the threads of fate, behind the scenes, that eventually leads to Dot’s redemption. It is also gratifying how the prologue and ending carry a sardonic undertone through the character of Draco who reaches realization only when awakened as a soul, not bound to desires. Besides, the author’s gamut of vocabularies and creative style of overlapping Draco’s thoughts with Dot’s actions got me grasped in the narrative as the plot unfolds.
Nonetheless, my rating is four out of five stars. The negative is that the author uses certain unfamiliar jargons that are difficult for international readers to decipher. Also, the explicit mention of different drugs might bother a few readers and is not recommended for a juvenile audience. Despite the negatives, you will pleasurably navigate through the author’s vivid descriptions of landscapes and characterization of different personas that keep the road trip thrilling.
Molly Harma
Reviewed in 2026 – 4 out of 5 stars
“By the Oz” written by Henry Summers follows a college student, Dot, on an unexpected adventure across the country with his young friend, Toni. Along the way, they meet several people and soon have a car load full of trusty companions. The new friends navigate ups and downs, with the reader following their journey all the way.
The book’s point of view switches back and forth between Dot and Draco, a friend of Dot. Despite the constant changes, the book flows well, and it is easy to follow who is narrating. The author does, however, over-use the comma, causing some sentences to feel choppy and forced. I had to re-read several sentences to get a clear picture of what the author was trying to convey. There were also a few minor grammatical errors. At times, the pace of the book was slow and seemed to drag on. Other scenes seemed to whip by, leaving me confused in the moment. Despite several grammatical errors, the plot of the book flows nicely, overall. “By the Oz” was an entertaining and action-packed read. Summers uses a variety of writing styles throughout the book and connects each one seamlessly. I particularly enjoyed the author’s use of a short poem at the beginning of a new chapter. In my opinion, an ending can make or break a book. Summers leaves the reader feeling whole. Loose ends are tied up, leaving the reader with no reason to ask, “That’s it?” For these reasons, I rated the book as 3 out of 4 stars and 4 out of 5 stars.
This book contains a lot of drug-related scenes, so I would not recommend this to a reader sensitive to this topic. I would, however, recommend “By the Oz” by Henry Summers to a reader looking for an action-filled story.
Henry Summers 