After rereading the book, listening to the soundtrack and rewatching the Wicked movie a silly number of times, I was so excited to be able to read this!

Elphaba has always been one of my favourite characters, I think her strength and resilience are so admirable. I also love when a character isn’t necessarily right or wrong and exploring why they make the choices they make. With that in mind, I loved learning more about her childhood and being able to understand her just that little bit more!

My personal favourite parts were the nods to and Easter eggs regarding Wicked, however I do love the darkness of the original book and would have liked a little more of that in this.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the arc. 🫶🏻

"She has no appetite for friendship and she wants no obligations of affection. The past promises us nothing but this: it will abandon us, leave us orphaned, unless we abandon it first.”

I loved Wicked, the novel upon which the Broadway musical and movie are based, so much, potentially even more when I re-read it just before Christmas. Gregory Maguire re-imagines Oz as a weird, spiky, politically fraught world, and Elphaba as a preacher’s daughter turned freedom fighter, radicalised by Oz’s descent into facism. Now, Maguire is back with a blatant cash-in on the success of the recent Wicked movie - no complaints here, as Elphie is a weird, spiky book just like its predecessor. If you come to this novel looking for Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba, or even Idina Menzel’s - you won’t find her here. This Elphaba - Elphie - is all Maguire’s, a hissing, feral, cunning little witch-in-training.
I had a really good time with this one, buoyed by Eduardo Ballerini’s lovely narration of the audiobook - I think Maguire’s jumpy, frivolous prose works better on audio in general, so I’m glad I went for it. Not a whole lot happens here - real no plot just vibes, but that’s not a problem for me when you’ve got good world-building and characters, which Maguire does. The novel is a chronicle of Elphie’s childhood, living in swampy Quadling Country with absent father Frex, salacious mother Melena, and her siblings, pious Nessarose and mischievous Shell. The characters, which we’ve met before in Wicked, all feel well-lived in, though I could have done without quite so much slut-shaming of Melena, who has had 3 children with 3 different fathers. The chaos of her mercurial family means that Elphie grows up quite isolated and lonely, which is well articulated by Maguire - I really enjoyed his writing on loneliness, especially the quote I shared up top. It’s very funny, in parts, too - Elphaba has a dry wit that cuts like a knife and she uses it to great effect.
There are certain elements that propel and enrich the plot of the later novel - Elphaba is revealed to be a lovely singer, a gorgeous nod to the Broadway show, and we also see where she learns to sew, and the parental figures who coax her into an education at Shiz University. It really is light on plot or depth. though - I can see how you’d be screaming your head off if this was your first foray into Maguire’s writing. But if you go in like I did - happy to immerse yourself in Oz one more time, and not worrying too much about the journey - you’ll have a wonderful time, even if it isn’t quite as profound as Maguire’s first trip into Oz.

a book for a very particular subset of people. it's perfectly good, and it is nice to get a glimpse back into elphaba's childhood, but it doesn't necessarily add anything new. the few sly in-jokes and references to wicked in its many forms was a fun addition too.

it does feel like it's trying to appeal to fans of wicked the musical/movie by being slightly more palatable than the original book.

i don't agree that it is strangely written - it's written just like the original book, perhaps with a slightly more bizarre omniscient narrator but just as quirky and matter-of-fact.

3.5 rounded up

I loved Wicked so I was very excited to get back into the world of Oz and explore Elphaba's story more. Fantastic read overall.

I must admit although I’m a big fan of the stage musical and the film, I really didn’t enjoy the book of Wicked when I gave it a read earlier this year. I was apprehensive of picking up the prequel, Elphie: A Wicked Childhood, but it’s been almost 30 years since that book was written and before all the fame of the musical, so I went in with an open mind.

This is going to be a difficult book for a lot of people - the publication perfectly coincides with the movie which will bring a new host of fans wanting to read the books, but this prequel only really works if you have read at least the first book of Wicked. This seems like a major misstep by the author not to recap some of the story which didn’t make it into the musical – characters like Turtle Heart, Shell, Nanny and some of the themes and locations covered in the book felt somewhat vague to me, even though I read the book a matter of months ago.

I remember one of my main criticisms of Wicked the book was that I didn’t really feel anything for Elphaba at the end of it, which is a direct contrast from the stage production where we are rooting for her throughout. I thought this prequel would help us understand this quiet, intelligent and somewhat scary girl a little better. However, as before, the author doesn’t actually tell us too much about Elphaba and her personality. We do, however, learn a little more about those around her – particularly Nessa and Shell, and neither of these are favourable impressions.

The book is quite a jumbled series of scenes and moments - an odd encounter with a tribe wanting to kidnap the children, which went on for too many pages or Elphaba’s first possible hex turning a stone into a plum, for example. The majority of the book is then about their childhood in a village, with Elphaba working in a haberdashery, trying to get into schooling and Frex trying to establish his ministry. None of this really led to much, apart from a reference to Shiz University which seemed to come out of nowhere at the end to set up the rest of the books. I thought there was going to be an interesting tie in to Fiyero at one point with an unnamed boy of high status taking a shine to Elphaba, but when he is finally revealed, I had no idea who he was.

The writing style itself is tricky as well, it has no flow at all for the first quarter, everything arrives in very choppy, short sentences. This makes it quite a slow read, I’m unsure if it gets better as it goes along or if I just got used to it. For a short book it felt like it dragged, particularly as it doesn’t really go anywhere plot-wise.

Overall, Elphie is a difficult read - not recommended for those that haven’t read at least the first Wicked book, and even then, I don’t think you get any new or interesting information from it. Thank you to NetGalley & Headline for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I DNFed around 20%.

I really struggled with the writing style and just could not get into the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big fan of Wicked, first the stage show, then the film (which only contains the first half of said show) and then the book which I listened to on Audiobook. So I think I am probably the target audience for this, which is the story of Elpheba as a child, growing up...
Which I guess is probably why I am a bit disappointed with what I read. And why I DNF after part one.
What story there was was a bit lost in translation with the way it was written and I got a bit tired with having to go back and re-read sections just to try and make some sense out of it all. Often I had to resort to reading out loud.
So yeah... not for me I am afraid. But, as always, I send my thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. Never know, it might work better in Audiobook so I might have a try at that when it is out... watch this space...

Thirty years after his novel 'Wicked' was first published, Gregory Maguire has come up with a prequel covering in detail the childhood of his green skinned protagonist, Elphaba (later known as the Wicked Witch of the West). Many readers will likely come to the series, like I did, via the musical version - but readers should be aware that the story in the books is quite different, the tone darker, and the characters less likeable. If you love the musical, there's a fair chance you will dislike the books in the same way lovers of a book often dislike the filmed version because of the inevitable changes. And there are a lot of very big and fundamental differences between Maguires books and the musical.

In 'Elphie', the story focusses on the future witch between the ages of about four and sixteen, time spent following her missionary father around the humid swamps of southern Oz. The problem with this concept is that the same ground is covered - albeit in much less detail - in the original novel 'Wicked'. Whilst there is clearly a lot more depth here, if you've already read 'Wicked', you know that anything truly momentous would have to have been covered in 'Wicked'. So there are no surprises and no suspense. If you haven't already read 'Wicked', I would recommend reading this one first - although you will have to rehash the same ground in the first part of 'Wicked'.

As such, it's a bit of a strange story and I can't help wondering if it's only been written to cash in on the film release. Not that I blame the author if that's the case - nothing wrong with trying to earn a living. But as a reader I can't really understand what the point was of writing this particular story other than making the most of a golden opportunity.

Maguire's style is interesting - more wordy and 'literary' than is generally found in the fantasy genre. It seems a bit incongruous at times when it's talking about a green witch living in the land of Oz. But he is very good at vividly conjuring up place, and I could clearly visualise every setting. He also writes more nuanced, complex characters than those who appear in the musical version. There's a certain darkness and strangeness that underlies the book, just as there is in 'Wicked', which some readers will relish.

I would recommend this book cautiously if you haven't already read 'Wicked' and enjoy unusual, dark fantasy. I don't think it's worth reading if you have already read the novel 'Wicked'. If you've only seen the musical version, it would still be worth reading as the stories are so very different it will cover new ground - but set your expectations accordingly. If you absolutely love the musical and don't think the storyline can be improved, you might not like the novels at all - even though they did come first.

Gregory Maguire's latest addition to the Wicked Years series offers readers an insightful look into one of Oz's most beloved characters.

At the heart of the story is Elphaba, lovingly called Elphie. This coming-of-age tale explores her early years, with a particular focus on how childhood experiences shape who we become. As Elphie grows up, she faces relatable preteen struggles, navigating friendships, self-discovery, and her own unique quirks.

The book fills in some of the gaps left by Wicked, exploring Elphie’s early curiosity about politics and academics, which adds even more depth to the powerful character she grows into. Her evolving relationships with her siblings and her journey of personal growth give this instalment a heartfelt depth, making it both meaningful and memorable.

I absolutely loved this book and can’t help but hope Gregory keeps the series going. A Glinda origin story would be amazing. Fingers crossed he takes us back to Oz soon.

As a fan of the OG Wicked World Quartet I thought I may love this but it fell a bit flat for me. I liked it but didn’t love it.

It was harder to get into than I felt the other books in this world was and it stayed that way for about 80% and then it was the last 20% where I feel the plot began. Prior to that it was less story and more like a stream of thoughts.

That being said. I loved getting more of an insight into the years of Elphie that were missed in the original stories. Book Elphie will always have a special place in my heart.

Thank you netgalley/headline for the E-ARC

Gregory Maguire seamlessly returns to Oz with Elphie, a compelling prequel that explores the childhood of Elphaba, who we know as the future Wicked Witch of the West. This beautifully written novel delves into her early struggles with identity, family, and the first stirrings of magic, setting the stage for her transformation into the iconic character we know (and love!). With rich world-building and a slow-burning sense of finding oneself that I truly fell in love with, Elphie is a must-read for Wicked fans! This is a perfect read for anyone who has watched the first Wicked movie and is eagerly awaiting part 2!

Unfortunately I was unable to finish this book. The writing style of the author is not one I am used to and I found it really difficult to keep what was going on in my head. There were a lot of place names and people mentioned meaning that I couldn’t keep up. At times I found it difficult to know whose head I was in and so I kept finding myself coming out of the story to try and work it out.

From seeing other reviews I can see this book is like marmite. I think if you are used to and enjoy the authors writing style then you will enjoy this.

Thanks to NetGalley and Headline for the advanced copy.

I adore the musical and the movie was brilliant but this book is unreadable to the point where I don't know how this ever got published?

i am not sue how to feel about this book

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and honestly review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

The childhood of the Wicked Witch; Elphie is written in a very vague way. At times, it feels confusing, like a relative telling you a story they only barely remember the details of. A lot of short and repetitive sentences in that classic Ozian way; I enjoyed it, but it did make it a little difficult to read at times.

I really enjoyed the original Wicked book when I read it years ago; if you did too, you might love reading Elphie! If you’re just interested because you love the broadway show/movie, just remember that the books are very very different!

Thank you to Headline, Gregory Maguire and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I read this right after reading Wicked so the difference in writing style was made all the more apparent. 30 years makes a huge difference to one's craft and Maguire remains one of the most eloquent writers I have ever read. It really highlights the otherworldliness of the setting. I had to ask my Alexa many a time while reading to explain the definition of words I'd never heard of.

I was in the thick of my Wicked obsession so I was beyond excited at the chance to read Elphie. I had rewatched the film, the soundtrack was on constant repeat and I was subjecting my boyfriend to a one woman show of the entire musical on a daily basis. I was hungry for more Elphaba and Oz, but unfortunately, this book swiftly put an end of this, the appetite was gone.

I wouldn't say that Elphaba's childhood was the most interesting time in her life, not enough so to warrant a whole book. Her time in the Emerald City as part of the resistance is much more exciting, especially when she first leaves Glinda in Wicked. If Elphie is the start of a series then I hope we get more of Elphaba's life underground.

However, I really like this version of Oz that Maguire has created and I will read every single page I can get my hands on. I enjoyed reading more about the whole family together which is one thing I really missed while reading Wicked. I came away from Elphie knowing the Thropps a lot more which will only enrich my further readings of the series.

If you're a fan of the musical or the film and looking for your way into the books, don't start with this one just because it's the first chronologically. You will be disappointed and confused, especially as whole characters like Nanny (who is my favourite) didn't appear in the film. Coming out a few months after the film will definitely bring in a lot more fans, but I caution them to start elsewhere in their Wicked journey. Read Wicked first and then come back to Elphie.

I give Elphie 3 stars.

Before Wicked was even developed, I was a big fan of Maguire's Wicked Years books and I was so excited for this new offering and to dive into the childhood of Elphie - Elphaba. To begin with the writing is stunted however that reflects Elphie's age and as she grows, the writing improves and gets easier to read so do not be put off by that.
For me, the biggest disappointment was we do not really learn anything, I did not gain anything new from reading this, certainly not about Elphaba and I just felt it was a bit pointless. We did learn more about Shell and Nessarose which was nice but I wanted more about Elphaba.
There are plenty of easter eggs to keep fans entertained which was enjoyable.
This was okay, but I was expecting a lot more.
Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for an advance copy.

Elphie: A Wicked Childhood is the latest in Gregory Maguire’s Wicked series, taking the readers back to Elphaba Thropp’s childhood. Elphie: A Wicked Childhood offers an insight into Elphaba’s childhood, before she became the Wicked Witch, or even before she possessed any magic skill. Elphaba’s childhood could be relatively normal, she has siblings that get under her skin, a mother and father who aren’t interested in parenting all while Elphaba must endure her glaringly obvious green-skin and aversion to water. Elphie: A Wicked Childhood takes the reader on a journey, focusing on Elphaba’s years when she was three, seven, ten and thirteen, showing the pivotal moments in her formative years while her father takes them on a journey of repentance.
One of the key themes within Elphie: A Wicked Childhood must be the loss of Elphaba’s mother, Melena Thropp. Melena is one of the focus points in the first part of the story, but we don’t get to delve into her character during these parts. While reading this book, it could have been assumed that Maguire was trying to factor in Erik Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development, and through the first part, we see Elphaba starting to assert within herself the world around her, but the short chapters and repetitive sentences make it difficult to follow. Elphaba’s teenage years are, by far, the most interesting part of the story; it’s just a shame that it took so long to get to. During her teenage years, Elphaba fully immersed herself in the Quadling Country way of life. Although she was reluctant to do so at first, it’s the first time in the novel that we see the emergence of who Elphaba will be; with her strong will and sense of justice for the animals, it’s a shame that Maguire didn’t use this as one of the focus points of the novel.
In her teenage years, Maguire throws in a random plot of Elphaba having a captivating singing voice. Readers of Maguire’s older Wicked works will be as equally surprised, as this was never mentioned. It could be said that this was added as an homage to the phenomenal stage and screen adaptation of his book, but it’s something that didn’t quite fit into this version of the character. Had more exploration been used to further develop Elphaba as a character, it could have worked, but it felt like a random addition to the already unfocused story of Elphie: A Wicked Childhood.
Animal rights and how they impact the Elphaba we meet at Shiz University and in her later years are not clearly defined. While Maguire does a good job at establishing Elphaba’s interest and fascination with these talking animals, nothing is explored outside of that. There is a potential injustice of a group of animals near Quadling Country, but it’s nothing of substantial impact to Elphaba’s overall story. In the earlier parts, it’s clear Maguire does not know which character to focus on. Between very short chapters that often feel like an excerpt and the repetitive sentences, it makes Elphaba’s childhood story difficult to engage with. There is nothing new to be discovered, no new insight into the green girl that is offered throughout this story, while it could have been better spent focusing on Elphaba and the relationships she builds both within and outside her small family.
Overall, it’s clear that Gregory Maguire is trying to target too many groups for Elphie: A Wicked Childhood. From the lack of focus to the random subplot of Elphaba’s beautiful singing talents, it feels as if Maguire was trying to water down his original novel series for a younger audience. Given the success of his adaptations, it’s not surprising, but it feels like this is what hindered what could have been an in-depth look into Elphaba Thropp and her upbringing.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for my honest review. I wish I had just learnt my lesson but I felt FOMO what with the Wicked hype and felt I would regret not reading this. But when I read Wicked it was one of the hardest books to get through in my life, it really wasn’t for me. And yet I decided to do try again. I don’t know what I thought would be different. This was NOT for me! I just don’t get on with Gregory Maguires writing…it feels like there are so many words for absolutely nothing. It wasn’t interesting and it felt like it had been written due to the popularity of Wicked just to make an extra buck. Sorry but nope!

God I'm so disappointed and it is truly painful for me to have to write a review like this...

Having read all four of the Wicked Years books and loving them, and being halfway through The Brides of Maracoor (having started years ago..) I knew what I was in for with a Maguire book and his style of writing. They're difficult, often lacking in engaging plot and much more just "here are things that happened and it's probably not exciting, you just ned to appreciate what it is" but this let me down.

From the get go this was jarring. I didn't feel like I was reading the same characters we read about in Wicked - remember that book is subtitled "the life and times of the wicked witch of the west" and we do see at least a glimpse of Elphaba's childhood.. I expected this to feel similar but more fleshed out, more of her childhood experiences but it felt different. I mean every time I've read Wicked I had such a clear picture of where Frex, Melena, Elphie, Nessa, and Shell lived and it was not a bunch of tents???? And who are these people? Boozy and co? Did I just wipe them from my memory?? I know this is supposed to be a more fleshed out version of her childhood but it did not feel canon..

More so, the way we jumped time was jarring and I don't understand why a book about her childhood focused so intensely on mostly plotless weeks of her life for SO LONG only to jump to 5 years later? Are those 5 years just not her childhood? Even less engaging? Somehow lacking in plot even more that there was nothing to write??

Truthfully, this felt either like Maguire didn't really want to write it but felt pressured to do so - possibly also rushed to be done in time for the movie hype - or like it's been a labour of love that was 1000 pages long and the publisher chopped 75% of it and made it feel even more clunky and disjointed than anything else.

I honestly don't know. I was so ready to love this, so ready to forgive the writing style and just appreciate spending time in Oz and learning about Elphie's childhood and instead I feel like I've almost ruined what the Wicked Year books gave me. I don't even know if I'll buy a physical copy just for my collection.

I may give the audiobook a try at some point - I adore Gregory. He's liked pictures of my cat before.. This was not the start to the year I had hoped for and I'm so upset. I really want to believe it just wasn't a good time for me to read it.

I wanted so much to like this, but my overall impression was, what was the point of this prequel?

I preface my review with the note that I have read, and mostly enjoyed, all of the WICKED series books (and actually re-read them immediately before reading this). This is important, as the books are wildly different to the musical and the film, and in my opinion should be viewed as a separate entity - they inspired the musical, they’re not a faithful replica. They’re much darker and more complex.

Gregory’s writing style is much the same in this prequel, slightly removed and occasionally rambling. It’s a bit like letting an old friend tell you a meandering story. The reason I found this prequel so disappointing is that it had the opportunity to cover so much interesting ground and instead, it’s 300ish pages of pointless squelching through Quadling country with a brief pitstop at a clothier.

I had hoped to see more of Turtle Heart and his relationship with Melena (he’s dead from the get go), more hints of how Elphaba came to be green (is the Wizard her father as once loosely hinted? What about the vial Nanny filches?), more about what shaped her passion for protecting Animals, more about Shell and how he came to be the evil ruler with a fear of magic, perhaps some early Wizard / Ozian politics that explain why Animals were persecuted to such an extent, and DEFINITELY more of her life at Shiz.

Sadly, you get none of this. Elphaba is simply a slightly boring child who was a few minor run-ins and never really shows an aptitude for magic or the power she later holds. Maybe that’s the point, but the whole prequel falls flat.