Gregory Maguire's Elphie expands upon the events presented in its predecessor, Wicked, which inspired the hit musical and film. Elphie provides deeper insights into Elphaba's thoughts and feelings, along with events not included in Wicked; there is a significant period in Elphaba's life left unaccounted and unexplored in Wicked. Elphie addresses this gap and highlights the importance of these events in shaping and influencing her later years. Elphie begins around age four and concludes with her acceptance to Shiz, including her first encounter with Animals and as she explores herself and her priorities as an individual and within her family dynamics.

The writing style in Elphie mirrors that of Wicked and other novels by Gregory Maguire. Readers need to be attentive and intentional in their reading, as it's easy to become lost and confused, as there are many words to say little. While Elphie is shorter than his other novels, it appears to have a more evident and engaging storyline, which enhances the overall reading experience.

Thanks to Netgalley, William Morrow, and Gregory Maguire for the free eArc in exchange for an honest review.

For fans, like me, looking to fill their “Wicked” obsession, “Elphie,” the fifth book in the Wicked Years series, provides the perfect escape into the world of Oz, with a new look at Elphaba Thropp, the beloved green heroine, before she was known as the Wicked Witch of the West.

From her struggles with familiar jealousy, her thirst for knowledge and her encounters with the marginalized talking animals of Oz, “Elphie” explores the moments in Elphaba’s life that shaped who she is. Devoted fans and readers new to the series will be able to dive in deeper to the social and political issues of Oz and gain a deeper insights into Elphaba’s plight for sentient animals, a cause that will later mark her as wicked.

With a subtle political distress throughout the novel and lack of love in Elphaba’s life, the novel can feel melancholy at times. But, that is the core of who Elphaba is.

Elphaba’s progress from child to an adolescent with better understanding of the world, her wants and needs, guide Gregory Maguire’s novel. As Elphaba starts her journey of discovery the novel’s pace is slow and steady. But as she begins to understand herself and the joy and wonders of Oz, the novel’s becomes a tad more lively.

In contrasts to the rest of the series, in “Elphie” Maguire takes to writing in short chapters with short sentences, reflecting the overall dysfunction occurring in Oz and in Elphaba. The rhythm Maguire create also make the book easy one to breeze through.

Compared to previous books in the series, there is less happening to drive the narrative. Instead, “Elphie” serves as a psychological backstory to understand Elphaba’s character, explaining what made her one of the most iconic witched in literacy, theater and film.

Making the novel one Elphaba fans must hold space for.

https://apnews.com/article/elphie-gregory-maguire-wicked-book-review-4cda002d332915d610501e33e62a022a

Elphie is a charming retelling that offers a fresh perspective on the classic story through a witty and heartfelt lens. The characters are cleverly crafted, and the whimsical tone makes it a delightful read. Some parts feel a bit slow, but overall, it’s a lovely and imaginative book. Perfect for fans of playful, character driven storytelling with a touch of magic.

A quick read and yet a more in-depth tale of Elphaba's early years. It expands on her relationship with her family and her childhood. If you are strictly a fan of the musical Wicked, this will be completely different from what you expect. If you enjoyed Gregory Maguire's other OZ books, then Elphie is definitely for you.

While I love the original Wicked novel, its many sequels, and now prequel, have been an utter disappointment. There are some things in the original that don’t age well, but somehow the sequels got more and more racist, and less comprehensible, both in prose and thematically.

For this prequel, I was already apprehensive because of Elphie’s childhood in a missionary family, written from the perspective of a white writer. Unfortunately, he did not prove me wrong, and does not handle dealing with the colonization of native peoples with tact.

I don’t know what this book adds to Elphie’s story, as much as I wanted it to. There were some enjoyable moments, but it seemed unnecessary.

I'm a little disappointed in this one -- it was fine, but it didn't have me enthralled the way I had hoped.
Maybe it's just been a while since I read a Gregory Maguire book, or maybe I had just built up too much expectation. Elphie was slow and unengaging. I didn't like the chapters from her younger years at all. It picked up a little more in the later half of the book though.

*I did like the occasional Wicked lyric thrown into the narrative though.

Elphie is a prequel to Gregory Maguire's series based in the world of OZ and the source material for the movie Wicked. If you are a fan of the musical, but have not read Maguire's original books, this look into the early life of Elphaba and her sister Nessa will likely surprise you. All of Maguire's books have a dark tone, deal with disturbing and adult subject matter, and are told in a type of narration that can be difficult for some folks to follow. Here, Elphie is no different. If you enjoy Maguire's style of writing and his thought provoking themes, you will likely enjoy this book. We do get to see scenes from Elphie;s childhood and follow her to the point where she finds herself about to attend Shiz, and Maguire explores some interesting questions about what it means to be innocent or corrupted. But if you are a fan of the musical and are looking for a linear story with a lot of plot, this book will not be for you. While I did enjoy much about the book, I can't say that it adds a tremendous amount to what we have in the original Wicked, but it was fun to return to the world and see more of how Elphie came to be where she is when we meet her at Shiz.

From the giant overarching themes right down to his individual word choices, Gregory Maguire’s writing is so complex yet so precise. If you’ve read the series, you’ll enjoy this “prequel” but if you want to start the series, don’t start with this book. Start with Wicked to get your footing in the world and then double back to read this.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Elphie! Unfortunately, it took me longer than expected to finish it. 😩 The writing is different and took some getting use to. Although it had interesting tidbits about Elphaba’s childhood I would not reread it.

I was so looking forward to this book. I read and loved Wicked, have seen the play and movie multiple times which I also loved and Elphaba is an iconic character. I was really interested in learning more of her backstory as this is only lightly touched on in the original book. However I had an incredibly difficult time with this book. I found it hard to read. At times I felt like I was reading nonsense and gibberish that was getting me nowhere in the story. It has been some time since I read the original book but I do remember that booking being this way. I really wanted to like this book but it was just not for me.

Elphie transported me right back into the stories from Gregory Maguire that I love! Being able to be back with these characters, understand more of the story, and develop more understanding for character building and the chaotic, insane world that we're in is always fun!

Thank you Netgalley and Gregory Maguire for this advanced copy!

It was nice to return to the land of Oz in the newest prequel to the widely popular Wicked series, made into the Tony- award-winning musical and now motion picture (part 2 to be released this November.)

This story focuses mainly on Elphaba's formative years, living in the Quadling Country with her minister father Frexipar, philanderer mother Melena, armless sister Nessarose and juvenile delinquent brother Shell. There are a myriad of characters that she encounters in her childhood that helps her influence her choices toward an education that eventually leads her to Shiz University.

I treated each chapter as if they were a vignette of her life. Even though they weren't necessarily consecutive, the big picture showed a full life, albeit oppressed.

This book is ideal for readers who enjoy darkly whimsical origin stories that delve into the moral complexities and formative traumas of iconic, misunderstood characters.

A big Thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

After reading the first Wicked book and devouring countless hours of wicked related media, I was soooo excited to read this prequel!
The writing style from Maguire is one that takes some getting used to, but easy to follow once you get going.
My highlights for this book along are plentiful and full of passages that I will think about for years to come.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for early access

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

I was so excited when I got an ARC of this book. Unfortunately maybe I had my hopes set a little too high.

It took me forever to actually finish this book mainly because I just couldn’t get into it so I didn’t want to read it. I had hoped this would have been more of Elphabas childhood but instead it felt more like Ozian Politics! This was such a slow moving plot and it just drug on and on.

2/5 stars for me unfortunately!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited for this book - downright giddy I'd say, Elphaba is truly one of my favorite characters of all time and words can't even express what Wicked means to me! So the prospect of having an origin story of Elphie? I was beyond intrigued.

This wasn't what I was expecting though - I loved how Maguire wrote Wicked (the classic novel), and really found myself expecting that this would be the same - or at least similar. The writing style was incredibly odd and I found myself rereading passages over and over because I couldn't quite comprehend what they were saying. That alone was incredibly frustrating - I love reading and have developed my reading and suddenly feeling as though I couldn't properly read really annoyed me!

I also really wanted Elphie's story - her childhood, her feelings, her emotions, her actual life up until University - but all of that was really just secondary to an overall plot of having this be a political insight into Oz during her childhood. I ended up DNF'ing this book just before 50% completed.

I do think that others may truly love this book - especially if they can read the writing style easily!

This book was fine but nothing ground-breaking. I enjoyed it well enough, but I probably won’t go out of my way to recommend it.

For me, Wicked by Gregory Maguire was one of those rare books that I liked less than the movie/Broadway show. Still, I held out hope for Elphie: A Wicked Childhood. I was hoping for a deeper look into Elphaba’s childhood, but instead got a slow dive into the politics of Oz. Much like the book Wicked, the plot drags, and while Maguire’s writing is clever and occasionally poetic, it often feels disjointed and hard to follow. Not much really happens in this story, and even the few “big” moments lack impact. I get why some readers enjoy Maguire’s unique style, but this was a bit of a letdown for me. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Sadly, this book just felt like a money grab. There wasn’t anything new introduced and the storytelling we all appreciated in the past is just lacking here. While there are some moments of lore and world building that could be enjoyed, I think for a lot of readers this will be a disappointment. I know I was hoping to get some early insight into our favorite green queen, but I finished feeling empty handed and underwhelmed. I wish I had more to say, but you know that saying: If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it all.

Thanks to William Morrow and Netgalley for this egalley.

With absolutely perfect timing, Gregory Maguire expertly depicts Elphaba's backstory. I really enjoyed Elphie, and appreciate the expansion to the broader Wicked canon.

I think maybe I am not meant for Gregory Maguire. I have tried so many times to fall in love with his books. I can barely get through Wicked, despite it seeming right up my alley. I was hoping that my love love love for all things musical/movie Wicked would strike a chord, and turn over the leaf for me...but once again, I feel-nothing but unsettled and bored.

If you are a fan of Maguire's other works, you will probably love this one!

Another miss for me, but be heartened, my friends - I fear it is just me!

Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher William Morrow for advance access to this title in exchange for my honest review.