Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book, releasing March 25th!

Wow, people on Goodreads REALLY do not like this book, which is surprising to me because I actually enjoyed it-objectively it's probably a 3.5 but I'll round up to four to balance out what seems to me an unfairly low score. Is it entirely necessary? No, not really-you can absolutely skip this and still get a full and complete story of Elphaba through the original series, or even just by reading Wicked as a standalone. That said, this was a nice look into her childhood, and it was really interesting to see the development of the relationships between her and her two siblings. Most of the complaints in other reviews seem to center on the writing style, but as a Gregory Maguire near-completist, this didn't stand out to me as being significantly different than most of his other books-he definitely has a distinctive style which you may like or dislike, but if you've read his work before, especially the more recent Maracoor trilogy, I don't think the style should come as a surprise-I personally found it very readable as I finished the book in one sitting over a few hours. This isn't a necessary read but unlike some other prequels for famous books/characters I don't think it negatively impacts the overall story in any way (looking at you, Hannibal Rising).

I tried so hard.
I read the original Wicked first and I kept my mind open and separated this story from the musical. At the same time, it feels like Maguire wanted to ride on the coat tails of the recent movie success, and that's why he chose to bring this story back with a prequel to his series. So maybe it's fair for people to make comparisons with the musical (hot take, I know). There are also nods to the musical in this book, I think I caught a reference or two.

This book was difficult to read, easier than the original Wicked book, but boy did reading this book put me to sleep so many nights. I skimmed through the last one-third because it was a lot less exciting than the first bit. I think if you are a fan of the original Wicked book series, you will really enjoy this one. Morrow is not a straightforward writer, and his books are not easy to get through. I also didn't really feel like there was any plot at all. It was just a compilation of stories from Elphie's childhood. I think this book would've been better if it was split into several short stories actually.

Anyway, it was a mess and I tried really hard to be a fair reviewer because I noticed so many people didn't like this book because it wasn't close to the musical. But ultimately it wasn't for me. Sorry :(

Maguire has a unique writing style that is not everyone's cup of tea. The plot moved along at a meandering pace and I had to force myself to finish. I'm not sure how this prequel adds to the original story. Overall, I don't think this title would appeal to a casual reader, but might find its niche with Wicked fans.

What I hoped would be an insight into Elphaba’s childhood was instead a delve into the politics of Oz during Elphaba’s childhood and adolescence. Unfortunately this was a difficult read due to the slow moving plot and odd writing style. Other fans of Wicked and the series may find this enjoyable, but I did not.

I did enjoy getting to know a little more about Elphaba in this book. Not only do you get a better understanding of her character, but of the reasoning behind her choices. She’s hard not to love despite the image she has been given, and I am glad we got this extra glimpse to her. In saying that though, the writing style was not my favorite. I really did struggle pushing through it. I felt like I was reading poetry and in some circumstances it was hard to comprehend the information that was being relayed.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC opportunity!

As a huge fan of Wicked, and someone who has read the other books by Gregory, this one was not it for me. It felt so unneccessary as a prequel and to the big plot of the larger story.

His books have always been a little difficult, as he is not afraid to push the boundary and get a lttle uncomfy at times, It just felt like he didnt know where to take the story here or where it needed to go. Not to mention, that you dont see as much of Elphie as I wouldve expected in a self titled prequel.

I love Gregory and his vision, but this one missed.,

I think I am just not the target audience for this book.
I found the writing style to be very difficult to follow, many characters I couldn't keep track of and overall a tone of darkness that was just not for me.

Oof this is difficult.

I’ve read Wicked and while I enjoyed it, I remember it was also a difficult book for me to get into. I probably should have just let myself live with having read that one, but got caught up in the Wicked movie release and excitement and wanted more Elphaba.

But I’m DNF’ing at 13% because, despite the title, there just isn’t enough Elphie! On top of that, I really don’t even know what is going on. Who are these characters and why should I care about them? I really don’t know. One particular passage I had to read 3 times because it sounds like the nonsensical rambling of an oldie on Facebook.

I really don’t know who to recommend this book to. I saw some reviews that said they love Gregory Maguires writing - so I guess for the people who’ve read all his books and loved them - this one’s for you. But it’s not for me.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I read Wicked a few years ago, so I was excited to know more about Elphie's childhood. Sadly, this book didn't quite do it for me. The beginning was intriguing, and I was hooked for a while. However, as the story progressed, other characters began to take center stage, and Elphie's story felt sidelined, which made it less interesting for me. I got really, really bored.

Some chapters are quite dark and sad, while others feel slow and uneventful. If you haven't started the series yet, I wouldn't suggest beginning with this one. You might find it hard to stay engaged. It’s better to read the other books first and then come back to this one if you're interested. Stick to the publication order.

Thanks to William Morrow for the ARC!

William Morrow provided an early galley for review.

I read Maguire's earliest books back in 2012, including Wicked which became a huge Broadway hit that has been adapted into two movies. Given all that popularity of the franchise, it is no surprise the author went back to the well for this prequel novel.

It did not take me too long to remember how Maguire's style of writing on these books is an acquired taste. It is very unique and might give some casual readers some pause. I found myself very much falling into that category after the first half dozen chapters, but I wanted to soldier on and give the work the benefit of the doubt.

This one is definitely for the fans (both of Maguire's books and the Wicked franchise in particular).

First off thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to get this ARC.

As a fan of the original series I was looking forward to reading this. Definitely not everyone's cup of tea but it was mine. It was what I needed to jump start my reading since I was in a slump.

Glad to see Gregory still has his magic.

Did not finish @ 17%. It felt a bit clunky of a prequel that, honestly, was a bit unnecessary in regards to the larger plot of the story. The narration is witty as always with Maguire, but for this to be Elphie's story, it felt a lot of jumping around between the characters rather than a focus on her in what I read. I wasn't hooked enough by 17% in to commit to the remaining bit of the novel. This is certainly the type of story for someone, but I realize I wasn't the right audience for this at this time. I would, however, give it a second try in the future.

With the excitement of the “Wicked” film, it’s not a surprise that people have gravitated toward Maguire’s original novel, wanting to know more about Elphaba Thropp. Now, 30 years after the publication of the first novel, we finally get to see what little Elphie was like in her childhood.

This novel takes place during four periods of Elphaba’s life, each focusing on an event that would help shape the woman she was destined to become. It was interesting getting to see exactly what occurred during her childhood, but unfortunately, didn’t shed much light on just how influential these events would be. Each section had interesting aspects, but it seemed that a majority of this novel was dedicated to the other people in Elphaba’s life, offering a better look at those who surrounded her during her childhood.

Maguire does a good job at keeping the story going, using his lyrical prose to push the story along. I know that his writing style has been a bit of a controversy with people, but I honestly didn’t mind it, especially with how surprisingly short this novel was. It flows well, which made for an easy reading experience, even with the odd cadence within Maguire’s sentences.

In all honesty, I wanted a lot more out of this. I was hoping to get a good glimpse at the family dynamic, which certainly is present, but offers only a little more information about her relationships with her family. I wasn’t blown away by this novel like I was really wanting to be, but I was rather left wanting much more than we recieved. As nice as it is to end where “Wicked” begins, I don’t see this being a necessary read to understand who this character is.

I’m not entirely sure why this was written, other than trying to catch the cultural wave that the film adaptation of “Wicked” has created. At the end of the day, this is a fine read, but unfortunately is nothing to write home about.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview this book. As someone who has been a fan of the Wicked universe since the first book was released in the 90s I was really looking forward to diving into more of Elphie's back story. The Wicked series has never been what I would describe as an easy read, and this installment falls right in line with the others in that regard. While I found the overall story interesting, I did at times have to force myself to continue on. If it was any other series/author it likely would have been a DNF for me. The fact that I have been an Elphaba superfan for 20 years is what ultimately compelled me to keep reading. I would advise anyone who wants to step foot into the Wicked book universe for the first time to start with the original and leave this one for last (if they make it that far).

I loved Wicked and the rest of the books in the series, however Elphie fell flat for me. I really tried to enjoy it but it never felt the same as the previous books.

Gregory Maguire has done it again! Giving us the childhood of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and an even deeper look into what is the nature of evil. We know what happened during Elphie's childhood, but this is a deep dive into the relationships between her and her parents, her siblings, and the rest of the people around her. I knew we hadn't heard the last of her, and this book does not disappoint.

DNF-- Elphie by Gregory Maguire was a huge disappointment for me. I wanted to love it, especially since I enjoyed Wicked years ago, but I just couldn’t finish. The writing style was overly complicated and difficult to follow, filled with words that didn’t add much substance. While it was meant to explore Elphie’s childhood, the story never really felt like it was about her. Unfortunately, this one completely missed the mark for me.

Thank you yo NetGalley and William Morrow for the eArc.

“Elphie” is the impeccably timed prequel to the Wicked Years books by Gregory Maguire, no doubt planned to coincide with the release of the films. I loved the prose, each chapter almost reading like a hybrid of a poem and a short story, chronicling the early life of Elphaba growing up in the Thropp household. As a character study it’s lovely, but beyond that, very little actually happens, and I can’t help but wonder if this prequel was truly necessary given the wealth of information about Elphaba’s past provided in the rest of the novels.

I found the writing very dense and heavy. I continued to lose focus while reading this book. I did enjoy learning more of Elphaba’s background and get a deeper look into her as a character.

I love wicked so reading more from the author and the world was a joy. I love how we see even more of the characters and continue to learn about each of their complex layers