As I massive fan of wicked I couldn’t wait to read this and find out more of Elphies backstory and I loved it!

It was great to see the parts of her childhood you don’t get from wicked

People who have inly seen the musical, movie may be shocked at the darker side of her story

A story of baby Elphaba! I could not love it more! Its the prequel to Wicked and I have enjoyed it as much as I have enjoyed the Wicked years ago. Its a lighter take to the more mature and dark side of Wicked.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars ⭐️
I was so looking forward to this prequel to Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. I loved Wicked and the other books in the Wicked Years series.

I was a little disappointed in this book with the fact that I really didn't learn that much more about Elphaba like I thought I was going to. Most of the book's plot took place following her father's quest into making amends for Turtle Hearts death at the hands of Emminent Thropp. While we got to see more into the pivotal moments in her childhood, like the death of her mother during childbirth, we got more of a political lesson on Oz during that time. We got to see moments from Elphabas life from birth, to around 3, 7, 10, 13, and then to the moment her father drops her off at Shiz.

I however did like how Maguire delved into the sister relationship between Elphie and Nessa more in this book. It really brought a lot into light about their complicated relationship in Wicked. I also loved the nod to Galinda 🩷 at the end and the dedication at the beginning to Idina and Cynthia.💚

With the hype of Wicked getting more popular than it already was… I am/ was so excited to see this announcement! The backstory and evolution of my favorite character Elphaba. Being a fan of the wicked original and knowing how the original story is this was no shock on the writing. For those who are only fans of the movie may be different and shocked by the darkness and background. I overall did really enjoy this story! I will be recommending it for older audiences and recommending to read the original Wicked story as well. It has deep language, story, and tones throughout it and is made for an older audience rather than younger fans of the musical or film.

So unique, Elphie fills in so many pieces. As someone who has always been in love with Wicked, who has now been the movie 5 times in theaters, I just can't get enough. This was everything that I wanted.

Thank you, Gregory Maguire and NetGalley, for the ARC. I leave this review voluntarily and happily. Also, thank you publishers for your hard work!

I'm glad I read through some of the reviews before I started to read this. There is a lot of Oz politics, but that's only in part one. It's to help set up things. That's not what the entire book is going to be about. If you can just get past the 25% mark, you will be glad that you did. I certainly enjoyed learning all about how Elphie grew up. This takes you all the way to the beginning to the end, where she joins Shiz. I definitely understand now why she is the way she is. You should never judge someone because of their skin or treat them any differently. There are just so many great lessons to be learned from this book, and I definitely have a lot of feelings from it all.

Want to learn about Elphie? Want to know how she grows up and develops to become the witch that she is? Look no further than this book right here. From birth to when she takes her first steps into Shiz this book tells you everything. How she was treated, everyone she met, how she got her early schooling, and so much more.

I absolutely loved reading this book. I loved going on the journey with Elphie, seeing how she grew up and how she dealt with things. Not only that, we get to see her sister and brother too in her life, and it's such a great story. I can't wait to see if anymore comes from this series.

I DNF’d this book. I was so excited and wanted to like it. It’s not easy to read. There are parts that focus on Elphie and those are interesting but just not enough to continue reading. I was hoping the book would be from elphaba’s point of view and her telling the story but it was more about the overview of history and politics of oz. I do want to thank Net galley and HarperCollins Publishing for the Advance readers copy of the book

You've really got to be a fan of Maguires and his world building throughout the Wicked writings...not necessarily the musical...to get this story and love it as much as his other inclusions into the whole series. I, for one, have been waiting for this take since I first picked up and loved Wicked. It's darker and more political but that's how the whole series is.

what i was hoping to be more insight into elphaba’s childhood turned out to be more so into the politics of Oz. just not what i expected. i didn’t really care for the writing either but some could love. i do think this book could be shorter as it felt things were repeated at times.

nonetheless, thank you so much for the arc read! glad to have been given the opportunity to read this!

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for this early review copy.

This book is for lovers of Gregory Maguire's Wicked book series, not the musical/movie. I have concern that this will not get great reviews from people who have not read and loved Wicked and are expecting the whimsical and fun musical world. The books and musical are two completely different stories.
That being said, I absolutely loved this book. The original book had that large gap from Elphie's childhood to her years at Shiz and I had found myself wanting to know more about her childhood, and here it was! In this book you learn about how she developed her love and interest in the Animals, and how she found her way to Shiz. You also learn more about her relationship with Nessarose and of course Shell which we never actually meet in Wicked, only learn about him.
Early on in the book there was some weird formatting and dialog that made it difficult to read, but after getting through that, the story just flowed. I recommend sticking with it if you find yourself initially struggling.

For fans of Gregory MacGuire’s original books or for people who would really love more of Elphie’s backstory and world building, then this is for you. For casual fans of the musical or movie, I’d maybe recommend passing on this one.

I had read Wicked when I was in high school, and I’ll be honest, I really struggled with it. It was darker than I expected, and the writing style and language was really hard for me. I was excited to get this ARC and really try again a number of years later, but unfortunately it was a lot of the same for me. This books covers more between Elphies young years and her time at Shiz, and does have some interesting components, but the pacing was really slow and hard for me to keep interested in.

Again, maybe MacGuire’s style just isn’t for me, I suspect those that loved Wicked, Son of a Witch and Lion Among Men will also love this book.

Gregory Maguire’s Elphie: A Wicked Childhood is a captivating and unexpected gem, offering a rich and intimate glimpse into the early life of one of literature’s most misunderstood characters—Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West. For those who fell in love with *Wicked* and have long wondered what shaped the green-skinned, feisty Elphaba, this novel provides the answers, and so much more.

From the first page, Maguire pulls us into Elphie’s world—an Oz that is equal parts magical and heartbreaking. Young Elphaba’s childhood is anything but ordinary. Raised by a distant father, Frex, and a careless, self-absorbed mother, Melena, Elphie grows up in a family as complicated and disjointed as the world around her. She navigates sibling rivalries with her saintly sister, Nessarose, and the troublemaker Shell, all while grappling with her own identity. Maguire does a brilliant job of showing how Elphaba’s prickly nature is born out of a mix of neglect, longing, and an overwhelming desire to make sense of a chaotic world that doesn’t seem to want her.

One of the most striking elements of *Elphie* is how Maguire makes Elphaba’s journey feel incredibly relatable, even as it unfolds in a fantastical world. Her struggles with acceptance, friendship, and the stark realities of the world around her—particularly the mistreatment of the Animal populations in Oz—are universal experiences, despite the magical backdrop. Maguire’s prose is sharp and evocative, making Elphie’s inner turmoil tangible, while also reminding us that even the most seemingly wicked characters are formed by layers of circumstance and hardship.

This novel also shines in its exploration of Oz’s social and political divides. Elphie’s early encounters with the Animals—creatures oppressed and marginalized by society—set the stage for the strong moral convictions that will later define her character. As a reader, it’s hard not to feel for Elphie as she tries to carve out a place for herself in a world that doesn’t quite know what to do with her. Her struggles to fit in, her growing awareness of the injustices around her, and her thirst for something more—these elements make Elphie’s journey one of self-discovery, even as it hints at the darker path she will eventually take.

Maguire’s world-building is, as always, mesmerizing. He fills Oz with a strange mix of wonder and discomfort, and we see it through Elphie’s eyes—a young girl who is both a product of her environment and yet fiercely determined to define her own destiny. The familiar faces from *Wicked*, like the radiant Galinda, take on new depth here, and the world feels richer for it. Even if you’re new to the *Wicked* universe, Maguire does an excellent job of drawing you in without requiring prior knowledge of his earlier works.

Ultimately, *Elphie: A Wicked Childhood* is a powerful coming-of-age story, wrapped in the layers of fantasy and dark magic that Maguire is known for. It’s a reminder that the most iconic characters are often the product of their circumstances, their choices, and the forces that shape them—sometimes in ways we may never fully understand. Whether you’re a lifelong fan of *Wicked* or just discovering Oz for the first time, this novel is an essential read, full of heart, soul, and an unforgettable character who will stay with you long after you turn the final page.

I love musical theater and Wicked immediately captured my family’s hearts. When I read Gregory Maguire’s original Wicked novel, I was shocked to say the least. I was way too young for it, but I also loved how Maguire approached Elphaba and how she approached a world that saw her as “other.” Son of a Witch and A Lion Among Men felt the same. Unfortunately, Elphie didn’t live up to that same level of hype.

There were a few good nuggets of quotes in the novel, but overall, it was difficult for Elphie’s childhood perspective to allow Maguire to really explore how even a child is judged by society. There were many interruptions of “But Elphie wouldn’t understand this until later” that broke the flow of the narrative. None of the characters really felt well developed, and I kept wanting more. More of his world-building, more of his social commentary, just…more.

The plot was okay, but it left me disappointed. I liked his end message, but it took too long to get to and once he states the message, he basically just drops the story. And not in a fulfilling, wrapped up in a bow, kind of way. The kind that left me saying “wait, this is the end?” I’m not sure whether Elphie is evidence that this author is running out of ideas for the Wicked Years universe or if this universe had just been mined for everything it can give but they wanted to grab more to follow the movie’s hype-train, but something here didn’t quite work for me. It wasn’t bad, but it’s not one I’ll likely revisit often (if at all).

“Maybe it doesn’t matter how we’re made, in the end; it matters only who we are”
The story of Elphaba before. A young girl growing up as the daughter of a traveling minister and the events that would shape her into who she becomes. Maguire’s prose is elegant in a way that makes you feel like you’re stilling through the woods in deep conversation with a philosophy professor. Thank you to #netgalley and #williammorrow for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was so pleased to be approved by NetGalley to read an ARC of Elphie. Overall I rated this 3 stars. As per usual I throughly enjoyed Gregory Maguire's writing style. I am however confused by the point of this book. It does not seem to have a story, rather it felt as though I was sitting in a class many many years after the events of his book Wicked, listening to a history lecture where they are trying to humanize the past. I found myself not caring for Elphie or her family. But it does allow for a brief glimpse into why she was the way she was....even if it is just conjecture.

DNF

I tried. I have read all of the other books in the series. I love the world, the premise, the characters. But this book was just to off course for me. The writing style was difficult. We start as Elphie as a baby but she is sometimes narrating the events. Other times we are just observing what is happening. There really wasn't a plot to speak of. Just lots of words and wonderings. I made it until she turns 13 and then I just couldn't stay with it.

Love the author and his other works. This one missed the mark for me.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! I loved reading this book and getting to know Elphaba more as a child. I have always been intrigued with the story and this was JUST what I needed.

I loved this book almost as much as I loved Wicked which is one of my favorite books I have ever read. I will definitely recommend this book to everyone. I loved reading about Elphaba when she was younger it definitely gives another view to her that I love.

I was so excited to read Elphie's backstory! Unfortunately, the book did not do anything for me. I read Wicked around 15 years ago, and fell in love with the story and the characters. I hoped this would be a wonderful addition to the Wicked stories, but I ended up feeling like it wasn't really necessary. I do think that Gregory Maguire has such a unique writing style and I have enjoyed books by him. Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for a digital arc of this title.

2.5/5 for me. Readers who are wholly immersed in the world of Wicked will enjoy this shorter tale of Elphie's childhood. It is a quicker read and gives a bit more depth to Elphie and Nessa as children but is not necessary if you want to just start with book 1.