This book provides an intriguing glimpse into Elphaba’s childhood, offering more context for fans of Wicked. The tone is sharp and sardonic, and it captures the morally ambiguous nature of Elphaba that readers will recognize from her adult character. Her complicated relationships with her siblings and parents are explored in detail, adding layers to the characters around her. It’s fascinating to see Nessa and Shell’s evolution, as well as the complex dynamics of her family life.

However, the focus of the story often feels misaligned. Instead of centering on Elphaba, the narrative frequently shifts to her father Frex and his quest for redemption, sidelining her in favor of other characters’ arcs. The plot itself is disjointed, relying heavily on time jumps and sometimes feeling more like a collection of moments than a cohesive story. The pacing can drag, and while the writing style is rich, it occasionally feels too dense and meandering for its own good.

Overall, while it adds depth to the world of Wicked, it falls short of delivering the compelling exploration of Elphaba’s early life that many readers might expect. Fans of the original story may enjoy the additional context, but others could find the narrative hard to follow and lacking in focus.

*Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.*

Gregory Maguire consistently approaches his books with immense and delightful creativity.

In some of his books though, he struggles to execute those fantastic concepts. I immensely enjoyed "Hiddensee: A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker" and "Egg & Spoon." In those books, Maguire writes in his highly unique voice and in highly readable ways. I made multiple attempts to get through "After Alice" and simply couldn't.

Even though "Elphie" is a rather short piece, I wasn't sure I would make it to the end. I found the characterizations, pacing, and writing itself far too inconsistent. Maguire overuses short, clipped sentences and scenes. Rather than allow the reader's imaginations to fill in the blanks, I instead wondered why bother at all.

With the recent high-profile movie adaptation of "Wicked," I'm sure readers will flock to "Elphie."

Maguire's most dedicated fan base might enjoy this piece despite itself. But otherwise, I'd recommend against it.

I really wanted to love this book, especially because of the author and they surrounding hype with the new Wicked movie, but I’m sad to say it fell a little short for me. It was an enjoyable read, but slow. A lot slower than when I read my books. The characters, to me, felt like they just needed a tad bit more of development. I am however very grateful to have read it!

I was so excited to get a chance to go back to the world of Wicked and to get a glimpse into the gaps we have between Elphaba's birth and arriving at Shiz. I loved the chance to better see the relationships with family, interactions with talking with animals, and the nods/easter eggs to Wicked, however, I am still stuck with feeling like this could have been more. I am very happy to have read it but do not feel that I will go back to this as often has I have revisited the rest of the series.

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review.

This is such a good book! I absolutely loved reading about Elphaba's backstory and getting a glimpse into her life growing up. I enjoyed getting to see what her childhood was like and how her upbringing affects her later on in life. Elphie is a wonderful story. If you're a fan of Elphaba then you will love this book. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for allowing me to read this book ahead of release in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’m really disappointed by this story. I was really excited to read it, but I’m not exactly sure what I read. I expected more focus on Elphaba’s childhood than there was. There were so many other things tied into the story and I wasn’t left satisfied. The writing is different from Maguire’s other books. It is choppy, but yet wordy, without really saying much. I have ADD and this was a little too over the place for me, which is saying something.

I appreciate the chance to read the ARC from NetGalley and William Morrow, in exchange for my honest review.

Ohhh Miss Elphaba, many years I have waited....

After seeing the Wicked movie and growing up absolutely obsessed with the musical, I knew I had to read this ARC. I must admit, this is my first foray into Gregory Maguire's books, and it took a while to get used to his unusual prose.

Elphie is a book divided into four parts: each a different story in Elphaba's life from a toddler leading up to her attending Shiz University as a teenager. We see her at ages three, seven, ten and 13, each story helping the reader understand the geopolitical climate of the time, and Elphaba's introduction to talking animals and her special abilities. We also get a developed look into Elphaba's complicated relationship with her family members and society as a whole. Her father is a preacher in Elphie and he is determined to indoctrinate the masses as well as find the family of his murdered friend Turtle Heart. We also get a look at Elphie's relationship with her sister Nessarose, and brother, Shell.

This isn't a plot-driven book - it serves to develop relationships and to highlight political friction - which we know from Wicked - only intensifies later. Overall, I would give this book 3.5/5 stars.

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

Gregory Maguire’s Elphie takes readers back to where it all began, offering a richly imagined prequel to his beloved Wicked. This spellbinding novel explores the formative years of Elphaba Thropp, the green-skinned girl destined to become the infamous Wicked Witch of the West. With Elphie, Maguire delivers a deeply layered and emotionally resonant origin story, proving once again why he is a master of reimagined classics.

Set years before Dorothy's arrival in Oz, Elphie dives into the social and political currents that shaped Elphaba’s world and, ultimately, her identity. We see her grappling with societal prejudice, family expectations, and her own moral compass. Maguire paints a vivid picture of her childhood and adolescence, revealing the challenges of being "othered" in a world that fears and misunderstands difference.

What makes Elphie so compelling is its ability to balance the fantastical with the deeply personal. Readers are not only transported to the magical yet flawed world of Oz but are also invited into the mind and heart of a young girl searching for her place within it. The story deftly explores themes of power, destiny, and the cost of defying expectations.

The world-building is impeccable, with Maguire expanding on the Oz we know and love in ways that feel fresh and meaningful. Familiar places and characters appear alongside new ones, each contributing to the rich tapestry of Elphaba’s journey. Maguire’s prose is lush and poetic, with moments of sharp wit that remind us why his work resonates so deeply with readers.

As a prequel, Elphie not only deepens our understanding of Elphaba but also reframes her story, urging readers to question the nature of good and evil. By the end of the novel, you’ll see her not as a villain but as a deeply human figure, shaped by her experiences and the choices she was forced to make.

Elphie is a triumph—a beautifully written, thought-provoking tale that stands on its own while enriching the legacy of Wicked. Gregory Maguire has once again cast his spell, and it’s one you won’t want to break. A must-read for fans of Oz, fantasy, and stories that challenge the boundaries of morality.

#Elphie #NetGalley #GregoryMaguire

I didn’t love it as much as Maguire’s original book - Wicked, but I did enjoy revisiting the character of Elphaba again. The plot just felt weak, bordering on non-existent. The drive to fine Turtle Heart’s family seemed contrived and unrealistic.

I fell in love with the musical Wicked first. Then, I read my way through Gregory Maguire's original series. I, unfortunately, feel he's simply trying to capitalize on the movie release, coming out with a book about Elphaba's childhood midway between the two movies (November 2024 and 2025; book estimated to release March 2025). If you read the original book, this one is unnecessary. It was forced.

I love this book, absolutely love the world building and the character depth. The author did a splendid job of making you feel this character world, and I am more then ready to see the wicked movie now too. I cant wait to go back and fully dive into this series and read even more by this author. I can't express how good this book is and I will recommend it to everyone.

Many thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to ARC read, but I couldn’t finish it. It is supposed to be about Elphie’s childhood, but the book talks about everyone else more than her. Also, none of it makes any sense. It jumps around a lot, and it’s very hard to follow. I’m just not a fan of the author’s writing style, but I hoped this one would be better than the others in his series.

I feel like Elphaba doesn't need an introduction, so we are going to skip that part.

Elphie was exactly what I expected it to be given previous books written about Elphaba's life. It isn't necessarily about Elphie in particular but the events and the people in her life that would shape who she would become. Written in what I call Maguire's signature style, this was, in my opinion, just an excellent prequel that only adds to the lore of Elphaba's life.


Overall, I think if you are a fan of Maguire's overall, this may not work for you. Especially if you've only watched a movie or the musical. Maguire has a very unique writing style that can be difficult to follow. But if you are a fan and you've read every previous entry in Elphaba's life, then this is definitely going to be your jam.

As always, thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the eArc.

You can check out all of my reviews at my blog! <a href = "https://kellysbooknook.wordpress.com/"> Kelly's Book Nook</a>

Thank you William Morrow for the digital ARC of Elphie.
As someone who has yet to read the Wicked novel (this will likely change soon) but has seen the musical… I knew going into the story that it would be very different. I found the writing to be easy to read despite the book focusing heavily on the politics and social life of the world of Oz. In my honest opinion I wished there were more defining details about the characters and also more climatic moments throughout the book. I feel like the storyline was a little flat making it a little less enjoyable to read. However, I am glad I read it before diving into Wicked to really understand Elphies family history beforehand .I give the book 3 stars.

Elphie: A Wicked Childhood, is a coming-of-age story where young Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West, is shaped and molded by the behaviors of those around her, including her unchaste mother and devout father. She suffers jealousy at the arrival of her siblings Nessarose and Shell, She encounters the mistreatment of the Animal populations of Oz, She attempts her first friendship, and she obtains the benefits of an education, until she arrives at the doors of Shiz University, about to meet Galinda.

Having read Wicked and Son of a Witch, I'm not a huge fan of the Wicked book series, which is why I never finished a Lion Among Men or Out of Oz. I do, however, love the musical that is based on the book, but that does not help with Elphie. I don't know why I thought that this would somehow be better than Wicked because spoiler alert: it wasn't. The writing style is very odd and the pacing of this book is so slow that my eyes were glazing over. I wanted to love this book, but unfortunately, I just didn't

This book is a great vocabulary builder. The author is very creative. There is so much more developed beyond what L. Frank Baum created. But the universe and it's names can be dense and not reader friendly. This book follows Elphaba from her birth to heading to Shiz. It's not exactly in line with some of the things in the musical. But I will definitely be reading Wicked.

Thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

My darling and dearest little asparagus, Elphaba, how I’ve missed you.

When I first saw Gregory Macguire was writing an “origin” story of Elphie, I thought eh I don’t need it. Then I kept on seeing it and I have to admit, over time my curiousity peaked and I couldn’t resist more Elphaba in my life. If you have read the other books in the Wicked series this is a treat, and if you haven’t, this is the perfect place to start.

We get to witness the evolution of our greenest girl in Elphie and establish the connections with her father, Nessa, and mischievous baby brother Shell before all the “turmoil” in the later stories begin. We get to see her first interactions with talking animals and the reactions and culture that shapes Elphaba’s personality and reactions to those around her. There were so many nuances in this story that further shapes the story we are already so familiar with and there were some easter eggs if you love the Wicked The Musical too! It was the perfect place to start and I have to admit, it being available right as the movie came out shaped my wanting in reading this ARC.

I absolutely love Maguire’s writing and always have and he does not disappoint when it comes to writing style. One of the true joys in reading him is learning so many new words and witnessing him play with dialect and shape words into new amalgamations that never stops you from giggling with joy.

Overall, I’m so pleased to have another book by him and especially one that centers Elphaba. The biggest question though, was it necessary? And while I enjoyed it I don’t think my answer would be a resounding yes, but I’m also not mad that it exists. Sometimes getting more of something you love can be an exquisite little treat and Elphie was exactly that.

A prequel to the events of Wicked, this novel explores the early childhood and adolescence of Elphaba, fondly known as “Elphie” at that time. Early parts of the story look at the family influence — from her promiscuous mom and pious dad, to her strained relationship with Nessa and their younger brother. The novel also takes on a lot of early themes later found in Wicked like Elphie’s first encounters with mistreatment of Animals in Oz, and finding her spunk and independence. Please note this (and Wicked) are much different than the musical and are darker in nature. It pained me to give this a low rating but I struggled to get through the novel with its slow-moving plot and little character development. Nothing felt truly pivotal in the way I’d expect for a prequel of such an iconic character.
Thank you to William Morrow Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This started off slowly for me but I ended up tearing through the last half of the book. I love Gregory Maquire. I've been reading his books since I was young (thank you, Tippecanoe County Public Library for that). Elphie! I loved getting to "know" her before Wicked.

Reviews seem to be mixed for this one and unfortunately, I'm with the crew not loving it. The writing style is very distanced from our central character, who the book is named after, and I wanted a deeper insight into this character and not just the world around her. I hope that others find something to love here but it wasn't for me