I have read many of Maquire’s books, some I’ve liked better than others, I always struggle with the first few pages until I adjust to his writing style and then it flows. I’ve also had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Maquire and sitting at his lunch table while at a smaller conference. This book provides the backstory of Elphie before her university days and before meeting Galinda. As such, it just wasn’t as captivating for me as Wicked (the book) and seemed a bit perfunctory. Since seeing the play and now the film, the only thing that stands out as really “off” is the physical difference of Nessarose, I prefer the play and movie version.

Elphie is a prequel to the Wicked Series, telling the childhood of Elphaba before her witch powers came to be in the Wicked era. This is the coming-of-age tale of her experiences growing up in an atypical family. Not only does it delve into her and her family dynamics, there is also much to be said about the politics and atmosphere of Oz.

I was very much looking forward to reading this book as I have read and other books in the Wicked series, and generally enjoyed them. This, however, was a very hard book for me to read through due to a slow moving plot and a focus on the politics of the land. I was hoping for more specifically around Elphaba's life and motivations. I also struggled through much of the fantastical language, locations and names. This deterred a bit of my enjoyment of the novel. This was also one of the books that took me the longest to read as I could only read a small amount. I considered not finishing it at several points.

Thank you to William Morrow Books, NetGalley and Gregory Maguire for the eARC in exchange for my honest review of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Williams Morrow for this advance reader copy, in exchange for an honest review. This book dived more into the backstory of Elphaba Thropp, famed character of the Wicked books. I thought this book was okay; it felt true to style of Maguire’s other books but, the story fell a bit flat for me. I struggled to connect with the plot of the story but, the chapters were short which helped move things along. This book felt more like connected vignettes, highlighting various stories during Elphaba’s upbringing, rather than one entire connected, full story.

Overall, fans of Oz should read this book and I’d recommend it to fans of the authors previous works. It’s a quick read and you can easily immerse yourself in the world building so, definitely one to pick up if you’re looking to escape to this world for a bit.

Unfortunately, this felt like a cash grab because of the hype from the Wicked movie. I was so excited going into Elphie; however, this was so bland that I was dreading every page and just wanted it to be over with. Maguire’s writing is as beautiful as always but the story was so hard to follow. The characters felt inconsistent with Wicked (the novel, not movie or musical). I’m not sure what happened here but this is the most disappointing novel from Maguire…I wish I hadn’t read it and tainted my love for the rest of the Wicked series.

I absolutely loved this. I had been wanting to learn and read more about Elphaba and it was amazing.
I truly enjoyed reading this book, and learning kore about this amazing world and characters. Reading this was definitely one of the best things I could have done.
I definitely recommend this to people who would like to know more about this world! I think everyone would enjoy it as much as I did.

Welcome back to Oz! Gregory Maguire’s version of it that is! For fans of the Wicked BOOK, this will be a great return to the world you loved with the same impactful writing we loved from Maguire.

This doesn’t feel like a comprehensive story as much as it does of a beginning, connecting so many dots. Elphie discovering her singing voice, Elphie’s first experience with a crystal ball and how Elphie got the opportunity to attend Shiz.

Somehow Maguire was able to make Elphaba even more relatable in this book. A must read for Wicked novel fans.

It has been many years since I've read Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. However, as a lifelong Wizard of Oz fan, when I saw that a prequel to Elphaba's story was being released I knew that it was a must read.

Elphie tells the story of Elphaba's childhood and hit on various stages of that. You see the incredibly dysfunctional family dynamic that exists between the family and especially between her and her parents. While Frex is busy trying to be missionary and dragging his family all around Oz, Elphie is just trying to understand who she is and her place in her fictional world.

With every page of this story, you see how much Elphie's family exploits her and it bears the question that comes straight from the musical adapation of Wicked, Is Wickedness taught? Is it inherent? Does it come from nature or how a person is nurtured? While much can be argued on just how wicked Elphaba is, it's clear from this prequel that her family relationships and how she came to understand the world had a huge impact on who she eventually became.

This is a great story for any fans of the original series that just want to know more. It gives additional context that allows the reader to expanded upon any opinions they may already have on this iconic character.

I didn't think I could love Elphie more than I already did after reading and seeing Wicked on Broadway, but here I sit with so many feels for Elphie. Gregory Maquire hits it out of the park with this novel all about Elphie. Absolutely love the story. Already preordered the book for my collection of Gregory Maguire.

This was a quick(ish) read into the idea of Elphaba's childhood/youth. The rhythm of the story felt a bit all over the place and inconsistent, so I felt like I was suddenly one place or another or just stuck somewhere else sometimes. I guess perhaps that captures the magic, but it made it harder to stick with the book for my reading style.

For me, it feels like the World of Oz and everything surrounding Wicked is to immense, that this book has a lot of live up to and capture.

I will say, it's great marketing and timing for this book to come out. I'm sure many readers will take the quick dip into this book and enjoy it, but it just wasn't for me.

Thank you so much for the consideration in this review and providing me an ARC.

I read most of Gregory Maguire's books in middle and high school and I always forget his style and it takes a second to get back into it.

It's a Wicked book. Lots of background. Lots of frivolous information

Honestly, the last chapter of her saying bye to Frex and Nessa, then arriving at Shiz is the best part

How apt that this book is coming out at the height of the Wicked Renaissance (as if it ever really left the zeitgeist, ha!). This book sets up the scene for Elphie, as it chronicles her childhood and the beginnings of her witchy powers. It is a nice tie-in for the Wicked series of books and a good glimpse into the life of Elphaba before her time at Shiz and friendship with the popular Ga-linda.

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.