Interestingly enough, this read as a dry biography of a person with political and historical explanations for who Elphaba is in Wicked. It was hard to read in some places, as sentences were short and it felt very factual - not in a good way. I liked a deeper dive into Elphie and her family, but again, it felt more like I was learning fun facts about Winston Churchill instead of a character that I've grown to love and cherish. Not for me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

"Elphie" (Deluxe Limited Edition) by Gregory Maguire is an enchanting, richly detailed addition to the Wicked universe. This beautifully crafted edition offers new insights into Elphaba’s character and adds layers of depth to the story we all know and love. Maguire’s writing continues to captivate with its intricate world-building and complex characters. Huge thanks to the publisher for the ARC! I’ve already added a copy to my library system. If you're a fan of the Wicked series or enjoy dark, thought-provoking fantasy, this deluxe edition is a must-read. Highly recommend it!

I've never DNFd a book so fast (16%). I tried. I really tried.
I'm a fan of flowery purple prose with lots of descriptor details. But this book was unreadable. I even tried the audiobook, but I only understood every other word and whenever the narrator would read character names. The narrator himself did a great job and I was really looking forward to getting more Wicked/Elphaba/Oz content with this book - that' the only reason I gave it two stars.
Overall, Elphie was just really disappointing, but I appreciate the publisher and Netgalley sharing an ARC copy.

✨ The Vibes ✨
Everything you wanted to know about Elphaba’s childhood

📖 Read if…
✨ You’re counting down the days until the new Wicked movie
✨ You like prequels that give more insight into beloved characters
✨ You’re 100% Team Elphaba

It’s been all Wicked, all the time for much of the past year, and what better way to continue that streak, than diving into Elphie, a new book covering Elphaba’s childhood.

I personally didn’t have a new Wicked book on my 2025 bingo card, and to be honest, I was a little skeptical, as Elphaba’s childhood was already detailed in the original novel. But I was quickly won over with all of the magical, Ozian elements and the emotional connections that were further developed throughout the book. My favorite part was getting to see the progression of Elphaba and Nessa’s relationship, as those details really put the events of Wicked in a new light (and make them hit so much harder). There’s also several fun cameos and Easter eggs throughout, which will be sure to delight any Wicked fan.

I think the only negative of this book (if you can even call it that) is that it might be a little disorienting if you’ve only seen the movie or stage show. Maguire is definitely expanding his version of Oz, which is very different from the versions of Oz on stage and screen, and that does take some getting used to. I’d recommend reading Wicked first before diving into this one as it will give you some time to adjust to the style and give context to some of the events.

Elphie is out now. Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

'Elphie' tells the story of a young Elphaba from when she's about 7 years old until her first day at Shiz, giving you a little more insight into the character many of us got to know from either reading or watching Wicked. I read Wicked, Son of a Witch, and A Lion Among Men many years ago, and seem to have forgotten that I didn't really like the writing style of them before I picked up Elphie. I think Maguire has a talent with words and writes well, however, I struggle with his storytelling style, so I find it hard to follow the plot in his books. That being said, if you adore the world of Wicked and are looking to immerse yourself further in it with some character backstory, you may enjoy this book.

Thank you to William Morrow for the eARC!

An absolutely perfect read for all Wicked fanatics. Who doesn't love a good prequel or origin story? Elphie does NOT dissapoint in this great novel.

What an amazing prequel to one of my most beloved series ever! Gregory Maguire works magic once again. Having a glimpse into little Elphie's early years was a perfect conclusion to the Wicked series and a great companion to the recent movie release.
Maguire does Oz so well. I hope he returns with more stories about Oz in the future.

I wanted to love this book but I just didn’t. I’m glad I already purchased it for my HS library, I know a lot of my students will enjoy it but it was not the book for me. I found the writing too slow and it just never hooked me or kept my attention. I’m sure bigger Wicked fans than me will love it.

I really wanted to like this book, and maybe I should have re-read Wicked which I last read over 20 years ago, but I had recently seen the movie, and forgot how different the book is. However, Elphie seems to be an unnecessary prequel to a prequel, and takes out all of the elements of Wicked that make it worthwhile. There are a couple of exciting scenes, but a lot to get through for little return. Disappointing.

If you're like me and just have to know more/can't wait to return to OZ- I have the perfect book for you!


Elphie by @gregorymaguire is out now!! Read to find out more about Elphaba - was she destined to be a witch, or is she just misunderstood?

I really enjoyed this book! Would definitely recommend to everyone who loved the original wicked series!

In Elphie, we delve even deeper into the origins of the tragic, inherited & ptsd-induced brand of narcissism that characterized Elphaba in Wicked, where we saw the culmination of Elphaba’s journey from her birth to her untimely “ending” at the hands of the blue-frocked child-traveler from Kansas. And wowee. I was still? somehow? not expecting such a bleak & brutal origin story but I think that was definitely my fault—after all, name a more chronically misunderstood, mercilessly villainized heroine than our Elphaba.

At the end of the story, however, pretty much all I could do was bow down to Gregory Maguire’s absolute refusal (much like Oyeyemi’s) to write down to a reader’s expectations, & once you make your peace with that, what we are left with is one of the most devastating & yet also insistently beautiful novels I have ever read… (CW: animal (& Animal) death & cruelty—quite a bit of it)

What fun to get a glimpse into the formative years of the person most of us know as the Wicked Witch of the West.

We are all, in part, a product of our environment—Elphaba Thropp is no different. Elphie experiences prejudice for being born with green skin, beginning within her own family. She is on the receiving end of her parents’ lack of emotional maturity and inability to meet her needs. She learns to accept solitude and neglect as her younger siblings require more attention because it grants her some freedom from her family’s criticism. She bears the scars of generational trauma. But occasionally, she encounters—maybe not kind, but kinder—souls who help alter the trajectory of her life as a traveling minister’s daughter into one that will continue to open and satiate her curious mind, sending her on her path to Shiz University where we first met her in “Wicked.”

My biggest piece of criticism is the length of the book—I think this could’ve been just as good as a novella since there are so many other books in the series that paint a great picture of Elphaba and the world of Oz, but I think learning about what planted the seeds in her mind in the years leading up to Shiz gives additional dimension to her character.

I was sorely disappointed by this books. After wicked the movie, Broadway and book all told such great stories, I thought for sure we would get another great hit. Unfortunately, this felt more like a cash grab after the success of the movie and less about the content of the story.

ELPHIE by Gregory Maguire
There were times when knowing a student’s story helped understand behavior and needs and ways to reach them. So it is with Elphie. Raised in damp wilderness, following her father’s evangelistic travels, losing her mother while still young, and marked by her green coloration, Elphie learns to cope, to strive, and to think for herself. There is much to think and wonder about in this early tale, how her sister will manage without her, will anyone take her mischievous brother in hand, how will her early fascination with Animals play out?
I was a bit reminded of POISONWOOD BIBLE, preacher father, social commentary, sisters in competition.
I seldom reread (so many new books to keep up with), but I might look for audio versions to enjoy this one a second time.

Elphie by Gregory Maguire takes the reader back into the world of OZ to take a look into the childhood of our title character. I did enjoy being back around the characters I have come to be invested in but something in the pacing and stakes felt really off kilter. I have traditionally loved this author's work and will likely add this one to my collection and will mostly be recommending mainly to hardcore wicked fans.

4/5 stars — A witchy, witty return to Oz!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC of Elphie! Getting to revisit the origins of one of literature’s most complicated heroines felt like opening a long-lost diary—one written in emerald ink and probably enchanted.

Gregory Maguire is back, and he’s brought us a gorgeously detailed, emotionally rich prequel that gives Wicked fans exactly what they didn’t know they were missing: a deeper dive into young Elphaba’s chaotic, curious, and complicated childhood. From her very first scream (which no doubt had a hint of sass), Elphie is wholly herself—prickly, perceptive, and perpetually misunderstood. You don’t become the Wicked Witch of the West without a few formative traumas, and Maguire delivers them with his signature blend of dark whimsy and biting insight.

The book is at its best when it lingers in the in-between moments—Elphie observing the injustice toward Animals, testing the brittle boundaries of friendship, and trying (and often failing) to fit into the puzzle of her own peculiar family. Melena and Frex are walking contradictions (one hedonistic, one sanctimonious), and their parenting style could best be described as “mild neglect meets magical realism.” The arrival of saintly Nessarose and troublemaker Shell only further tilts Elphie’s world.

There’s something a little heartbreaking—and a little hopeful—about watching a child so full of bite and brilliance try to find her place in a world that doesn’t quite know what to do with her.

Admittedly, the pacing stumbles in parts, and the prose occasionally leans more philosophical than necessary for a coming-of-age tale, but the emotional payoff is worth the journey. And for longtime fans, the ending—leading right up to Shiz and the first glimmer of Galinda—is nothing short of enchanting.

If you loved Wicked, Elphie feels like slipping on an old, green glove. Unconventional, slightly abrasive, and utterly unforgettable.

(P.S. I’ll be needing that deluxe limited edition, immediately. Stenciled edges and a color map? Yes, please!)

I am one of very few people I know who loved Wicked (the book, not the musical), so I was very excited to see the prequel that would give us Elphaba’s origin story. That said, I’m not sure it really delivered said “origin”. This story occurs largely outside munchkin land in Ovvels where Elphie and her siblings are mostly with their nanny and their father is proselytizing. Elphie does meet some talking animals, but the engagement is brief but clearly impactful to our protagonist. This is perhaps the biggest connection to “who elphaba will become”. I’m not sure what the ultimate point of the family’s venture to Ovvels is. I am still not clear on the relevance of Turtle heart, who was mentioned often yet seemed no one cared much about. Ultimately I don’t feel that I learned much about Elphaba.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a pretty interesting prequel to Wicked. It moved along quickly and fleshed out some parts of Elphaba's backstory. I read the original novel a long time ago, so I feel like I'm more familiar with the musical these days. I had to refresh my memory a couple times. I don't think this book would really appeal to anyone who isn't familiar with the story, but the chapters are short in a way that sped things up.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

Wiked has always been a favorite of mine for many years, and this book is no different. I loved reading the story and looking into Elphies world I just cannot get enough. Now I need to go back and rewatch the movies and maybe stop by the theatre again for another fix.

Thanks to University Press of Kentucky and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

This is perfect for fans of Wicked. Great characters, great setting, great story