I was really excited for this book and to read more about Elphaba's story but this book was not what I was expecting at all. This book more explored the political side of Oz and not Elphaba's back story as advertised. I also did not enjoy the flow of this book; there were some pacing issues for me within the writing.

I wanted to love this but after reading the Wicked book I didn’t understand why this needed to be written in the first place

Another one I wanted to love - but was ultimately too difficult to get through and didn't carry the same voice as the original stories.

I recently finished Wicked, which was much darker than the musical. This one keeps the same tone. The novel overall didn't seem to have much plot to it (just one minor plot), but I did enjoy getting to know more about Elphie when she was younger. I appreciated the backstory. The language is flowery, which fits with a fantasy book. I do wish we got more answers about Elphie than what we got. The pacing was slower but this gave us time to fixed what was going on. Overall, I'm glad I read this book.

Whimsical and charming! A light, magical glimpse into young Elphaba’s world. Perfect for Wicked fans who want a fun, easy read.

What happened to young Elphaba before her witchy powers took hold in Wicked? Almost 30 years after the publication of the original novel, for the first time Gregory Maguire reveals the story of prickly young Elphie, the future Wicked Witch of the West—setting the stage for the blockbuster international phenomenon that is The Musical.

Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, will grow to have a feisty and somewhat uncompromising character in adult life. But she is always a one-off, from her infancy; Elphie is the riveting coming-of-age story of a very peculiar and relatable young girl.

Young Elphie is shaped and molded by the behaviors of her promiscuous mother, Melena, and her pious father, Frex. She suffers ordinary childhood jealousies when her sister, saintly Nessarose, and brother, junior felon Shell, arrive. She first encounters the mistreatment of the Animal populations of Oz, which live adjacent to but not intertwined with human settlements, haunted by a Monkey and receiving aid from Dwarf Bears. She thrashes through her first bruising attempts at friendship, a possible lifeline from her tricky family life. And she gleans the benefits of an education, haphazard though it must be—until she arrives at the doors of Shiz University, about to meet the radiant creature that is Galinda.

Elphie is destined to be a witch; she bears the markings from childhood—most evidently in her green skin but more obscurely and profoundly in her cunning and perhaps amoral behaviors, as she seeks to make do, to slip by, to sneak out, to endure, and to aspire.

Look to the western sky, you'll find me devouring this book. Holy Shiz!!! I loved it. I loved getting Elphie's backstory. Will recommend to others.

While I was super excited to read an origin story about Elphaba (I’m a huge theatre nerd), this story fell flat for me. I couldn’t even make it to part 2. The writing didn’t flow very well. I’m all for prosey, lyrical writing, but this more avoided what Maguire was describing rather than build a beautiful picture in your mind. I simply wasn’t captured, but I hope the right audience finds this!

Thank you NetGalley for the early arc in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't love this book. I was so excited to learn that a prequel was being published last year after watching the film adaptation of Wicked, but this fell short of my expectations. The plot dragged, and I thought I'd need a dictionary to get through some of the language. Honestly, this felt like it needed a heavy edit, but I'm afraid the publishing of this book might have been rushed because of the Wicked hype between the first and second installments releasing in theaters. Disappointed, but some fans might enjoy it. *Advance copy provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

🟢ELPHIE: A WICKED CHILDHOOD by Gregory McGuire🟢 was somewhat of a disappointment for this Elphaba loving reader. Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher, @williammorrowbooks for the e-ARC.

🐵🙈🙉

Oh boy! This one hurts to even talk about. I really wanted to love this return to Oz but it just did not hit for me. This story is meant to bridge the gap in the orignal WICKED book between where Elphaba, (aka The Wicked Witch of the West) is born as a green, sharp-toothed infant and where she goes off to university and she is radicalized by the awful treatment of animals in the university system. There were some entertaining aspects of this story for sure, but it didn't hold my attention the same way the original WICKED book did.

I enjoyed specifically the nostalgia of being in the world of Oz again, but this story didn't have the same magic or danger that I remembered from WICKED. When I read that first novel in this series, I was in love with Elphaba's fierce activism, contempt for controlling authority and stubborn views. While there was a spark of that Elphaba's charm in ELPHIE, I didn't feel the same mesmerized way as I had with her character in book 1. We also don't really learn anything new or life-changing about Elphaba in this installment in my opinion which was a bummer.

So in short, this was a somewhat fun and nostalgic return to this series but also just made me want to read the original again!

This book is so interesting. I am used to reading stories that have a defining beginning, middle, and end. This book just...was. It was its own thing. At first, it made me uncomfortable but then I just enjoyed the ride of following the Thropp family and Elphaba. I would defiinitely recommend this book.

I was so excited to receive this ARC, especially after just seeing wicked the movie. The backstory of Elphie!

I tried several times to get into it, first with the e-book, reading aloud to my son, reading quietly to myself, then I got the audiobook from the library and give it another couple hours. The writing is so dry and laborious is 40% of the book, I don’t really think anything happens. Had to put down, DNF.

Thanks to NetGalley for an opportunity to read this advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have received an advanced copy of Elphie from the NetGalley, the author, and William Morrow! 🫶

DNF at 50%. I love Wicked so much. The book, musicale, and the movie all have my heart! 🥹💕 When I found out I was getting an advanced copy of Elphie I was so excited and had high expectations going in. Sadly, I was disappointed and wasn't able to finish reading it because the book wasn't my cup-of-tea!

I found the writing style made the story hard to follow since it was disjointed and choppy at times. The story itself also jumps back and forth and it made it hard for me focus on what was happening. Again it could just be me that wasn't a fan of the writing style in this one specifically.

I know this book will find its audience and if you are a fan of delving in further into Elphie's childhood then do still give it a try! I do look forward to going to see Wicked (Part 2) in theaters in November though!

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to finish this book as it didn’t quite work for me. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it.

Gregory Maguire’s writing is old timey fantasy at its core. Which means it can either read as magical or dry. I was bored immediately. I kept thinking that it being a prequel was a cash grab, which turned me off from continuing.

Thank you William Marlow for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own

This story definitely made me sympathetic to Elphie. The first bit of it was a lot of world and character building. That was necessary for the story . I am hoping going into reading Wicked that I will look at the storyline differently and objectively. It makes you think that if you just switch out her being green with any number if race or disability then it is no different than what is happening in this day and age. 3 Stars

This was a 3 star for me. I was really excited about this book when I got the arc ( little late with reading it) Cause I had very high hopes. I loved the Wicked Series but a lot of this story I felt we already knew from the first novel. Most of this book was tracking down where turtle heart came from… and he is a character I never really liked in the original series. For a book that was so short I felt like it dragged on.

Nessarose still lives up to a character who is just not likeable, even as a child. Frex still is a piece of crap, but I liked that we see a bit more of him because I think his hardness shapes the dynamic between Ness and Elphaba. But to be completely honest, for a book about Elphie, I feel like there wasn’t enough of her in it, or at least things we already didn’t know.

Was this book necessary? No, and would have rather had a book about Glinda’s upbringing, Or a book on Madam Morrible, but that’s just me. But I will always be an Elphie stan so I’m happy we got a little extra for her.

Thank you Netgalley for granting me the ARC for an honest review.

I’ve loved the whole Wicked series and this was no exception. We get to see what Elphaba’s childhood years were like and how they helped shape her. I think this is a must read if you are a fan of the series or even just Wicked. I feel like it’s rare to get insight into a character’s early life which makes the story feel even more special. If you haven’t read the series yet I think this would be a fun way to start it!

Follow Elphaba Thropp through Quadling country as her missionary father drags his family around trying to find converts for The Unnamed God. Fans of the original series might be disappointed with the lack of substance in the plot, but the story provides insights into Elphie's childhood that informs the later novels. The writing read more like vignettes than a fully formed narrative, but I think fans of Elphie, new and old, will enjoy these glimpses. From Elphie's first encounters with talking animals to the Quadlings who pushed her to get a formal education, there are a range of interesting characters and Easter eggs of important things to come. I don't think this will bring new fans to world of Oz, but those already committed will find something worth reading.

Not bad but also not my favorite in the Wicked series. Still a good book by an author who can really weave an interesting tale.

⭐️: 2
DNF. I tried to get into it, but it didn’t hold my interest Maybe I’ll give it another chance at a later time.