A Wicked Good Book

I have recently read the book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. I have to say it was nothing like what I expected. I have never seen the broadway musical but I've heard a lot of good things about it. The book though is nothing like what I have heard. Its really an adult book but honestly I loved it. It was really sad and put a really elaborate twist to The Wizard of Oz. I actually liked it more than the original book my Frank L. Baum.

*Spoilers*

In the book you read about the Witch's or Elphaba's early life. She was born a peculiar child with green skin and pointy teeth. Even at a young age she stayed away from water as if she sensed it could melt her. Throughout the book you learn about her life and how she was always seen as strange to other people. When she finally went to college she managed to make some friends as well as enemies. She was always extremely opinionated especially about the difference between animals and Animals. Animals were regular dogs, cats, goats but they could talk and have opinions on things like art, poetry, and politics. Elphaba also met The Great and Powerful Wizard. That one encounter is what turns her against him. He treats her like a peasant and acts extremely selfishly. Oz also does not care about his citizens except those of the upper class. After meeting Oz and getting out of college Elphaba joins a secret group that is bent on killing Oz and changing the way of government. Through her life Elphaba experiences love and loss and hardships. In the end she gets splashed with water and she melts.

This book was a little troubling but in a good way. There were many sad parts that really upset me but it really does teach a lot about how people may seem like someone but are really different on the inside. Many people thought Elphaba was cold and a little bit too obsessed with evil but she was actually just a misunderstood woman who had strong opinions. She was definitely my favorite character because she reminded me so much of me. She always spoke her mind about everything and she stood up for the things she believed in. I really admire her and I would like to be like her. She was confident and even though she knew people didn't like her or didnt think she was pretty she was still extremely confident.

My least favorite character...well actually I didn't like most to be honest. But one character I particularly disliked was Nessarose, Elphaba's sister or The Wicked Witch of the East. She had pink skin was born without any arms. Even so she acts like a princess and it really annoys me when people act as if everyone needs to worship them.

Another one of my favorite characters was Fiyero. Fiyero was Elphaba's lover even though he was married. They were friends in college but then she disappeared to join the group previously mentioned. Fiyero was the first one of her friends to spot her one day in a cafe and after that he followed her trying to talk to her. Fiyero was really nice and he had blue diamonds drawn all over his face. I thought that was a really cool characteristic. It really made him stand out from everyone else apart from the fact he was smart and kind.

A part in the book that really made me sad was when the Cowardly Lion was ungrateful to Elphaba. When she was in college and he was just a cub he was brought into the class and students were supposed to experiment on him. Elphaba was the first to speak up and save the Lion but later on the Lion asked her why did she ever think he even needed her help.

My favorite part was Elphaba's view on evil and good. She showed me that evil and good can be much more in depth than just two simple meanings.

All in all I really liked this book even though I was very sad and emotionally unstable by the end.


-Lora