Kids around the world know the story of Dorothy and Toto and how they ended up in the Land of Oz. The land of Munchkins and Gillikins and Winkies and Quadlings….and witches. But do they know how the witches learned their skills? Or that they were friends and even sisters long ago? That’s right – the one Dorothy’s house killed, the Wicked Witch of the West, and the Good Witch of the East were friends once. Before a ruler set on devaluing groups of people who were different than him turned everyone against the small sect that was trying to stop him. Before the Wizard made them the most hated in the land.
L. Frank Baum’s Oz series gets a prequel of sorts in Gregory Maguire’s Wicked. Following these girls as they meet at boarding school and through their lives after, this story shows the origins of several beloved characters in the Baum books including the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Woodman, and more. As I have stated before, the Oz series has moments of not being too kid friendly, but we’ve worked through those as we have been reading with our son. However, Wicked definitely is not kid friendly. With debauchery, adultery, and more sins as focal points, this is a novel about looking beyond the surface to see what lies beneath, but also about how our discrimination against others can live on as hatred in their hearts.
I give Wicked 3 out of 5 stars. I have always loved the musical based on this book and with the two-part movie coming out right now, I thought it would be nice to revisit the story, but the book is very far from the musical. I was surprised as the sexual references in this book and….that scene. This is not a book I can actively recommend to friends and family – it’s a bit too much. I did like the way Maguire pulled in the origins of so many characters here, but it almost feels disingenuous to Baum’s works because of the overly sexual and violent scenes.
Given the sex, violence, and more, I would recommend this book for audiences over 18 years of age. I would also caution anyone who had bad experiences with boarding schools from reading this. If you’re looking for a spin on the Wizard of Oz plot with a twist of sexual freedom, you may enjoy this read. But if you’re looking for something like the musical – this isn’t the book for you.
I chose Wicked for the Read With Lindsey Reading Challenge prompt “becoming a movie in 2025”. I know, part one has already released, so I’m cheating a bit. This has just been such a high-profile movie, I couldn’t resist! Have you seen the movie yet? Is it as good as the play?
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What I’m Reading
- Current print book: The Cold Dish, Craig Johnson
- Current audio book: Shotgun Lovesongs, Nickolas Butler
- Book I’m most looking forward to: The Twelve Topsy-Turvy, Very Messy Days of Christmas, James Patterson & Tad Safran
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