Holy shit! What an amazing book this is! I had never really delved into the whole Oz/Wicked thing before, so a big thank you to my family for getting this for me! I absolutely love villain backstories. There are always two sides to every story, and I much prefer it this way. Elphaba, born with green skin and razor-sharp teeth, bites someone's finger off right from the start. Her first word, after refusing to speak but listening intently, is "horrors". I immediately felt a connection with Nanny and loved her. Elphaba goes to college, runs away from everyone, has a love affair that leaves her with a son, Liir. They go to live with the wife, sisters-in-law, and children of Liir's father, without them knowing the connection, of course.
The action really picks up when Elphaba reunites with more people from her past, and Dorothy lands her house right on Elphaba's sister. She meets up with Glinda, her old roommate from school, and they giggle like young schoolgirls again, but not for long. Elphaba is almost 40, and her life is a complete mess, but at least she has a home. Now only with her son and old nanny, as the whole family has presumably been killed, except for the daughter. This is where Elphaba meets her tragic end, which made me gasp in shock.
Poor Elphaba. She was just different and had so many difficulties in life, mostly because of it. I'm curious to see how her son, Liir, will live on, even though he seems kind of naive so far. I highly recommend this book for everyone who is a teenager or older! What surprised me is that there is no hiding of sex in this book. But it is very well written, and I really enjoyed it and will definitely read it many times more!
Still a little heartbroken from Elphaba's death, I continued reading this book. I wondered how much I would like Liir as he tagged along with Dorothy and the others. But the fact that the book started with him being hurt and in a coma made me really care about what had happened to him. There are so many things happening in this book. Liir has to do a lot of things, like finding Nor, helping the Elephant princess, joining the guard, and after going back to Kiamo Ko, attending a bird conference (which is when he gets hurt).
After this, we are in the present, and Candle, who has been taking care of Liir in his coma, is pregnant. I personally thought their little love story was adorable. But then he leaves for Emerald City and does some things there. When he comes back, the Elephant princess steals all his attention, and he makes Candle play music for the dying princess. He then joins them and the body on their way. This is when we find out that the "Elphaba lives" graffiti in the city was written by Nor, but we have barely heard anything about her, except that she escaped and is alive, which is a bit of a shame.
The book ends with Liir coming back and finding his abandoned newborn daughter, who he thinks is dead, but after a while, she turns out to be alive. He washes her, and her skin turns out to be green. I liked this book a little bit less than the first one, but it was still good. Well-written, with good characters. It's just that reading about Liir going back and forth all the time got a little tiring, haha. But overall, not bad at all! Definitely worth a read if you like the world of Oz.
Totally unexpected! I heard of this book and decided to take a leap of faith. And I've never regretted it.
These tales of the wicked witch of the west and another story of what happens next are truly remarkable. They are great in many aspects. They are insightful, offering a deep look into the characters and their motives. They are humorous, bringing a smile to your face with their witty dialogues and situations. They are also dark and sad, delving into the pain and suffering that the characters endure. And yet, they are sympathetic, making you understand and empathize with the so-called "wicked" characters.
The roller-coaster ride of emotions and the profound insight behind the story of someone thought to be wicked will open your eyes to other points of view or versions of a story in a way that is utterly enjoyable. It will make you question your own assumptions and see the world from a different perspective.
3.5 stars - Wicked is truly a remarkable piece of work that easily earns a 4-star rating. The depth of the characters, the engaging plot, and the masterful storytelling all contribute to its allure. However, when it comes to its sequel, Son of a Witch, it fails to reach the same high standards. While I did find some enjoyment in reading the next part of the story, it didn't have the same magic as the original. The characters seemed less developed, and the plot felt a bit convoluted at times. As a result, I'm left feeling unsure if I will continue the series. On one hand, I'm curious to see where the story will go next. But on the other hand, I'm hesitant to invest more time and effort into a series that may not live up to my expectations.