Reviews - Wicked: [Movie Tie-In]: the Inspiration for the Smash-hit Musical and the Upcoming Major Motion Picture

11k reviews for:

Wicked: [Movie Tie-In]: the Inspiration for the Smash-hit Musical and the Upcoming Major Motion Picture

Gregory Maguire

3.4 AVERAGE

sassybooks's review against another edition

1.0

slow-paced

mrsweidner13's review against another edition

1.0

slow-paced

sydgauth's review against another edition

3.5

challenging funny sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I really enjoyed the first half of the book. I liked getting to know Elphaba’s family but was a bit surprised by the time jump. My favorite part was while she was at Shiz. They had humorous conversations and I was interested and excited to keep reading. However it really slowed down for me once she ends us with the Maunts and traveling to Vinkus. The story seemed to drag and only picked back up once Dorothy came into the picture.

niakayjones's review against another edition

1.5

I have to speak my truth. And it’s not going to be pretty. At all.

I KNEW going into this that this was going to be not much like the musical movie/broadway story. I KNEW this was not one for the kids in a way that the broadway story is. I KNEW the characters and plots would be different. But my oh my. Um. It was different, but like not even in a refreshing way like wow I’m seeing this from a new perspective. It just felt bleh. The play really is just so much more lively. It’s beautifully musical of course but even the story in itself has a lot of well developed characters, steadfast pacing, and an engaging plot that deals with the political nature of our world. The book is definitely the inspiration ofc for all that. Without the book, all that wouldn’t exist. So I respect the book for existing. But actually reading it… whew.

Everything made me wanted to disengage as a reader. The plot dragged, the characters hardly had much intrigue to them (I will say Elphaba of course but TOO MUCH BOQ. And then Nessa and Fiyero. Like wow kind cool that Fiyero was darker skinned in this story and he’s not in the play. It provided some interesting commentary on that front BUT STILL ONLY THEM). Did I mention that the plot dragged. I literally had to pull out the audiobook in the end just because. I couldn’t get myself to read it. I’d rather hear it, so that I could be productive at least while reading lol And I didn’t want to even take my time, I just needed to GET THROUGH.

The ideas were there for sure. There were some really good lines and character moments. It’s just… they didn’t quite meld well. And ultimately at the point they came, hardly felt deserved. Made everything feel too convoluted and inauthentically cheeky. The prose was quite fairytale like, but made the story feel out of balance with all of that.

Okay, like, this is my most scathing review I’ve written in awhile. I dislike books, especially on personal levels, but I can understand why someone else might love it, or why it is so highly praised. I can swallow my own grievances, but still hold space for them (catch the pun, wicked movie fans ;)) but this one, I just had to get it out. Again, Wicked as we know it would not have existed without this. So I thank it. You can see the inspiration and the feelings (even if the tone was wonky too) carry over. I respect it in that way highly. Personally, I just, did not at at all enjoy reading it. Sorry. I am.

BUT HEY Gelphie kiss ftw!!!!