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ktbreadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Wow. I expected to be disturbed but I did not expect such beautiful prose! I highlighted so many quotes in this book, something I don’t typically do. I found myself on the edge of tears, laughing out loud or screaming in anger multiple times throughout. While I was thinking of the musical the whole time and comparing it, I’d say this was great in different ways. Very dark, but powerful and such an incredible concept.
rendallseely's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
idonttcareeeee's review against another edition
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
author highkey a pedo omfg??? also about half of the vinkus section could've def be cut out wtf. genuinely really liked it tho, im excited to see the wicked movie now too
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty
Moderate: Child abuse
sarahmelc's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
sharkgirlsam's review against another edition
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
hedyharper's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Confinement, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Violence, Animal death, Classism, Colonisation, Grief, Infidelity, Abandonment, Ableism, Abortion, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, Animal cruelty, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Death of parent, Murder, Suicide attempt, War, and Xenophobia
ducky_'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Hard book to read! Read it for a school project and it was a challenge!
jennings_thom21's review against another edition
5.0
By far one of my most favorite books of all time. Definitely different and way more detailed than the musical, but SO GOOD.
dakinpj's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
dndeevee's review against another edition
2.0
I thought I might give this book another chance, now that I am 10 years older and wiser. I thought maybe the political, philosophical bits might be more enjoyable to me now.
Nope. This book is BAD.
Reading this book is like digging for nuggets of gold. The concept of an origin story focusing on the Wicked Witch of the West is brilliant, and there are moments of narrative in the first and third acts that make us really care about these characters. These glimmers of potential make you keep reading, hoping you’ll find another glimmer. But most of the time, it’s just dirt.
It is also unnecessarily graphic. Every trigger imaginable is in this book and treated with appalling callousness. Not even the characters seem to care, and in many cases he goes out of his way to illustrate how LITTLE they care.
This book is a self-indulgent, bloviating, nearly incoherent navel-gazing ramble from the author as he philosophizes freely on the nature of good, evil, and forgiveness using the thin allegorical facade of well-known Oz characters. He simultaneously explains nothing while also never shutting up.
(My main problem is, if you’re going to write a philosophy book, just DO that… don’t make us read your own philosophy on your OWN lore?? He creates unnecessarily detailed lore on the politics and religions of Oz, spending about 70% trying to explain it and the other 30% clumsily trying to transition from one philosphical diatribe to the next.)
Most of the plot about Elphaba and her schoolmates happens in the first third and the final third. There are moments of those storylines that are quite charming, funny, and very fun. I would recommend to anyone reading this book that they skip the middle third entirely… you won’t miss a thing and you’ll have a much better shot at enjoying yourself.
~~~Original review: August 2014~~~
The beginning and end of this book was great, but the middle act was sooooooo sloooooow... The plot made little or no sense, scenes were unnecessarily graphic... just in general that section seemed to last forever. I think he was going for political and emotional intrigue, but it fell FAR from the mark for me. I ended up skipping it and headed straight for the end, and I didn't miss a thing.
Four stars for the beginning and end sections, two stars for the middle.
Nope. This book is BAD.
Reading this book is like digging for nuggets of gold. The concept of an origin story focusing on the Wicked Witch of the West is brilliant, and there are moments of narrative in the first and third acts that make us really care about these characters. These glimmers of potential make you keep reading, hoping you’ll find another glimmer. But most of the time, it’s just dirt.
It is also unnecessarily graphic. Every trigger imaginable is in this book and treated with appalling callousness. Not even the characters seem to care, and in many cases he goes out of his way to illustrate how LITTLE they care.
This book is a self-indulgent, bloviating, nearly incoherent navel-gazing ramble from the author as he philosophizes freely on the nature of good, evil, and forgiveness using the thin allegorical facade of well-known Oz characters. He simultaneously explains nothing while also never shutting up.
(My main problem is, if you’re going to write a philosophy book, just DO that… don’t make us read your own philosophy on your OWN lore?? He creates unnecessarily detailed lore on the politics and religions of Oz, spending about 70% trying to explain it and the other 30% clumsily trying to transition from one philosphical diatribe to the next.)
Most of the plot about Elphaba and her schoolmates happens in the first third and the final third. There are moments of those storylines that are quite charming, funny, and very fun. I would recommend to anyone reading this book that they skip the middle third entirely… you won’t miss a thing and you’ll have a much better shot at enjoying yourself.
~~~Original review: August 2014~~~
The beginning and end of this book was great, but the middle act was sooooooo sloooooow... The plot made little or no sense, scenes were unnecessarily graphic... just in general that section seemed to last forever. I think he was going for political and emotional intrigue, but it fell FAR from the mark for me. I ended up skipping it and headed straight for the end, and I didn't miss a thing.
Four stars for the beginning and end sections, two stars for the middle.