Wicked: The Inspiration for the Major Motion Picture―Now Streaming

I re-read the book to refresh myself for part 2 of the movie release in the fall. Whoa! The book is a lot darker than the movie for sure and there were a lot of other differences to me too. I would recommend reading the physical book vs audio book though because I had to rewind quite a few times during the denser parts of the story.

I enjoyed it, the storytelling, character dynamics, and descriptive world building was great. I found that the last part was rushed and chaotic. It didn’t feel wholly organic to the characters that had been built, more a panicked realization that this story needed to be integrated back with the original telling. I’m still happy to have read it and would recommend.

I'm really not sure why I continued reading this book or what I got out of it.

I’m a big reader, and I was disappointed by this book. I finished it, but I never felt truly connected to any of the characters. I did appreciate that it offers an original take, giving insight into what happens before Dorothy arrives and why Elphaba wants to go after her. I tend to prefer stories that pull me in emotionally and make me care about the characters despite their flaws, and this one didn’t do that for me. I haven’t seen the play, so I’m judging it purely as a standalone novel. Also, just a heads up, there are sexual innuendos and a graphic sex scene.

I honestly couldn’t get through the book because it was a hard read. I honestly couldn’t even finish jt