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Disclaimer: I tried not to have any spoilers, but if you haven't read the book (and want to) I probably wouldn't continue!
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, by Gregory Maguire
I picked this book because I want to see the musical (as I have for some time now) and thought it would be a good starting point for the basis of the musical. Also, I had heard some fabulous reviews from friends, and was curious about the "other side" of the story, as opposed to just Dorothy's side in The Wizard of Oz. (Which, for the record, I didn't really like. The flying monkeys were hella scary for a kid!)
For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. It took me a little longer than I would have liked though, because some of the language is a bit hard to understand, and certain scenes are described in a way where you really have to "read between the lines" (and most of the time I read while commuting, so reading between the lines is not so easy at 7AM on the way to work!). I had to re-read certain parts, which mildly annoyed me. I still don't really get what happened with her friend, the midget and the tiger in that seeming sex den...
Aside from that, I think the main theme was to see "good" (in the normal, moral sense) as evil, and evil as good, and to not judge things as they seem. You see the "Wicked Witch" as a victim of circumstances in her life- her best friend, her sister, her passion for saving Animals, her schooling, the people she ran into and/or associated with, and of course her green skin. Was she truly wicked? After reading this, I don't believe she was.
It was really interesting to see the story from a different perspective. I like the idea that it borrowed some parts from the original, so you had a way to link to certain scenes from The Wizard of Oz in terms of timing and people. As for the characters, it was awesome having the background on the Wicked Witch- from birth onward. I didn't care so much for Glinda or Nessarose (though I don't think I was supposed to anyway). I wish there was more development with Fiyero's wife. I didn't understand Madame Morrible's role. Nanny was quite comical, and along with the Wicked Witch's wit and sarcasm, made for some relief from the heaviness of certain parts. I would say without a doubt this was a dark and twisted tale.
Throughout the book, multiple questions were presented or popped into my head. My main disappointment with this book was that not all the strings were tied neatly together at the conclusion. I like closure that ties everything into a neat little package at the end. I still don't know why her skin was green, what happened at the sex den (if that's what it was- I'm presuming orgies and animal sex), if the Lion was the cub from her classroom, what happened to Nanny, her brother, her child, and Fiyero's daughter, what happened to the magick book, and why the Wizard was such an ass to the Wicked Witch (other than knowing that she wanted to kill him...which might have not been the case if she knew who he was in her life). Oh, and why water was so deadly! I know some of these questions aren't really important to the overall plot, but again, I like it when the ends are tied up.
Final Rating: 
(out of 5, and based on NetFlix scale- which means really liked it, but not loved it)
Did you read this book? If so, what did you think? What are you currently reading?
