Wicked

Gregory Maguire drafted the first draft of Wicked in London during the Gulf War, where news reports comparing Saddam Hussein to Hitler forced him to ask if anyone is truly born bad. Published by ReganBooks on March 1, 1995, the novel reimagines L. Frank Baum's Oz through the eyes of Elphaba Thropp, a green-skinned girl with sharp teeth who grows up to become the infamous Wicked Witch of the West. The story traces her childhood under a traveling politician father, her time at Shiz University, and her eventual radicalization against the Wizard's corrupt regime.

Elphaba forms a lifelong bond with Glinda Upland, a blonde student who becomes "Glinda the Good," yet their friendship fractures under political pressure and shared romantic interests. Maguire constructs a gritty world filled with totalitarian propaganda and systemic oppression of animals capable of speech, challenging traditional notions of good and evil. The book contains graphic violence and explicit sexual content, features that often surprise parents expecting a children's story after seeing the 2024 film adaptation.

Initial reviews from the New York Times criticized the author for politicizing beloved characters, but word-of-mouth sales eventually turned the book into a global phenomenon. It currently holds a 4.2 out of 5 star rating on Amazon based on over 13,500 customer reviews. The success launched the Wicked Years series, which includes sequels like Son of a Witch and A Lion Among Men, as well as a forthcoming prequel. [edit]