I really enjoyed this book. At first I was put off by Maguire's style, but once I got used to it, I got entranced by the plot and the characters.

It's basically the story of the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, from the day of her birth until her death (as described in "The Wizard of Oz"). It gives an entirely new perspective on who she was and on her actions during the time of Dorothy's journey through Oz.

She had the misfortune to be born with bright emerald green skin. The negative reactions of most people to her strange appearance led her to become rather withdrawn and cynical. However, she did make a few good friends during her university years, one of which was Glinda who would later become the "Good Witch of the North".

What I absolutely loved about this book was the backstory that Maguire creates. There's a whole mythology in Oz and two or three major religions (I'm not sure if these were actually created by Maguire or by Baum, but Maguire uses them very effectively). There's a strong political element, which different factions and forces, and even an underground resistance movement against the Wizard's tyranny. All of these factors play a role in the story - Elphaba doesn't become the person we recognise from "The Wizard of Oz" in a vacuum - she is in many ways a product of her environment and of her experiences.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who's willing to try something a bit out of the ordinary. If you're bothered by Maguire's style at the beginning, just stick with it, you'll probably get used to it, and the story's definitely worth the effort.