Is ELPHIE Worth Reading? Wicked Prequel Review and Summary | Deep Themes and Deep Thoughts

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Recorded28 Nov 2025

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Handlerec:13476872

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Send us a textToday we FINISH our coverage of the Wicked book universe by Gregory Maguire with the newest installation, released an entire fourteen years after Out of Oz: Elphie: A Wicked Childhood, the prequel to the original book!Told from Elphaba Thropp’s perspective as she navigates her early childhood and adolescence before starting her education at Shiz University, we watch as she discovers her magic and the injustices in larger society outside of her small village. We get an inside look at her relationships with Nessarose and Shell, and even get to pick up some Easter eggs along the way. Do we think this prequel is a money grab coming off the Wicked movie’s success? Or a true and genuine expansion of this rich universe? Check out our kickoff “Are Books Political" episode all about why books and reading are inherently political and why it’s not only important to acknowledge this, but to read our favorite books through this lens. We concluded during our subsequent deep dive of all four books in the original Wicked universe that Maguire intentionally uses the fantastical to expertly critique issues like authoritarianism, colonialism, and racism, just to name a few. But does Elphie have the same impact and themes? Or does it fall short? In this episode we dive into book 0.5: Elphie. We give our spoiler free reviews, then get into our faves and least faves, and then discuss whether or not this book stayed true to the overtly political overtones that the rest of Maguire’s Oz books have, or if it took us in a completely new direction. Fantasy stories can be so much more than surface level storytelling, and often are. We’re here to discover why! Listen on for our reviews of book four, our deep dive reactions with five sentence summary, and fun facts about the Wicked Universe! And don’t worry, we saw the new movie! So tune in next Friday for our FINAL episode in this bonus series when we discuss the musical, the movies, and rank everything! Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes Friday!…)Check out these author interviews? ⬇️We interviewed Callie Hart all about her NYT Bestseller Quicksilver! Watch it here! https://youtu.be/CED5s7qDBdQ?si=8xtIRO1IzX6Rsld4____Shop bookish apparel worn in this episode!Ashley is wearing: A Wicked tee from @Lambcomedy | * https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTHTAWQJaYDDh-R24gJ/Liz is wearing: “I Still Read Fairytales” Crew from @shadowboundspines | https://shadowboundspines.com/products/i-still-read-fairytales-just-for-the-villains-now-crewneck?_pos=3&_sid=92d943db8&_ss=r+ a Besties and the Books Exclusive Beanie (DM us to be added to drop list)Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!Support the showYouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast Besties and the Book Club on Fable!https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358Liz Instagram | TikTok@TheRealLifeVeganWife AshleyInstagram | TikTok@AshleyEllix

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