The book Wicked by Gregory Maguire is a great read for anyone that loved the original books by L. Frank Baum, the movie remakes, or the Wicked musical. However, there is adult content, so I would recommend only high school age or older. The language used throughout the book can be dense, and the plot can drag, while at other times it can carry you into the world of Oz. The story does have a great ending, and while I won’t spoil it, and can not speak for anyone else, it was worth reading the four-hundred page book. It also was set up to support a sequel, Son of A Witch. The land of Oz is so much more flushed out then in the movie adaptation of the Wizard of Oz. You learn of the higherborn of the north, the Gilkinese, and the lesser of the south, the Munchkinlanders, and of what it was like for the people of Oz, and for the Animals of Oz, anthropomorphic animals that are fully sentient, equally or greater in intelligence then the more human creatures.Depending on what copy of the book you have, mine did, the book has a map of Oz, as well as a family tree of certain characters.The characters are great. They feel like actually people, especially Elphaba. They are fully developed, and not just empty husks that get thrown about. You actually learn to care, and feel for the characters, especially Elphaba; the Wicked Witch of the West.  I love the style of the book, with its changing perspectives, you can see what is going on around certain characters, and see inside their heads, while not having a first-person point of view. The book has both internal and external conflict, with Elphaba trying to go against the Wizard, especially the unfair and hateful laws towards Animals, while internal conflicts in G[a]linda, she changes her name partway through the book, on several things. You also have lesser conflicts between the characters on different occasions. Something else I enjoyed about the book but might turn people away from the book is the political aspect. As the reader, you regularly hear about the antics of the Wizard, you hear of rebellion, and Nessarose, known for being crushed by a house, is the leader of the Munchkinlanders. Elphaba also does one thing that I don’t understand, being joining a Convent. It is quite curious that Elphaba. The stubborn person she is decided to join something that controlled her. It was also curious that her weakness would be water, as it essentially burns her upon contact. Would it be because she has a fiery soul? It is one thing that I thought was strange upon reading, and until the last page. I am sure there are several theories, and some might even be right. However I do not have a guaranteed correct theory for you here