This is the other side of the story, here we hear about Elphaba's life leading up to her being known as the Wicked Witch of the East. We go right back to her birth, a green-skinned baby, with her parents believing that she is some sort of punishment for their wrongs. Right from the start, Elphaba is pretty hard to love, she looks strange, she has teeth better suited for a crocodile and a personality to match.
I have never read Baum's books, just seen two films, but Maguire does seem to try and match up his version with the timeline of the original.
This is no book for weens, it deal with other issues, such as the treatment of animals and Animals (such as the Cowardly Lion), as well as the different peoples under the leadership of the Wizard.
The action also moves right around the different lands under the Wizard's control, bringing up the differences between the peoples. There was something rather First-Among- Equals-esque about Elphaba's time at Shiz University, where she meets those that will feature later in her life, including a few characters you will recognise from the film.
I really enjoyed this, but felt that the end was a bit rushed, I wanted to know more of what happened. Luckily I already have the next 2 books in the series.

Off to a new reader.