Fantasy
Wicked
A retelling of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from the viewpoint of the girl who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. It follows her from a troubled birth through school and a political Oz that is not as happy as it seems.
Facts last checked 2026-10-16
- First published
- 1995
- Pace
- Slow
- Length
- Medium
- Pages
- 519
- Format
- Book 1 of 4 in The Wicked Years
Read this if you like revisionist fantasy that mixes satire, politics and moral questions about who gets called wicked.
Skip this if you want a light musical-style story, because the book is much darker and denser than the stage show.
The feel
Content warnings
Also reported by Hardcover readers:
Quick answers about Wicked
- What is Wicked about?
- A retelling of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from the viewpoint of the girl who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. It follows her from a troubled birth through school and a political Oz that is not as happy as it seems.
- Who should read Wicked?
- Read it if you like revisionist fantasy that mixes satire, politics and moral questions about who gets called wicked. Skip it if you want a light musical-style story, because the book is much darker and denser than the stage show.
- How long and how fast is Wicked?
- It is a slow-paced, medium read of about 519 pages, first published in 1995.
- Does Wicked have content warnings?
- Content we flag: Violence, Death, Prejudice, Sexual content.
- Can I borrow Wicked for free?
- Often, yes. Check Libby (OverDrive) to see whether your library lends Wicked; the borrow button above searches it for you.
- What should I read after Wicked?
- Readers who liked it often move on to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Circe, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.
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Where to get it
| Store | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Borrow free | ||
| Libby / OverDrive | Free with a library card | Borrow free with Libby from Libby / OverDrive |
| Print, new | ||
| Amazon | Check price | Buy new from Amazon |
| Ebook | ||
| Kobo | Check price | Buy ebook from Kobo |
| Google Play Books | Check price | Buy ebook from Google Play Books |
| Audiobook | ||
| Audible | Check price | Buy audiobook from Audible |
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