Rating: ⭐⭐⭐💫/5

The fourth and final book in Maguire’s Wicked series, Out of Oz, had been sitting on my shelf for a decade before I finally decided to buckle down and read it. I was pretty disappointed in book three, A Lion Among Men, so I was apprehensive about this one. Wicked is among my all-time favorite books, and I didn’t want my last memory of the series to be negative. In the end, Out of Oz was pretty decent. I can’t say it’s my favorite of the series, but it brought a satisfying end to the saga of the Thropp family and seemed like a good way to wrap up Maguire’s vision of a gritty and complex land of Oz.

Summary:
Social unrest bubbles through Oz as Munchkinland fights to maintain its independence and the forces of the Emerald City scheme and struggle to bring the economically crucial province back under control. Amidst the chaos, Lady Glinda finds herself under house arrest, while the Cowardly Lion is on the lam with the Clock of the Time Dragon, and rumors begin to spread of the return of Dorothy. Stuck in the center of all this hubbub is Rain, the daughter of Liir and supposed granddaughter of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. As she comes of age she’ll find that there is perhaps nothing more dangerous and challenging than being true to her roots.

***

Slipping back into Maguire’s Oz is like taking a vacation to a favorite country. It’s old, filled with secrets, and constantly healing from wounds caused by perennial conflicts. But it has a charm and richness that makes me want to keep coming back (which is probably why I’ve re-read Wicked more than almost any other book in my library). Out of Oz takes the reader through this well-developed backdrop to check in on familiar characters and meet many new and interesting ones. I loved getting to spend time with Glinda again, and even the Lion didn’t annoy me as much this time around. The main character, Rain, has a great arc and her growth as she navigates a difficult upbringing in a chaotic time is ultimately quite satisfying.

That being said, I didn’t quite LOVE this book. There were spans when it just seemed to slog on pointlessly and I couldn’t wait to be done with it. I also strenuously object to the off-screen death of a particular character whose existence seemed so important to the plot of the previous two books. Having that character die in an off-hand way for seemingly no reason felt like a slap in the face.

But this book does something right, because by the end I was riveted, emotional, and loathe to say goodbye to Oz and its colorful characters. My final impression was that this book did a great job wrapping up the Wicked Years quadrilogy.

❓ The film adaptation of Wicked (the musical) is out this month. Are you planning to go see it?