15. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (The Wicked Years #1) by Gregory Maguire
A brilliant send up of Frank L. Baum’s original tale, Wicked takes the classically bad character—the Wicked Witch—and not only finds her humanity but also provides a backstory for her and the possibility of sympathy and redemption. A postmodern lesson on perspective and spin, Wicked reads the Wicked Witch as misunderstood; while Glinda is as deeply evil as she is disingenuous. Also a hilarious and entertaining Broadway musical, this book is sure to tickle your young adult, who, like this retelling of the classic, feels all grown up.
