What I'm Reading: Wicked - First Impressions.

Ok. So this book is actually called "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" but it's pretty long adn I thought that shortening it down to its more popular name, simply "Wicked" would be a good move in regards to aesthetics. I got this phone on my brand spanking new iphone to take advantage of the iBooks feature (heaven sent, I tell you) and because my parents just bought me tickets to see Wicked, the musical which I have been dreaming of for the past five years, for my sixteenth birthday. I am a firm believer in reading books before watching films, so I figured that the same also applies to musicals, therefore, I am delving into the wonderful world of Oz.

I haven't read a lot of Gregory Maguire's novel yet, inspired by L. Frank Baum's 1939 book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but I am so excited to get into it! So far, I loved the opening scene, I won't give too much away, but the story begins with Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, watching Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Lion and the TIn Man making their way through Oz. I thought it was quite a heartfelt scene, as Elphaba hears of all the rumours that have circulated between people on the subject of her wickedness and evil, I think that it's probably a feeling a few of you out there can relate to, hearing gossip and lies about yourself.

I can't wait to keep reading this novel, I am super excited and definitely hope to be moving on rapidly throughout it. I will keep you updated! Comment below if you've read this book, or seen the musical, or any other thoughts on Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West!

What I'm Reading: The 10PM Question - Review

The 10pm Question

Kate de Goldi

Frankie Parsons is ‘twelve going on eighty’. Whilst growing up in New Zealand, his mind is overflowing with fears and worries about almost everything; are the smoke alarm batteries flat? Is the kidney shaped rash on his chest cancer? Does the cat have worms? Every night, at 10pm, he wanders into his mother’s room and hopes that she can calm his fears – but Frankie’s mother isn’t doing too well herself. Frankie doesn’t know why his mother hasn’t left the house in almost a decade, or why he lived away from home with ‘the aunties’ for the first part of his life, or why the only thing that reminds him of his mother is a caged bird. It isn’t until Sydney, the colourful, confident and creative new girl with dreads and handmade clothes comes along, that he begins to realise that his family isn’t as normal as he thought.

Along the four months that The 10pm Question is set, Frankie, with the help of his best friends Sydney and Gigs, also a free spirit, who doesn’t worry about  the threat of terrorism or McDonalds taking over the world, Frankie slowly becomes conscious of the rodent voice in his head which is driving him gradually insane. He is imprisoned in the set-in-stone routine of his life, and he can’t seem to let go of it.

The 10pm Question is written brilliantly, with subtle humour from a young boy who isn’t completely sure whether his best friend is actually his girlfriend. Kate de Goldi’s writing touches on the topics of OCD and mental illness through the mind of a child who doesn’t understand it himself. His innocence leaves the reader unable to put down the book, and wondering whether or not Frankie Parsons will be able to fight the ‘freak-out gene’.