I found this book completely unnecessary. Without spoiling the story for others, I would just like to say that the Cowardly Lion, Brrr, was not an intriguing character and did not need his own narrative. Although the novel would have you assume the book revolves around Elphaba's past and her relation to Mother Yackle, you learn almost nothing new about the beloved protagonist of Wicked, or her living relatives. The book's plot could have been summarized in a thirty-page short story and it would have had the same effect without all the irrelevant filler.