9th out of 97 books
—
392 voters
Wicked Girls
A fictionalized account, told in verse, of the Salem witch trials, told from the perspective of three young women living in Salem in 1692-- Mercy Lewis, Margaret Walcott, and Ann Putnam, Jr.
Hardcover, 336 pages
Published
June 17th 2010
by Balzer & Bray/Harperteen
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Nov 12, 2012
Jennifer Wardrip
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
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trt-posted-reviews
Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
If you are looking for a story about some of the original "mean girls," look no further. WICKED GIRLS by Stephanie Hemphill is about a group of young girls in Salem, Massachusetts, who began identifying their own village neighbors as witches. They accused many and the result was the hanging deaths of countless innocent victims.
Led by Mercy Lewis, Margaret Walcott, and Ann Putnam Jr., this group of girls, aged 8-18, devised a game to...more
If you are looking for a story about some of the original "mean girls," look no further. WICKED GIRLS by Stephanie Hemphill is about a group of young girls in Salem, Massachusetts, who began identifying their own village neighbors as witches. They accused many and the result was the hanging deaths of countless innocent victims.
Led by Mercy Lewis, Margaret Walcott, and Ann Putnam Jr., this group of girls, aged 8-18, devised a game to...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Wicked Girls is a fictionalized account of the “afflicted” girls who were responsible for the Salem Witch Trials. The point of view of this novel in verse alternates between Ann Putnam, Jr. a twelve year old girl who has high social standing in Salem Village, seventeen year old Mercy Lewis who is an orphan and a servant in the Putnam household, and seventeen year old Margaret Walcott who is Ann’s cousin but of a lower social status than Ann. The book follows the girls from the beginnings of the...more
Stephanie Hemphill uses free verse and three different character perspectives to tell a fictionalized account of the Salem witch trials in Wicked Girls. It is a fascinating take on a piece of American history about which we know many facts but not the full story. The novel opens with Mercy Lewis, a 17-year-old servant in the Putnam’s house, as she gives the reader an idea of what life in Salem Village is like: cold, little to eat, lots of distrust of others. The reader soon meets the other main...more
Hemphill, Stephanie. (2010). Wicked Girls: A Novel of the Salem Witch Trials. New York: HarperCollins/Balzer & Bray. 408 pp. ISBN 978-0-06-185328-9 (Hard Cover); $16.99.
Mercy, Margaret, and Ann find fame, power, and, best yet, attention by accusing and even condemning to death the residents of Salem Village. Why? Maybe they are just wicked!
The Salem witch trials resulted in serious legal problems for hundreds of Salem Village residents. More than twenty people died. The most powerful accuse...more
Mercy, Margaret, and Ann find fame, power, and, best yet, attention by accusing and even condemning to death the residents of Salem Village. Why? Maybe they are just wicked!
The Salem witch trials resulted in serious legal problems for hundreds of Salem Village residents. More than twenty people died. The most powerful accuse...more
Wicked Girls: A Novel of the Salem Witch Trials by Stephanie Hemphill is a historical fiction book that takes place in the time of the Salem Witch Trials. The main characters were “afflicted” and had a part in the trials. This novel is written in free verse, which makes it unique. The main characters, Mercy, Abigail, Margaret, Elizabeth, Betty, and Ann accused certain people of being witches after playing a game they never should have touched.
The top three main characters were Margaret, Mercy,...more
The top three main characters were Margaret, Mercy,...more
Apr 13, 2012
Alicia Scully
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
fiction,
gr-8-10,
gr-5-8,
historical-fiction,
poetry,
young-adult-lit,
realistic,
tween-lit
Hemphill's novel shows the events of the Salem Witch Trials from the points of view of the accusers. Several girls did quite a bit of damage during this time and this novel allows us to see some of their motivations for their actions. The book takes the "they were faking it all along" route and then goes into some of the connections within the community that may have initiated the accusations. However, there are still several places where the reader must interpret the events for themselves. This...more
Told entirely in verse, this novel of the Salem witch trials is fantastic take on the events that took place in that legendary town. It's already a fascinating historical episode, with lots of questions and few solid answers. We know who the accusers were; we know how many hanged as a result. What we don't know is why any of it happened in the first place. Hemphill's novel attempts to shed light on the minds of the accusers. The narrative alternates between several of the accusers, each particip...more
I read Wicked Girls this morning, and I was really impressed by the idea, or impression that I got from the book.
The Salem Witch Trials and the concept that what they were going on with; the idea that these several teen girls were able to have afflictions and declare evil is wild. The fact that these children were impressing the idea of witchcraft onto people in the community is simply impressive, and the fact that the community persecuted people because of it.
The book sums it up in a way that...more
The Salem Witch Trials and the concept that what they were going on with; the idea that these several teen girls were able to have afflictions and declare evil is wild. The fact that these children were impressing the idea of witchcraft onto people in the community is simply impressive, and the fact that the community persecuted people because of it.
The book sums it up in a way that...more
Through gripping verse, the story of the Salem Witch Trials is told from the point of view of several of the accusers themselves. A fictionalized account, the book captures the lies and hysteria of Salem in 1692, embracing the theory that the girls were deliberately telling lies. There is Ann Putnam, Jr. who leads the group of girls despite the fact she is 12 and others in the group are 17. She is the daughter of a prominent man in Salem. Her servant, Mercy Lewis, is also an accuser. Beautiful a...more
Told in verse, we are given possible insight into what the girls who accused people of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 may have been thinking. Is God really calling on them to right wrongs by people who are guilty of other crimes, if not witchcraft itself? How far is too far? What if one of them no longer wants to have any part in pointing a wicked finger at someone else? How will they get out of the tangled web they've woven themelves into? Do they even want to?
What I loved about thi...more
What I loved about thi...more
Hemphill is very effective in creating the mood of Salem in the winter of 1692. She subtly conveys through verse the back-stories of some of the principal players, highlighting the facets of their personalities or lives that might have contributed to the part they played in this tragedy. Hemphill also drew some parallels between 1692 and today's world to illustrate the relevance of the witch-hunt hysteria to current problems facing teens, namely "mean girl" bullying. Of course, it has long been...more
Title: Wicked Girls: A Novel of the Salem Witch Trials
Author: Stephanie Hemphill
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Length: 408 pages
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
My Rating Scale:
1 Star= I flat out hated it/terrible/I wanted to scratch my eyes out.
2 Stars= I didn’t like it
3 Stars= It was okay/I moderately liked it
4 Stars= I really liked it, but it wasn’t totally perfect
5 Stars= Holy literary gods! I LOVED this book!
Plot Summary:
Written in verse, Wicked Girls follows three girls who were closely associated with...more
Author: Stephanie Hemphill
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Length: 408 pages
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
My Rating Scale:
1 Star= I flat out hated it/terrible/I wanted to scratch my eyes out.
2 Stars= I didn’t like it
3 Stars= It was okay/I moderately liked it
4 Stars= I really liked it, but it wasn’t totally perfect
5 Stars= Holy literary gods! I LOVED this book!
Plot Summary:
Written in verse, Wicked Girls follows three girls who were closely associated with...more
I must say I was rather impressed by this free verse novel. I enjoyed that she went with the idea that the "afflicted" girls merely made it all up. But even the time period and mistrust among the village of Salem the girls were able to have power that they would not normal have.
The story is told through three points of view. Ann Putnam Jr, 12, Mercy Lewis, 17 a servant in the Putnam household, and Margaret Walcott, 17, cousin to Ann. There is power struggles between the girls, jealousy, and sec...more
The story is told through three points of view. Ann Putnam Jr, 12, Mercy Lewis, 17 a servant in the Putnam household, and Margaret Walcott, 17, cousin to Ann. There is power struggles between the girls, jealousy, and sec...more
This is one of the few times I wish I could give half stars, because I really feel in the middle on this book.
On the one hand, I love the story. Hamphill does an excellent job with the theory that these girls kept accusing people because this was the only way they would ever have power. Powerful men were listening to the girls, servant girls were just as powerful as the merchant class. Some of Mercy's stories were almost physically painful as she described the joy of being looked at as a powerfu...more
On the one hand, I love the story. Hamphill does an excellent job with the theory that these girls kept accusing people because this was the only way they would ever have power. Powerful men were listening to the girls, servant girls were just as powerful as the merchant class. Some of Mercy's stories were almost physically painful as she described the joy of being looked at as a powerfu...more
Wicked Girls is a new topic in historical fiction. Rarely do you see young adult novels discussing issues such as The Salem Witch Trials. I was really excited to read this novel; the Salem Witch Trials is something I am slightly fascinated with. There are so many things that went wrong in that era, so many innocent lives that were lost. Something about this time frame intrigues me. Needless to say I jumped at the opportunity to review this novel.
This novel also stands out on the shelves of hist...more
This novel also stands out on the shelves of hist...more
Wicked Girls is a great novel in verse exploring the Salem Witch Trials and the young girls who were called seers and were taken over by witches that these girls named. The witches were put in jail and then on trial. Hemphill does a good job of setting up the world in which these girls lived and the fact that the French and Indian War was involved; some were servants and others were a little more privileged. Strict religion and piety were very important and there was too much punishment by paren...more
I'll admit that I was very confused at the onset of the book. For the first 1/3 of the book, I found myself turning back to the front of the book where one could see the list of characters. I couldn't remember who was who. Finally, though, when I got it all sorted out, I enjoyed the story.
Call me ignorant, but I never considered the slant that one or more of the girls did this due to abuse suffered by evil men and/or women. I had an interesting thing happen as I was reading the book. I always h...more
Call me ignorant, but I never considered the slant that one or more of the girls did this due to abuse suffered by evil men and/or women. I had an interesting thing happen as I was reading the book. I always h...more
The events of the Salem Witch Trials are fairly well known. Young girls started having fits and claimed to be attacked by witches. Many were accused, some died, but most were eventually freed. We do not know what motivated these girls to accuse so many (around 200) people of cavorting with the devil. Hemphill attempts to shed light on what might have driven these girls down such a path. She uses the voices of three of the afflicted, Mercy, Margaret and Ann, to tell the story of Salem. In Wicked...more
The fictionalized account of three real young women living in Salem, MA in 1692...these seers named and accused many of the people that were tried, convicted, and hung for witchcraft. Wicked Girls: A Novel of the Salem Witch Trials tells the story of the interaction of servant girl Mercy Lewis, priviledged Ann Putnam, Jr., and Margaret Walcott, a betrothed young woman.
I really, REALLY wanted to like this book...but, I am not fond of novels in verse and now I know that I am not fond of novels in...more
I really, REALLY wanted to like this book...but, I am not fond of novels in verse and now I know that I am not fond of novels in...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
In looking for additional books written in free verse I stumbled upon this title. A historical fiction story which tells the stories of the girls who accused others of being witches. Stephanie Hemphill does an amazing job of weaving this story. It is told from 7 different character's points of view. Stephanie uses language which depicts the language of the time. As I found my self recalling these events in history I am amazed at the power of a few young ladies in a village that suffered from out...more
While the poetry in this book is beautiful, I don't think it quite works for this story. Hemphill takes her time in creating these voices and with so many characters, it is very hard to follow who is who. I found myself constantly flipping to the beginning of the book that lists the characters to figure out whose point of view I was reading. She also takes many liberties surmising that these teens faked their fits in order to maintain their newfound powerful position in this restrictive society....more
Salem Village, 1692. WICKED GIRLS is told from the point of view of three of the accusers in the Salem Witch Trials.
Ann Putnam Jr., 12, is the unofficial leader. The main force behind the accusations, she starts to take what started as a game too seriously- and too far.
Margaret Walcott, 17, is Ann's step-cousin. Torn between her love for her betrothed and her fear of being excluded, she has to make a choice for which side she's going to stay with- and soon.
Mercy Lewis, 17, is the Putnams' servan...more
Ann Putnam Jr., 12, is the unofficial leader. The main force behind the accusations, she starts to take what started as a game too seriously- and too far.
Margaret Walcott, 17, is Ann's step-cousin. Torn between her love for her betrothed and her fear of being excluded, she has to make a choice for which side she's going to stay with- and soon.
Mercy Lewis, 17, is the Putnams' servan...more
Were the Salem Witch Trials just a case of Mean Girls gone whack? Were the accusations and trials motivated by the need for power and recognition of adolescent girls?
Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill raises these questions in the way each character was depicted and mirrored in the thoughts Hemphill chose to give them. Of course, the cause of the trials and the extent of them will always be debated within our American history, and Hemphill chimes in with her thoughts in this uniquely written nov...more
Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill raises these questions in the way each character was depicted and mirrored in the thoughts Hemphill chose to give them. Of course, the cause of the trials and the extent of them will always be debated within our American history, and Hemphill chimes in with her thoughts in this uniquely written nov...more
Wicked Girls is great book for people who love history but hate reading borning textbooks to learn about it. Wicked Girls, which is written in poem form, is about girls who acuse people of being witches. This book is set in Salem during the famous Salem Witch Trials. The main characters of this book, Margeret, Mercy, Ann, ELizabeth, and Abigail all start seeing the "underworld" and they begin to acuse innocent people. The girls begin to have secert meetings to plan out who is the next to be accu...more
Wicked Girls a novel of the Salem witch trials by Stephanie Hemphill is an amazing book. It is a perfect book for anyone who loves to read about teenage drama and a good story about a struggle for power and control. Wicked Girls is told from the perspective of three girls Margaret, Ann, and Mercy. Each girl has their own moment where they are the main character, and in control of the group. These girls are “afflicted” by the witches in the community, and soon started calling out names of these s...more
Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill is the perfect book for the person who wants to learn about history without the feeling of a typical, boring, fact after fact, history lesson. The book is about the Salem Witch Trials and is set in Salem Village and is in the point of view of the girls who started the accusations. It's written in poem form and mainly told by Mercy, Margaret, and Ann, who are three of the girls in the main group of accusers. The main group of girls also includes Abigail and Eliz...more
Sep 21, 2010
Bunny
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone who deals with peer pressure
Shelves:
read-in-10
This book pleasantly surprised me. The premise sounded great, but, well, I judge books by their covers, and this one looked extremely disappointing.
I didn't really care for the format of the chapters. It made for fast reading, which was nice, but the almost sonnet-esque style wasn't easy on my eyes. I loved that the story was told from the different girls' points of view. That was nice.
I have a serious love for all things Salem Witch Trial. This book was pretty awesome. Stephanie Hemphill did f...more
I didn't really care for the format of the chapters. It made for fast reading, which was nice, but the almost sonnet-esque style wasn't easy on my eyes. I loved that the story was told from the different girls' points of view. That was nice.
I have a serious love for all things Salem Witch Trial. This book was pretty awesome. Stephanie Hemphill did f...more
One of my first YA where the book was written in prose, I have to say....I'm not a huge fan of the style, though it worked well enough for this tale. This is a fictionalization of the events that were historically documented so long ago in Salem. The fiction aspect is used to fill in the blanks so to speak on their daily lives and seemingly insignificant happenings, though as you read, you begin to understand that everything they did had a greater meaning than at first glance. What starts out as...more
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Stephanie Hemphill's first novel in poems, Things Left Unsaid, was published by Hyperion in 2005 and was awarded the 2006 Myra Cohn Livingston Award for Excellence in Poetry by the Children's Literature Council of Southern California.
Her second novel, a verse portrait of Sylvia Plath, Your Own, Sylvia was published by Knopf in March 2007. A third novel in verse for teens, Wicked Girls, a verse st...more
More about Stephanie Hemphill...
Her second novel, a verse portrait of Sylvia Plath, Your Own, Sylvia was published by Knopf in March 2007. A third novel in verse for teens, Wicked Girls, a verse st...more
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Nov 17, 2012 08:42am