Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.23 AVERAGE
3.23 AVERAGE
An interesting perspective on the Salem Witch Trials, this novel in verse was an entertaining and satisfying piece of my understanding of this crazy true story. While [b:The Crucible|17250|The Crucible|Arthur Miller|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1447764813s/17250.jpg|1426723] told the story from John Proctor's point of view (victim) in the form of a play, this is a collection of poems that narrate the story from the point of view of the "afflicted" girls (the perpetrators). So we get a story about peer pressure, "mean girls," oppression, Puritan repression, abuse, class warfare, small town politics, and empowerment, and some actually good poetry.
Issues and audience: This was in my middle school library, and as a result of reading this, I'm moving it to the HS library. It's not particularly appropriate for middle school, but my reason for moving it is because I think it's a bit too difficult to read for my MS population. It was checked out several times in the last two years, and every single girl who borrowed it returned it unfinished, and now I know why. Young readers will probably not have been exposed to this kind of language yet (ye, thou, stuffy syntax, etc.), and I imagine that my knowledge of the actual facts of the events that took place contributed significantly to my ability to comprehend this story. I tried to imagine if I didn't know...I'd probably have been having WTF moments throughout.
he appendix items are helpful and essential; the reader learns how much is true and imagined in addition to the research practices of the author in preparation of writing.
I recommend reading [b:Witches: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem (History|11532961|Witches The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem (History (US))|Rosalyn Schanzer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320460537s/11532961.jpg|16471306] before this...the knowledge gained from it will allow readers to focus on the themes of this novel rather than wondering what the heck is going on.
Issues and audience: This was in my middle school library, and as a result of reading this, I'm moving it to the HS library. It's not particularly appropriate for middle school, but my reason for moving it is because I think it's a bit too difficult to read for my MS population. It was checked out several times in the last two years, and every single girl who borrowed it returned it unfinished, and now I know why. Young readers will probably not have been exposed to this kind of language yet (ye, thou, stuffy syntax, etc.), and I imagine that my knowledge of the actual facts of the events that took place contributed significantly to my ability to comprehend this story. I tried to imagine if I didn't know...I'd probably have been having WTF moments throughout.
he appendix items are helpful and essential; the reader learns how much is true and imagined in addition to the research practices of the author in preparation of writing.
I recommend reading [b:Witches: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem (History|11532961|Witches The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem (History (US))|Rosalyn Schanzer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320460537s/11532961.jpg|16471306] before this...the knowledge gained from it will allow readers to focus on the themes of this novel rather than wondering what the heck is going on.
This book was written in poetry verse instead of prose, I found this insufferable but some readers might like this choice.
I found this book online at the library, and didn't even realize it was written in free verse until I started reading it. I'm glad I did, though! It is a different take on the events that led up to the Salem Witch Trials, from the point-of-view of (mainly) three of the girls involved. It's an interesting and believeable perspective on how what started as a quick and easy way to get out of trouble even more quickly spirals out of control, going much further than any of them had dreamed possible. Can they stop it before anyone gets hurt? Do they even want to? An enjoyable--though disturbing and scary--read.
Although there are many theories, no one knows for certain why, in 1692, young Puritan girls accused their neighbors of practicing witchcraft during the infamous Salem Witch Trials. In Wicked Girls, Hemphill, winner of a Printz Honor for [b:Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath|99375|Your Own, Sylvia A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath|Stephanie Hemphill|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266471846s/99375.jpg|95804], proposes that the girls faked their fits to gain attention and enact revenge against those who had wronged them. The story is told in verse and the perspective alternates between three of the young female "seers": an upper class girl named Ann, Mercy, Ann's servant, and Margaret, Ann's cousin. Each brief, free verse poem is titled and the speaker is identified in italics beneath the title. The resulting narrative reads like Mean Girls set in Puritanical times. Although the setting is historical, teens will recognize the forces that compel the girls to bear witness against their fellow villagers. Hemphill intends to represent the entire year of witch hunt hysteria and, as a result, the book drags considerably in the middle when little changes apart from more squabbling between the girls. Unfortunately, although Hemphill is a talented poet, the verse format often distracts from the story being told. The girls' narrative voices are not dissimilar enough to register, forcing the reader to rely on the identifications at the beginning of each poem and halting the flow of the story. The cover doesn't have much shelf appeal but teens are likely to enjoy the book once they are encouraged to read it. Further biographies on the main characters and a bibliography of recommended sources is included after the novel's conclusion. Hemphill also provides an author's note explaining her research process, her intentions, and some of the liberties she took to serve the story she wanted to tell.
Although certainly appropriate for public libraries, Wicked Girls is especially recommended for purchase in high school libraries. It would serve as a good inspiration for writing or drama classes, similar to [b:Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village|607931|Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village|Laura Amy Schlitz|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176254732s/607931.jpg|594437], or a good counterpart to Arthur Miller's [b:The Crucible|17250|The Crucible|Arthur Miller|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166805388s/17250.jpg|1426723].
Although certainly appropriate for public libraries, Wicked Girls is especially recommended for purchase in high school libraries. It would serve as a good inspiration for writing or drama classes, similar to [b:Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village|607931|Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village|Laura Amy Schlitz|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176254732s/607931.jpg|594437], or a good counterpart to Arthur Miller's [b:The Crucible|17250|The Crucible|Arthur Miller|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166805388s/17250.jpg|1426723].
I thought it was a little pedestrian, but fine. I think pre-teen and some teen girls will love it, and I like that the author explored the lack of power that girls in Puritan society experienced and how it may have led to their accusing innocent people of witchcraft.
DNF on page 119. The formatting is uninteresting to me, and the plot line is just annoying. The Salem Witch Trials itself is a historical piece of wonder, but it's easy to see that a bunch of snobby girls felt bored and decided to call other people witches. The author didn't really give any other motivation either (except peer pressure). Would not recommend.
While I enjoyed the story, and it was an interesting insight into what happened in Salem and with the girls who were Afflicted, I gave this 3 stars because I wasn't a fan of the writing style (verse) and I was expecting it to be more in Novel format. But it was still enjoyable, and a fast paced read, although sometimes it was hard to follow the girls thoughts and it didn't really make sense how they started it all with little communication with each other.
Overall an enjoyable read, but I felt it could have been so much more if it wasn't written in verse, but I still feel the author did a good job of delving into Salem, 1692 and into the lives of the Salem Girls while still managing to paint a picture of life back then with her take on the Salem hysteria.
Overall an enjoyable read, but I felt it could have been so much more if it wasn't written in verse, but I still feel the author did a good job of delving into Salem, 1692 and into the lives of the Salem Girls while still managing to paint a picture of life back then with her take on the Salem hysteria.
Not that bad. Different telling in verse. I had a hard time getting into it but I'm glad I finished it. The girls where really wicked and I felt bad for the accused and thought the people who believed it stupid even for those times. Such a sad story.
Meh. I have high standards for novels in verse, and this didn't meet those expectations. A nice exploration of the power dynamics of the social structure of Salem, but it got boring along the way.
http://librarianosnark.blogspot.com/2012/11/review-wicked-girls.html