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3.23 AVERAGE
3.23 AVERAGE
I think my mediocre review is more my realizing I wasn't really interested in revisiting the Salem Witch Trials after I'd already started reading it. It didn't excite me enough, so I ended up skimming.
This could verge on a 5 star review. It's a compelling subject especially from the point of view of the teenage girls who were stuck in this community where they had no voice. Once they started screaming "witch" they were suddenly important but infighting is always the demise of any all girl group. I, of course, loved all the scandalous stuff.
Fast read, literally read in one day from my sick bed.
Fast read, literally read in one day from my sick bed.
Title: Wicked Girls: A Novel of the Salem Witch Trials
Author: Stephanie Hemphill
Publication Date: 17 June 2010
Publisher: Balzer & Bray/Harperteen
Rating: 3/5
Trigger Warnings: Death, Abuse, Mature Subjects
Wicked Girls is a historical fiction about the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. The story is told in verse by Anne Putnam Jr., Margaret Walcott, and Mercy Lewis. The poems take place throughout the year 1692 and are told from a “Mean Girls” perspective with the idea that the girls knew what they were doing by accusing people in the town of witchcraft and knew it was wrong.
I am very interested in the Salem Witch Trials as we’ve never been able to figure out why the girls accused so many people. With so many theories as to what made the girl act this way, I found this read and idea entertaining.
The idea is that the girls devised this plan to accuse people in the town of hurting them, practicing witchcraft, and working with the Devil. They accuse the men and women to the village council and the council believes them. This goes on for months and leaves many innocent people in jail and dead. I think it takes the modern idea of bullying and looks at how it could have been done centuries ago. The girls accuse anyone who goes against them as well as those who have wronged them and their families. It’s a very intriguing take on the trials.
Looking at the idea of the Salem Witch Trials literally as well as through this book, it’s weird to think that these young girls were able to manipulate an entire town.
While the focus was on the witch trials we are able to get a view into the girl's lives and what could be causing them to accuse people and why they stop. Again this is fiction, we don’t know if this is actually true. But I liked seeing this.
At the end of the book, the author includes information about what happened to the girls after the trials as well as information on the victims.
Regarding the trigger warnings, it’s common knowledge that the Salem Witch Trials involved the hangings of the accused. As the witch trials are the topic of this book, those are some of the scenes talked about in the book. Looking at the time period, 1692 there were different social classes as well as slaves, women from all classes did not have the same rights as men. Therefore, abuse and mature subjects are brought up in this story. There is nothing graphic but it is mentioned. As two of the girls are 17 and looking for husbands, sex is brought up but there is nothing graphic about it, again, it is mentioned.
While this book was interesting, it was a bit difficult for me as it was told in verse. This is the first book I’ve read in verse so it’s a brand new style that I’m not used to. However, I did like it and thought it was a unique take on the witch trials.
Author: Stephanie Hemphill
Publication Date: 17 June 2010
Publisher: Balzer & Bray/Harperteen
Rating: 3/5
Trigger Warnings: Death, Abuse, Mature Subjects
Wicked Girls is a historical fiction about the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. The story is told in verse by Anne Putnam Jr., Margaret Walcott, and Mercy Lewis. The poems take place throughout the year 1692 and are told from a “Mean Girls” perspective with the idea that the girls knew what they were doing by accusing people in the town of witchcraft and knew it was wrong.
I am very interested in the Salem Witch Trials as we’ve never been able to figure out why the girls accused so many people. With so many theories as to what made the girl act this way, I found this read and idea entertaining.
The idea is that the girls devised this plan to accuse people in the town of hurting them, practicing witchcraft, and working with the Devil. They accuse the men and women to the village council and the council believes them. This goes on for months and leaves many innocent people in jail and dead. I think it takes the modern idea of bullying and looks at how it could have been done centuries ago. The girls accuse anyone who goes against them as well as those who have wronged them and their families. It’s a very intriguing take on the trials.
Looking at the idea of the Salem Witch Trials literally as well as through this book, it’s weird to think that these young girls were able to manipulate an entire town.
While the focus was on the witch trials we are able to get a view into the girl's lives and what could be causing them to accuse people and why they stop. Again this is fiction, we don’t know if this is actually true. But I liked seeing this.
At the end of the book, the author includes information about what happened to the girls after the trials as well as information on the victims.
Regarding the trigger warnings, it’s common knowledge that the Salem Witch Trials involved the hangings of the accused. As the witch trials are the topic of this book, those are some of the scenes talked about in the book. Looking at the time period, 1692 there were different social classes as well as slaves, women from all classes did not have the same rights as men. Therefore, abuse and mature subjects are brought up in this story. There is nothing graphic but it is mentioned. As two of the girls are 17 and looking for husbands, sex is brought up but there is nothing graphic about it, again, it is mentioned.
While this book was interesting, it was a bit difficult for me as it was told in verse. This is the first book I’ve read in verse so it’s a brand new style that I’m not used to. However, I did like it and thought it was a unique take on the witch trials.
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 and tempting to many, she finds a haven in accusing others of witchcraft. Ann’s cousin, Margaret Walcott, is a girl in love and struggling to hold onto the boy. Her beloved will not stand for the accusations, so she is torn between her friends and her heart. These three girls form the center of the novel, each making accusations for different reasons, each lie leading to another, until nineteen people are killed in the name of piety.
Hemphill’s poems are beautifully constructed, they lend depth to the book at the same time they manage to move the story forward. Each girl has a distinct personality and perspective that comes through in the poems. The author weaves symbolism of the time into the poems, always making sure that these are girls of that period who have the concerns and sensibilities of that time. Yet at the same time, modern girls will understand the aches of love, the power of lies, and the group dynamics that are inherent here.
Hemphill tells the story from the girls’ points of view, allowing readers to see into their thought patterns and what drove them to do it. This perspective makes the book particularly gripping and powerful. She also frames the poems with the seasons, capturing each turn of the season in a poem. Each of these separate poems that is not one from a girl’s view has a decorative corner on the page, marking them as separate. It is a subtle and important touch.
This is a powerful book that speaks to a horrific time in Salem and is told in verse that illuminates all. Appropriate for ages 13-15.
Hemphill’s poems are beautifully constructed, they lend depth to the book at the same time they manage to move the story forward. Each girl has a distinct personality and perspective that comes through in the poems. The author weaves symbolism of the time into the poems, always making sure that these are girls of that period who have the concerns and sensibilities of that time. Yet at the same time, modern girls will understand the aches of love, the power of lies, and the group dynamics that are inherent here.
Hemphill tells the story from the girls’ points of view, allowing readers to see into their thought patterns and what drove them to do it. This perspective makes the book particularly gripping and powerful. She also frames the poems with the seasons, capturing each turn of the season in a poem. Each of these separate poems that is not one from a girl’s view has a decorative corner on the page, marking them as separate. It is a subtle and important touch.
This is a powerful book that speaks to a horrific time in Salem and is told in verse that illuminates all. Appropriate for ages 13-15.
These girls really are wicked. Hemphill really showed how mean and cruel these girls are just because they wanted attention. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who can't stand shallow, selfish characters.
Well-written with lush verse that beautifully captures the tragedy of Salem. I'd recommend learning about the trials before attempting, or you might be confused by what's going on, especially where the politics of the town are concerned. My only complaint—and the reason I gave 4 instead of 5 stars—is that the pacing is not great. The story drags from time to time, particularly regarding the girls' afflicted behavior.