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3.23 AVERAGE
3.23 AVERAGE
Wicked Girls is a fictionalized account of the Salem, Massachusetts witch trials in 1692 told from the point of view of historical characters. This topic has always fascinated me. I am sure I wrote about it or did projects on it in middle school or early high school.
I almost put this book down as soon as I picked it up because the entire book is written in verse. I thought maybe it was just the first few pages, so I flipped through the book and I was proved wrong. I am sure I inwardly groaned, but for whatever reason, I followed through and read it. I am glad that I did.
Read the full review here.
I almost put this book down as soon as I picked it up because the entire book is written in verse. I thought maybe it was just the first few pages, so I flipped through the book and I was proved wrong. I am sure I inwardly groaned, but for whatever reason, I followed through and read it. I am glad that I did.
Read the full review here.
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 participating for her reasons. While it is not known exactly what caused the original girls to be or act possessed, Stephanie Hemphill takes them for brilliant actresses with very different motivations. Hemphill has created three-dimensional characters out of historical fragments. Here, many factors come into play that might have otherwise escaped notice, such as the socio-economic status of the girls or the relationships they might have had with their families and each other. This attention to detail, coupled with unique voices for each narrator and detailed author's notes/citations at the end of the book make for an extremely compelling historical novel. Even for those who might not generally enjoy them.
This was the second book I've read by Stephanie Hemphill and I'm 99% sure it'll be my last.
While I usually adore novels in verse, something about this author's style just doesn't engage me. It took me literal ages to finish this (I don't like dnf-ing most things) because I was just never compelled to pick it up off my nightstand (where my currently-reading pile lives and torments me).
While I usually adore novels in verse, something about this author's style just doesn't engage me. It took me literal ages to finish this (I don't like dnf-ing most things) because I was just never compelled to pick it up off my nightstand (where my currently-reading pile lives and torments me).
I really wanted to like this book, and there has and continues to be a lot of buzz about it, but I just found the novel to be boring. I didn't like any of the characters except one, and I felt that the book was moving slowly.
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.
A novel in verse written from the perspective of the girls doing to accusing in the Salem Witch Trials. I liked the approach of the author and the "reasons" she gave the girls for acting the way they did. Unfortunately, I had a hard time keeping some of the characters straight and never felt a real emotional "whollop" like I expected.
Recommended for high school
Recommended for high school
This was written in verse, and it kind of put me off at first, but when I got into it, I couldn't put it down! Great story and very well written! I loved it!
I loved the basis of this book - the historical truth of witch trials caused by the accusations of teenage girls. It's a great study in gossip, rumors, peer pressure, bullying, ostricization, and female social dynamics.
My biggest problem was the way it was written to look like poetry or diary entries. It came off as a pretentious waste of paper rather than artsy and poetic.
My biggest problem was the way it was written to look like poetry or diary entries. It came off as a pretentious waste of paper rather than artsy and poetic.
This book was good in the beginning but the further I read the more it seemed that it was repeating the same thing over and over again.
I started to enjoy this book more after I got past the same repetitive things I've heard in every discussion about the Salem Witch trials.