A review by ckausch
Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill

3.0

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 characters: Ann Putnam Jr., the 12-year-old who yearns for attention, namely from her mother and Mercy, and Margaret Walcott, a 17-year-old cousin of Ann’s, with a fierce streak of jealousy....

I saw this book on display at ALA and the cover made me yearn to read it. I was so happy when a copy soon came in the mail for me. I could not put this book down! Hemphill’s portrayal is very believable. Teens will relate to the bullying, group think, and peer pressure that drives the characters...

Hemphill’s author notes in the back are thorough...

Full review at http://dogearedandwellread.wordpress.com/2010/07/13/wicked-girls-by-stephanie-hemphill/