Friday, August 27, 2010

Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill YP FIC HEMPHILL

The girls of Salem are wicked indeed. But is it for the magic they practiced together in the woods or is for their virtue in court? Seven girls relate their stories in verse as to how the Salem witch hunt began and why they doomed so many of their neighbors with lies.

This is a haunting look at the power of rumor. It tells the story from the viewpoint of seven young women and girls and tries to see why someone would maliciously send so many people to death. The reasons differ but all relate to a total lack of power from the girls. In the end it is not the girls that are entirely wicked but also the society that first robbed them of any choices and then (for the first time) gave them recognition for the ‘virtue’ of damning others. This is an important message for any time, because any young peron knows the feeling of powerlessness and rumor and accusation can still be incredibly damaging today. The author excels at giving each character her own voice and pushing the tension of the events. A great read for anyone that likes novels in verse or historical fiction. Even if you haven’t read any verse novels I’d give this one a look.



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