Wicked Girls

by Stephanie Hemphill

First published 2010

Ann Putnam Jr. rules Salem's teenage social circle until her father blames the village's mysterious illnesses on witchcraft. Ann seizes this moment to unleash accusations that will consume her community. Mercy Lewis, the striking servant girl in Ann's household, carries secrets from her dark past. When the witch hunt begins, she sees her one opportunity to secure her future. Margaret Walcott loves her cousin Ann but loves her betrothed more. As accusations spread through Salem, Margaret faces an impossible choice between friendship and her heart's desire. The three girls watch their small acts spiral into something monstrous. Men and women they know face prison, trial, and death. Each girl must decide whether to continue the lies or risk everything by speaking the truth.

Genres: fiction, historical, historical-fiction, young-adult

Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator

Setting: Salem

Period: 19th-century

408 pages · Hardcover · HarperCollins

Content warnings: death

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