(1) YA In this engrossing first-person, present-tense verse novel, Hemphill reimagines the fifteenth-century life of French martyr Joan of Arc from thirteen when "Jehanne" is first called by God, to leading troops on the battlefields, to being burned at the stake at nineteen. The spare, propulsive free verse reinforces Jehanne's passion for her unconventional life; the intimate narrative style makes her a sympathetic, relatable figure. An author's note separates fact from fiction. Additional historical context is included. Bib.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(2) YA In this first-person, present-tense verse novel, Hemphill tracks Mary Godwin Shelley's actions and emotions from the time she becomes infatuated with poet Percy Bysshe Shelley through their scandalous elopement, penury, European travels, and the births and deaths of their several children--up to Percy's drowning on an ill-conceived sailing trip. A good beginning for readers curious about the author of Frankenstein. Reading list.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2013

(3) YA Before his death, their father, a respected glassblower, declared that younger daughter Maria marry Venetian nobility, leaving elder Giovanna to stay on Murano with the family. The sisters each long for the other's future (and suitor); creative ingenuity allows for a satisfying resolution. A vivid fifteenth-century Venetian setting, true-to-life family tensions, and fairy-tale romance complete this novel told in elegant verse. Glos.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(2) YA In this forceful verse novel, Hemphill gives voice to those who writhed, twitched, and shrieked their way to power during the Salem witch trials. Her plausible interpretation of events is a Puritan Mean Girls, with peer pressure driving the accusers. The poems shift among the perspectives of three girls, and Hemphill succeeds in carving out distinct personalities and motivations for each.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2010

(1) YA In this fictionalized biography in verse, Hemphill channels the romantic version of Sylvia. The majority of the poems are putatively composed by the people who knew Plath; the remainder are identified as the author "Imagining Sylvia Plath." Hemphill is metrically adept and possesses Plath's eye for figurative language. Her verse, like Plath's, is completely compelling: every word, every line, worth reading.

Reviewer: Lissa Paul | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2007

(2) YA When high school sophomore Sarah is chosen to be a troubled girl's sidekick, Sarah begins to reinvent herself in Robin's image. The school-year shape of this novel-in-verse frames the story nicely, and Sarah's is a believable voice of a contemporary teen, reinforced by believable concerns. Despite some trouble with plot, Hemphill skillfully develops her theme in an accessible novel.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2005