How To Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather

It's the Salem Witch Trials meets Mean Girls in a debut novel from one of the descendants of Cotton Mather, where the trials of high school start to feel like a modern day witch hunt for a teen with all the wrong connections to Salem’s past.

Salem, Massachusetts is the site of the infamous witch trials and the new home of Samantha Mather. Recently transplanted from New York City, Sam and her stepmother are not exactly welcomed with open arms. Sam is the descendant of Cotton Mather, one of the men responsible for those trials and almost immediately, she becomes the enemy of a group of girls who call themselves The Descendants. And guess who their ancestors were?

If dealing with that weren't enough, Sam also comes face to face with a real live (well technically dead) ghost. A handsome, angry ghost who wants Sam to stop touching his stuff. But soon Sam discovers she is at the center of a centuries old curse affecting anyone with ties to the trials. Sam must come to terms with the ghost and find a way to work with The Descendants to stop a deadly cycle that has been going on since the first accused witch was hanged. If any town should have learned its lesson, it's Salem. But history may be about to repeat itself. 

Goodreads Summary

I love the history behind the Salem Witch trials so, of course, I jumped at the chance to review this book. Sam, a descendant of a man who helped orchestrate the Salem Witch trials, isn't exactly Salem's most popular person. Her father is in a mysterious coma that seems to have no origins and Sam and her step-mother must move to Salem to live in Sam's aunt's house. Sam can't go anywhere without drama and sarcasm so it's no surprise when she fights with a ghost (cue awkward and impossible love interest). 

Sam's character was witty and funny, but also a little acerbic. There were some times where she was too over the top. I generally liked the secondary characters, though the author mostly focused on and developed Sam. The plot was fairly fast-paced though I admit that through portions of the book I didn't know what was going to happen or where it was going. There were bits of the book that were flat out confusing for me. I had to go back and re-read a few pages here and there. I enjoyed the ending though I wasn't too surprised by it. 

4 Stars


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