Thank you to Walker Books Australia for sending me a reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis:
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.
Review:
The one thing I don’t understand about this book is how come so many people didn’t like it or dnf. I loved every minute of this spooky twist filled book about the Salem Witch Trials and what makes it more amazing is the writer is a descendant of Cotton Mather! A living relative of a ‘witch killer’ cannot be more awesome then that right?
I read this book in a matter of hours and got so caught up in the story that I forgot about my coffee until it was too cold to drink. How to Hang a Witch was a well written, thought-out, easy to read and creative book that I recommend for anyone that is even remotely interested in witches.
How to Hang a Witch is based around Samantha that moves to Salem with her step-mother to live in her deceased grandmother’s house. Being the living relative of Cotton Mather, who participated in the hanging of witches would only give you negative press when you attend to school and become face to face with the living descendants of the witches that were hung. Needless to say they make Sam’s life in Salem a living hell and not to mention the fact she is being haunted by a ghost as well.
How Mather set up Salem is exactly how I picture it in my mind, I honestly felt as though I have been there before. Mid-October with autumn leaves falling from creepy gothic trees, cobbles stone pathways, forests only a walk away and not to mention the antique styled houses that would be a dream come true to live in. The only thing that was better than the setting were the characters, that were relatable, moody, flawed, venerable and bitchy teenagers that sit at the top of the hierarchy. Some you related to, others you wanted to throw rotten eggs at. The main character Samantha is a young woman to be admired, she was fearless, brave and no matter how crude people where to her, she was also determined to fight for them.
This book contains the perfect amount of creepy plot twists, mystery suspense along with a little bit of romance and horror! If you are after a well thought out book with strange occurrences, an unpredictable plot line and characters that leap from the pages then this is the book for you. Adrianna Mather is a tremendous and captivating writer.
Rating: 5/5
Publisher: Walker Book Australia
ISBN: 9871406378795