How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather

How to Hang a Witch

by Adriana Mather

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 in this thrilling, creepy and romantic New York Times bestseller.

"I am utterly addicted to Adriana Mather’s electric debut. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, twisting and turning with ghosts, witches, an ancient curse, and – sigh – romance." Jennifer Niven

After Sam's father is hospitalised, she has to move from New York to Salem with her stepmother, Vivian. Unfortunately, Sam is related to Cotton Mather, one of the men responsible for the Salem Witch Trials, and to say she feels unwelcome in Salem is an understatement... She is particularly unnerved by The Descendants, a mysterious and tight-knit group of girls related to those persecuted in the Trials. At the same time, she must deal with Elijah, the handsome but angry ghost who has appeared in her house, and her new neighbour Jaxon only complicates things further.

When a centuries-old curse is rekindled, Sam finds herself at the centre of it. Can she stop history repeating itself?

Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on

5 of 5 stars

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Rating 4.5 Stars

Great genre mixing story. Loved how Mather compared the witch trials to modern day bullying. I really enjoyed the "who's-doing-it" mystery portion. I did guess correctly, but I did NOT have the full story, and it was fun trying to figure it out. Honestly, the author's notes probably had the most impact on me. The fact that this work of fiction is based on her own family history, and how after so much time, her last name still garnered any sort of attention in Salem was incredible to me. Once again, a novel with some historical premise captured my interest, and I was throughly entertained as Samantha raced to undo the curse.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 24 July, 2016: Finished reading
  • 24 July, 2016: Reviewed