YA REVIEW: HOW TO HANG A WITCH BY ADRIANA MATHER

“Maybe I can break the pattern I have with them. Everything about this curse seems to be a pattern. If I can break one link in the chain, it might help” (p. 254).

How To Hang A Witch by Adriana Mather is such an addictive read, and I literally could not put it down. I have to wonder why there wasn’t more of an obsession with this book in YA circles as this was such a refreshing and complex read that I was left speechless. It honestly reminded me of The Mediator Series by Meg Cabot, and I had such a deep love affair with those books.

How To Hand A Witch takes place in the historic town of Salem, Massachusetts, where descendants of witches killed in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692-3 still reside and control the town, called The Descendants. There is a deep mistrust of outsiders, and an even deeper, ingrained hatred for those who are descended from the instigators of the witch hunt hysteria. Enter the main protagonist, Samantha Mather, a descendant of Cotton Mather who has been considered as one of the main antagonists of the Salem witch hunt, and catalyst to the hysteria surrounding the trials.

What follows is an inherently unique narrative with unpredictable plot twists and an abundance of magic. Sam Mather was a very complex character, one that I feel as though it can be overlooked, but she is written so incredibly that I felt as though I knew her, personally. Her personality was one grounded is such strength that the reader ultimately is automatically on her side. The family secrets, the curse surrounding Sam’s and the Descendants’ families, the villainous immortal (which I define as the plot twist of the century, considering I did not see it coming at all), the witchcraft, the action and the romance, was wonderfully captured to the point that I read this within a day.

The two male leads, Jaxon and Elijah were also fabulous. I do have to say that Elijah completely and utterly had my heart from the first moment we are introduced to him, ghosting along in the school corridors. Elijah is the reason why I relate this book so much to The Mediator Series, as the ghost Jesse in the Mediator series was the main love interest and his relationship with Suze was similar to that of Elijah and Sam. Elijah was a fantastic character, and I wish as readers, we got to see more of him, as his interactions with Sam was one of my highlights of reading How To Hang A Witch. Jaxon, on the other hand, was adorable but I just did not enjoy his character as much as I should have. I felt that any sort of ‘connection’, and I say that quite lightly, he had with Sam seemed forced. I was waiting for Jaxon to be a villain, I have to admit, as I felt as though he wasn’t completely genuine; but, I found out, it was more naivete than anything else.

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Overall, I would rate this book 5 out of 5 stars, as it was one of the greatest, most enjoyable reads I have read. It has quickly become one of my favourites and I am looking forward to reading how Sam utilises the magic inside of her to find the courage to be unapologetically herself.

Until next time! Happy reading!

Allie