Search This Blog
April Reviews Link-Up
May Reviews Link-Up
June Reviews Link-Up
July Reviews Link-Up
August Reviews Link-Up
September Reviews Link-Up
October Reviews Link-Up
November Reviews Link-Up
December Reviews Link-Up
2024 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California (3)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland
- Massachusetts (1)
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (1)
- North Carolina (1)
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (1)
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia (1)
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*
International:
- Australia (1)
- Canada (1)
- England (5)
- France (1)
- Ireland (1)
- Scotland (1)
- The Netherlands (1)
2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
For Witch Trial Descendants, History Always Repeats Itself in Salem ...
2:08 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
With a surname like Mather, you're bound to get some attention in Salem, Massachusetts. Even 300+ years after the Witch Trials. Samantha, a 16-year-old descendant of Cotton and Increase Mather—key players in the Trials—isn't so keen on moving away from New York City in the first place. When she almost immediately becomes the target of a group of mean girls nicknamed The Descendants, she's even less thrilled with her new hometown. Can these kids, whose ancestors were convicted as witches with the help of Sam's forebears, really be holding a centuries-old grudge? Apparently so.
As if that's not bad enough, there's a ghost haunting Sam's grandmother's home. Elijah Roe is handsome (for a dead guy), but he's not exactly the chillest (pun intended) house guest. The only bright spot in Sam's move is her next-door neighbor. Unlike her classmates and resident apparition, Jaxon is kind and welcoming. It doesn't hurt that he's good-looking enough to make Sam blush.
Sam just wants to settle in and get on with life, but it soon becomes apparent that Salem has other ideas for her. She, like everyone in town with a connection to the Trials, is at the center of an age-old curse. To stop it, she'll have to enlist the help of her handsome haunt as well as The Descendants. Only then, can Sam stop the ruinous cycle that ensures history always repeats itself in Salem.
Ever since I heard that a descendant of Cotton Mather was writing a YA novel about the Salem Witch Trials, I knew I had to read it. How to Hang a Witch, Adriana Mather's literary debut, also boasts an intriguing, spine-tingling premise that seems to guarantee an exciting, engrossing read. Imagine my disappoint then when I found the story to be just ho-hum. While I liked its creepy, atmospheric setting, the novel's characters fell flat for me, never developing past cardboard teenage clichés. The plot also struck me as choppy and clumsy, dragging in some parts, and making no sense at all in others. These irritants combined with stilted dialogue, insta-lovey romance (x2), and some major melodrama soured me on How to Hang a Witch. I wanted to adore this one, but it turned out to be pretty meh for me. Since I can't resist books about the Titanic, I might give its sequel a go, but probably not. Oh well.
(Readalikes: Hm, I can't really think of anything. Can you?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (no F-bombs), violence, and blood/gore
To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of How to Hang a Witch from Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.
5 comments:
Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.
P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(Atom)
Reading
Listening
Followin' with Bloglovin'
-
The Last Word by Gerri Lewis1 hour ago
-
-
Top 5 Tuesday ~ Green Books3 hours ago
-
-
Top Ten Tuesday-Spring Into Books4 hours ago
-
Top Ten Tuesday6 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
Top Ten Tuesday: Spring TBR | 20249 hours ago
-
TTT – Books On My Spring 2024 TBR9 hours ago
-
Daily Prompt 18 March monday14 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
Books from the Backlog #81 day ago
-
-
Don’t Foget Me by Rea Frey2 days ago
-
-
-
Sunday Post3 days ago
-
-
Timeline by Michael Crichton4 days ago
-
33. Ferris4 days ago
-
-
-
-
-
Witch Hat Atelier: Kitchen, Volume 11 week ago
-
Catching up1 week ago
-
Review: Dating Dr. Dil1 week ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?5 months ago
-
6/25/23 Extra Ezra8 months ago
-
-
-
Sundays with Sam – The Sunday Post11 months ago
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?1 year ago
-
-
-
-
-
Grab my Button!
Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ▼ 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ► 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)
That's too bad about this one. This one actually sounds like one I might like. I may still read it, lol.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jenni Elyse - a shame, but I might still try it. Interesting that the author is connected to the Mathers.
ReplyDeleteAw! Dang. And you even bought a copy. So depressing.
ReplyDeleteSuch potential, too bad it fell apart. I was getting all excited reading the beginning of your review.
ReplyDeleteThat's too bad about the flat characters and choppy plot. It had so much potential and there is no way I would have resisted it either. I may still get it from the library but I'll keep my expectations low.
ReplyDelete