How to Hang a Witch

The author, herself a descendant of the famous witch trial judge, Cotton Mather, has written a novel about a Mather descendant who moves back to her ancestral home of Salem, MA and is faced with the descendants of the witches who were hanged. This book was a really fun, quick read. I liked the descriptions of Salem. The characters were likeable. The plot has romance, graveyards, a secret library, old grimoires, mean girls, a ghost, good witches and bad witches and a believable main character... all the ingredients for a supernatural teen romance. It is a very enjoyable way to pass a weekend. My one critique is that the plot involving the ghost's fiancee becomes a bit muddled by the end, which I really can't discuss more in depth without ruining it for you. Suffice to say, I still don't really understand the mechanics of how that plot line ultimately worked. Yes, I get that witchcraft was involved, but I think the jump from the past to the present could have been more clearly explained.

This was a fun book and a really quick read. While it read a bit too YA for my personal tastes, it has a great premise and I enjoyed the story. It sounds silly to say, but one supernatural element in general had me rolling my eyes (a bit of a Salem deus ex machina at play). Had I read this as a tween or early teen, though, I think I would have adored it, so I think I'm just too old and used to scarier horror for this to have entirely worked for me.

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Alright, so I struggled with 3 or 4 stars. So probably a strong 3.5 stars. I liked this book, but I didnt love it. It was a little boring for me up until about halfway. I was pleasantly surprised by some of the creepy aspects, like the house in the woods. I kept thinking, dont go back!!!

And love triangles. WHY. This one didnt even need to be there. Right? SpoilerI mean, one of them is fucking dead. Couldnt he just have been, oh I dunno, a good friend she remembered fondly or something like that. I usually hate them, and this was definitely an instance where I hated it.