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.)