A review by bookishcameron
How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather

3.0

As a direct descendant of Cotton Mather, the minister who investigated and persecuted witches in Salem, the author weaves together her personal family history with the history of the town of Salem, all while telling the story of a girl struggling to make sense of her past and the mysteries that have always surrounded her. Samantha Mather, the heroine of the novel, has been called "cursed" for nearly her whole life. A series of accidents has driven away every friend she's ever had. Her mother died when she was a baby, and her father recently fell into an unexplained coma. When she and her stepmother Vivian are forced to move into the Mather family home in Salem, Sam thinks she might have a shot at starting over. But in a town like Salem, history is everything, and as Sam unravels more of her family's complicated background, she becomes convinced that the only way to save her father and break her curse is to find the true witch of Salem, who might never have left after all.

I love witches and morbid imagery, so between the creepy title and the Salem connection, I was super excited for this book. And honestly, it was fine. The witch aesthetic was great, and the research was impressive. It just wasn't what I expected. There were lots of tropes I've seen before
Spoilerlove triangle between MC, the hot neighbor, and a dead guy? ummm
and the romance was kind of... awkward?
Spoilerlike? he was dead? and she was torn between him and her neighbor who was... alive? like. how is this a contest, girl?
Again, not a bad story, just not the type of story that grabs me. If you're looking for history on the town of Salem and a supernatural romance, this is it. But if you're a weirdo like me and you want something chilling and gripping and full of the occult, I'd recommend something else. Maybe [b:The May Queen Murders|25897757|The May Queen Murders|Sarah Jude|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1437678027s/25897757.jpg|45780715]? Just trying to help out.