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How to Hang a Witch Hardcover – July 26, 2016

by Adriana Mather (Author)

4.6 3,867 ratings

Book 1 of 2: How to Hang a Witch

Editors' pick Best Young Adult

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The #1 New York Times bestseller!

It’s the Salem Witch Trials meets Mean Girls in this New York Times bestselling novel from one of the descendants of Cotton Mather, where the trials of high school start to feel like a modern-day witch hunt for a teen with all the wrong connections to Salem’s past.

Salem, Massachusetts, is the site of the infamous witch trials and the new home of Samantha Mather. Recently transplanted from New York City, Sam and her stepmother are not exactly welcomed with open arms. Sam is the descendant of Cotton Mather, one of the men responsible for those trials—and almost immediately, she becomes the enemy of a group of girls who call themselves the Descendants. And guess who their ancestors were?

If dealing with that weren’t enough, Sam also comes face to face with a real, live (well, technically dead) ghost. A handsome, angry ghost who wants Sam to stop touching his stuff. But soon Sam discovers she is at the center of a centuries-old curse affecting anyone with ties to the trials. Sam must come to terms with the ghost and find a way to work with the Descendants to stop a deadly cycle that has been going on since the first accused witch was hanged. If any town should have learned its lesson, it’s Salem. But history may be about to repeat itself.

“It’s like Mean Girls meets history class in the best possible way.” —Seventeen Magazine

“Mather shines a light on the lessons the Salem Witch Trials can teach us about modern-day bullying—and what we can do about it.” —Bustle

“Strikes a careful balance of creepy, fun, and thoughtful.” —NPR

I am utterly addicted to Mather’s electric debut. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, twisting and turning with ghosts, witches, an ancient curse, and—sigh—romance. It’s beautiful. Haunting. The characters are vivid and real. I. Could. Not. Put. It. Down.” —Jennifer Niven, bestselling author of All the Bright Places

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up—Samantha Mather's life has been turned upside down after her father becomes ill and slips into an unexplained coma. Uprooted from New York, Sam's father is placed in a Boston medical facility while Sam and her stepmother move into her father's house in Salem, MA. As a direct descendant of the infamous Cotton Mather of the Salem witch trials, Sam is shunned by most of the town and becomes a target at school of the Descendants, a powerful clique of progeny of those murdered as a result of the trials. As strange and unexplainable events occur, the teen realizes that there are dark forces at work in Salem that are beyond her ability to fight. Help comes from the least likely of places—a disgruntled 324-year-old ghost named Elijah. Together they uncover clues about an evil curse plaguing the town and must join with the Descendants if they hope to stop the deadly cycle from continuing. Mather's brilliantly written novel is full of twists and turns, spine-tingling drama, and ghostly encounters. The vibrant characters leap off the page, and the narrative is incredibly deep—addressing issues such as acceptance, bullying, loyalty, hatred, revenge, and being true to yourself and destiny—all perfectly packaged without being simplistic or preachy. VERDICT A captivating and highly recommended read. Teens will not want this tale to end.—Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NY

Review

A New York Public Library Best Book for Teens, 2016

“It’s like Mean Girls meets history class in the best possible way.” —Seventeen Magazine

“Mather shines a light on the lessons the Salem Witch Trials can teach us about modern-day bullying—and what we can do about it.” —Bustle

“Strikes a careful balance of creepy, fun, and thoughtful.” —NPR

I am utterly addicted to Mather’s electric debut. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, twisting and turning with ghosts, witches, an ancient curse, and—sigh—romance. It’s beautiful. Haunting. The characters are vivid and real. I. Could. Not. Put. It. Down.” —Jennifer Niven, bestselling author of All the Bright Places

“[A]n entertaining story that draws intriguing parallels between the 17th-century trials and modern-day bullying”
―Publishers Weekly

"Mather delivers a timely condemnation of bullying and the politics of mass hysteria, while still completely charming her readers with large doses of suspense and steamy attraction." —Shelf Awareness

About the Author

Adriana Mather is the 12th generation of Mathers in America, with family roots stretching back to the first Thanksgiving, the Salem Witch Trials, the Revolutionary War, and the Titanic. Adriana co-owns Zombot Pictures, a production company that makes feature films. In addition to producing, Adriana is also an actress. She lives in Los Angeles where she has a life full of awesome, cats, and coffee. Follow Adriana on Twitter, @AdrianaMather.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter One

Too Confident

Like most fast-talking, opinionated New Yorkers, I have an affinity for sarcasm. At fifteen, though, it’s hard to convince anyone that sarcasm’s a cultural thing and not a bad attitude. Especially when your stepmother can’t drive, ’cause she’s also from New York, and spills your coffee with maniacal brake pounding.

I wipe a dribble of hazelnut latte off my chin. “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. I love wearing my coffee.”

Vivian keeps her hand poised over the horn, like a cat waiting to pounce. “All your clothes have holes in them. Coffee isn’t your problem.”

If it’s possible for someone to never have an awkward moment, socially or otherwise, then that someone is my stepmother. When I was little, I admired her ability to charm roomfuls of people. Maybe I thought it would rub off on me—an idea I’ve since given up on. She’s perfectly put together in a way I’ll never be, and my vegan leather jacket and torn black jeans drive her crazy. So now I just take joy in wearing them to her dinner parties. Gotta have something, right?

“My problem is, I don’t know when I’ll see my dad,” I say, staring out at the well-worn New England homes, with their widow’s walks and dark shutters.

Vivian’s lips tighten. “We’ve been through this a hundred times. They’ll transfer him to Mass General sometime this week.”

“Which is still an hour from Salem.” This is the sentence I’ve repeated since I found out three weeks ago that we had to sell our New York apartment, the apartment I’ve spent my entire life in.

“Would you rather live in New York and not be able to pay your father’s medical bills? We have no idea how long he’ll be in a coma.”

Three months, twenty-one days, and ten hours. That’s how long it’s already been. We pass a row of witch-themed shops with dried herbs and brooms filling their windows.

“They really love their witches here,” I say, ignoring Vivian’s last question.

“This is one of the most important historical towns in America. Your relatives played a major role in that history.”

“My relatives hanged witches in the sixteen hundreds. Not exactly something to be proud of.”

But in truth, I’m super curious about this place, with its cobblestone alleys and eerie black houses. We pass a police car with a witch logo on the side. As a kid, I tried every tactic to get my dad to take me here, but he wouldn’t hear of it. He’d say that nothing good ever happens in Salem and the conversation would end. There’s no pushing my dad.

A bus with a ghost-tour ad pulls in front of us. Vivian jerks to a stop and then tailgates. She nods at the ad. “There’s a nice provincial job for you.”

I crack a smile. “I don’t believe in ghosts.” We make a right onto Blackbird Lane, the street on the return address of the cards my grandmother sent me as a child.

“Well, you’re the only one in Salem who feels that way.” I don’t doubt she’s right.

For the first time during this roller coaster of a car ride, my stomach drops in a good way. Number 1131 Blackbird Lane, the house my dad grew up in, the house he met my mother in. It’s a massive two-story white building with black shutters and columned doorways. The many peaks of the roof are covered with dark wooden shingles, weathered from the salty air. A wrought-iron fence with pointed spires surrounds the perfectly manicured lawn.

“Just the right size,” Vivian says, eyeing our new home.

The redbrick driveway is uneven with age and pushed up by tree roots. Vivian’s silver sports car jostles as we make our way through the black arched gate and roll to a stop.

“Ten people could live here and never see each other,” I reply.

“Like I said, just the right size.”

I pull my hair into a messy ball on top of my head and grab the heavy duffel bag at my feet. Vivian’s already out of the car, and her heels click against the brick. She makes her way toward a side door with an elaborate overhang.

I take a deep breath and open my car door. Before I get a good look at our new home, a neighbor comes out of her blue-on-blue house and waves enthusiastically.

“Helllloooo! Well, hello there!” she says with a smile bigger than I’ve ever seen on a stranger as she crosses a patch of lawn to get to our driveway.

She has rosy cheeks and a frilly white apron. She could have stepped out of a housekeeping magazine from the 1950s.

“Samantha,” she says, and beams. She holds my chin to inspect my face. “Charlie’s daughter.”

I’ve never heard anyone call my dad by a nickname. “Uh, Sam. Everyone calls me Sam.”

“Nonsense. That’s a boy’s name. Now, aren’t you pretty. Too skinny, though.” She steps back to get a proper look. “We’ll fix that in no time.” She laughs a full, tinkling laugh.

I smile, even though I’m not sure she’s complimenting me. There’s something infectious about her happiness. She examines me, and I cross my arms self-consciously. My duffel bag falls off my shoulder, jerking me forward. I trip.

“Jaxon!” she bellows toward her blue house without saying a word about my clumsiness. A blond guy who looks seventeenish exits the side door just as I get hold of the duffel strap. “Come take Samantha’s bag.”

As he gets closer, his sandy hair flops into his eyes. Blue. One corner of his mouth tilts in a half smile. I stare at him. Am I blushing? Ugh, so embarrassing. He reaches for the bag, now awkwardly hanging from my elbow.

I reposition it onto my shoulder. “No, it’s fine.”

“This is my son, Jaxon. Isn’t he adorable?” She pats him on the cheek.

“Mom, really?” Jaxon protests.

I smile at them. “So, you know my dad?”

“Certainly. And I knew your grandmother. Took care of her and the house when she got older. I know this place inside and out.” She puts her hands on her hips.

Vivian approaches, frowning. “Mrs. Meriwether? We spoke on the phone.” She pauses. “You have the keys, I assume?”

“Sure do.” Mrs. Meriwether reaches into her apron pocket and retrieves a set of skeleton keys rubbed smooth in places from years of use. She glances at her watch. “I’ve got chocolate croissants coming out of the oven any minute now. Jaxon will give you a tour of—”

“No, that’s alright. We can show ourselves around.” There’s a finality in Vivian’s response. Vivian doesn’t trust overly friendly people. We had a doorman once who used to bring me treats, and she got him fired.

“Actually,” I say, “do you know which room used to be my dad’s?”

Mrs. Meriwether lights up. “It’s all ready for you. Up the stairs, take a left, all the way down the hall. Jaxon will show you.”

Vivian turns around without a goodbye. Jaxon and I follow her to the door.

Jaxon watches me curiously as we go inside. “I’ve never seen you here before.”

“I’ve never been here before.”

“Even when your grandmother was alive?” He closes the door behind us with a click.

“I never met my grandmother.” It’s weird to admit that.

In the front foyer are piles of boxes—all of our personal belongings from the City. Vivian sold everything heavy when she found out this place was furnished.

We step past the boxes into an open space with glossy wooden floors, a wrought-iron chandelier, and a giant staircase. Vivian’s heels click somewhere down the hallway to the left—a sound that follows her around like a shadow. As a child, I could always find her by listening for it, even in a roomful of women in high heels. I wouldn’t be surprised if she slept in those shoes.

I take in our home for the first time. Paintings in gold frames hang on the walls, separated by sconces with bulbs shaped like candles. Everything’s antique and made of dark wood, the opposite of our modern apartment in NYC. This is some fairy-tale storybook business, I think, looking at the curved staircase with its smooth wooden banisters and Oriental rug running up the middle.

“This way.” Jaxon nods toward the staircase. He lifts my bag off my shoulder and starts up the stairs.

“I could’ve carried that myself.”

“I know. But I wouldn’t want you to fall again. Stairs do more damage than driveways.” So he definitely saw me trip. He smiles at my expression.

This guy is too confident for his own good. I follow him, holding the banister in case my clumsiness makes a second appearance.

Jaxon turns left at the top of the stairs. We pass a bedroom with a burgundy comforter and a canopy that any little girl would go bonkers over. After the bedroom, there’s a bathroom with a giant claw-foot tub and a mirror with a gold-plated frame.

He stops at the end of the hall in front of a small door that looks like it could use a fresh coat of paint. The doorknob’s shaped like a flower with shiny brass petals. A daisy, maybe? I twist it, and the wood groans as the door swings open.

I gasp.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Knopf Books for Young Readers (July 26, 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0553539477
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0553539479
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 - 15 years
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ HL570L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 - 9
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.88 x 1.23 x 8.56 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,766,655 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,431 in Teen & Young Adult Fiction about Emotions & Feelings
- #3,096 in Teen & Young Adult Wizards & Witches Fantasy
- #5,212 in Teen & Young Adult Horror

Customer Reviews:
4.6 3,867 ratings

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Mather, Adriana

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Adriana Mather is the New York Times bestselling author of How to Hang a Witch, with family roots that go back to Sleepy Hollow, the Salem Witch Trials, and the Titanic. She's also an actor and producer best known for her role in the award-winning Honeyglue. She co-owns Zombot Pictures, a production company that makes feature films.

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Heather M

A Must Read!

Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2016

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First Thoughts: When I first found this book I instantly fell in love with the book. The cover is fantastic and the title...I am pretty much sold when it comes to witches. After reading the blurb for the book I knew I had to give this a read. The Salem Witch Trials is probably my favorite thing to check out when it comes to history.

Review: Samantha Mather's has moved to Salem, Massachusetts with her stepmother. Her father has been in a coma for 4 months and the medical bills have forced them to sell their home in New York and move into her fathers family home that was left to him when Samantha's grandmother died.

Sam quickly finds out that Salem is not going to be a friendly place for her. Her ancestors had a big part in the Salem witch trials and they still hold a grudge. Things quickly spiral out of control as threats are thrown through her window and even a ghost decides to make his dislike of her known.

What I found great about this book is that there is actual history mixed in with the entertainment. It made me want to research the Salem witch trials more, just to see what all from the book was inspired by true stories of the Salem events.

Samantha Mather is such a fantastic lead character. She is stubborn and she stays that way through the entire book. She is strong to a fault. She doesn't want anyone to know what she is dealing with, which causes more stress and doubts then it actually helps. I felt like I could really connect to who Samantha was, being the new girl that no one liked. I could feel the emotions of being so alone and not being able to trust anyone.

Of course, there is a little romance in the story, but not to the point where it overcomes or BECOMES the plot of the story. The story, in the end, is about a girl figuring out her history and trying to make right the things that had gone wrong so many years ago. The quote "The sin of the father" comes to mind, paying for sins (or wrongs) done by those before you.

The End: WARNING! Their are spoilers in this section. Please skip to the "Final Thoughts" section if you do not want to read spoilers.

I loved the relationship between Sam and Jaxon. I thought it was cute and it was great that Sam had a friend even when things were troublesome.

But....I loved Elijah. I wanted Elijah to some how find a way to become human again and finish out a life that was ended too soon. Maybe Jaxon would have been with Sam the whole time had she told him what was really going on, but Elijah was there, through everything. It could also be that Elijah basically hated Sam at the beginning and then fell in love with her. I don't know, but I may have weeped a little when Elijah said goodbye.

Final Thoughts: I have read a few reviews written about this book and I realize that it's not for everyone. I thought it was an amazing book. It was fast paced and full of action. Although, if you are not a fan of history, then maybe this book is not for you. The beginning of the book could possibly be a little slow, but I was hooked from the first chapter. There are so many questions hovering around Sam and her strange life, and everything is answered in the end.

I would suggest this to friends, at least to give it a chance. There is a lot of hype around it at the moment, but I think the story was well worth the time.
For more reviews, check out my blog at: awkwardheather.wordpress.com/

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Pete Tarsi

Bewitchingly fantastic!

Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2016

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The book description says the book is the “Salem Witch Trials meets Mean Girls.” It’s one thing when friends or reviews describe a book as a mash-up, but when it’s in the book description itself, I get a little skeptical. But Mean Girls is a viciously funny movie (“Raise your hand if you have ever been personally victimized by Regina George?”), and I’ve been intrigued by the Salem Witch trials for most of my life. It comes with the territory when growing up less than an hour away from Salem. I’ve visited Salem several times, and I’ve both been in and directed the play The Crucible. But it was the added info that author Adriana Mather is a direct descendant of someone involved in the witch trials that made the prospect of reading the book even more intriguing. Would she make the book be all the things—funny, biting, satirical, and spooky—implied in that mash-up?

Absolutely!

The story starts with Samantha Mather—a direct descendant (like the author) of Cotton Mather, a minister who supported the witch trials—moving from New York to Salem with her stepmother while her father is hospitalized in a coma. She moves into the old house where her father grew up, a place where strange, ghostly things start happening. In school the next day, her last name alone attracts negative attention among other students, particularly a collection of four girls and a boy known as the Descendants. Their family trees include ancestors who were accused, tried, and hanged as witches back in 1692. No wonder they don’t like Samantha.

She gets bullied, and as a teacher, I was slightly put off by how the school population (students and teachers) is somewhat complicit in the bullying. The school administration and her stepmother chalk it up to Sam’s somewhat troubled past. But this is fiction, and as the plot got more mysterious, spooky, gripping, and scathing, it bothered me less because there’s a really powerful and important message buried inside the intricate, twisty plot. But before I get to that message, I want to talk about the characters and plot.

Sam is a great narrator. She’s smart, snarky, and stubborn. She lacks some self-confidence because of all that’s happened to her, but she’s also got a strong sense of what’s right and wrong. As her situation at school gets worse, and she is ultimately accused of being responsible for some freaky and dangerous things happening at the town, all she wants to do is help everyone by solving the problem—a curse on the descendants (including herself) of those involved in the witch trials.

The supporting cast is also well-developed. I like that the Descendants have distinct voices and personalities, and Susannah—the first to reach out to Sam—was my favorite of that bunch. As in many YA books, there’s a kind of love triangle with Sam and two boys: sweet, noble neighbor Jaxon and proper, mysterious Elijah. I only loosely consider it a triangle, and it was never a distraction, but it was quite the contrary, as both relationships were different, unique, strong and necessary to the story.

There are at least two big mysteries, and it was fun watching them converge and diverge throughout the plot. The stakes are clearly raised through the book, and though I sniffed out the ultimate villain, that villain’s true motivations surprised me. I didn’t want to put the book down when I had to, particularly through the climactic confrontation.

What elevates this book toward best of 2016 status is the message. Sam is trying to stop a curse that has been repeating itself in Salem since the witch trials, but the unsubstantiated finger-pointing that occurred then has repeated far too many times in history. Whether it was the “Red Scare” of McCarthyism in the 1950s (the inspiration for Arthur Miller’s The Crucible) or the profiling of different ethnicities in many eras of history including the present, the hysteria is unnecessary. And it happens in high school also if one “popular” group of students socially banish others for no reason other than they’re different. Even without witchcraft, this happens, and hopefully well-written books like this can help point out why that’s dangerous while doing so with an enjoyable story too.

This book exceeded my expectations, especially after reading a few books that didn’t. Maybe my reading dry spell was a curse, finally broken by How to Hang a Witch and its FIVE STAR rating.

71 people found this helpful

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Sarah

Interesting and original story!

Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2024

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I don't usually read YA/high school-themed books, but I read this at the recommendation of a friend and ended up loving it! The story is creative and original, really well thought out, and has some good plot twists. It's a quick and easy read - the beginning was a little slow, and it took a little bit for the main character to grow on me, but after the first few chapters I got sucked in.

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Goldilocqs

Lecture sympa

Reviewed in France on January 13, 2020

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Livre en anglais, c'est une histoire sympa sur des sorcières. C'était pas mal.

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Bethany Waller

Absolutely amazing

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 4, 2018

Verified Purchase

Couldn't put this book down. It's the first book I've finished in five years, and I'm so sad that I actually did. So well set, so well written - you can tell Adriana definitely did her homework with this one. Hoping for more books from her, and at least a second part to this!!

One person found this helpful

AllieConfy

A new great fantasy book

Reviewed in Italy on March 8, 2017

➤ WARNING: This thing I wrote is in Inglalian (English + Italian). You must use a bit of imagination and fantasy to understand completely. Or maybe not. Enjoy the reading!

In these times, books are not great. Especially, if you wanna read a good fantasy, now, you have to avoid some of the new publications because these ones, usually, are strange mix and bad copies of old best sellers like “The Lord of the Rings” and “Narnia”, or some books more new like “Harry Potter” and “Hunger Games”; these new authors – authors? No, they aren’t – wanna write a fantasy…without using their fantasy, but using the fantasy of someone else. Easy, uh?! Well, “How to Hang a Witch” is not one of these strange mix and bad copies of old best sellers; finally, the poor readers who love fantasy books can read something of – really – good.

“How to Hang a Witch” is…cool; the plot is really interesting, the development of the story is not ordinary, but curious and intriguing – yes, intriguing! –, the characters are not the classics and stupid ‘Mary Sue’ and ‘Gary Stu’, and the protagonist – Samantha Mather – is not a ‘damsel in distress’, but a badass girl who can kick asses. Do you want more? Well, we have. “How to Hang a Witch” has its roots in the History, guys; this serves to make you understand that is not a simple fantasy book, this one, but something more. And then, we have an interesting – and sad – parallelism, in the story of “How to Hang a Witch”, between the originals Witch Trials and the bullying in the modern schools; at the end of the book, there’s a beautiful note of the authoress about this thing, that you – absolutely – have to read if you’ll buy this book. But “How to Hang a Witch” is not only witches and bullies – and ghosts –, there are more other themes like love, friendship, loss, hate, so… C’mon! You have to read it. And if I have not been so convincing… Well, watch the beautiful booktrailer of “How to Hang a Witch”, and then, I’m sure that you will want to read this book.

2 people found this helpful

E.W

A riveting read full of history...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 6, 2022

Verified Purchase

I love this book. It is steeped in history yet skillfully dodges the stuffiness that can walk hand in hand with it. (Small pun incoming) The story never leaves you hanging, you are immersed from chapter 1 and the twists leave you wanting more.
I would absolutely love to see the characters brought to life I'm a TV series which I am sure would leave me sobbing at the end, just like the book.

Kindle Customer

Very good YA

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 2, 2018

Verified Purchase

The mix of history and adventure was compelling, finished the book in an afternoon, wonderful twists and perfect for YA or those of us wanting and escape from mature reading.

I saw an ad for this book which led me to make the purchase and at the time believed the book was more NA, or adult but was not disappointed by the book, it's an intricate story and a wonderful read.

4 people found this helpful

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