The Book Report #93
Episode #92
The Book Club Edition #4
I joined a book club, and this was the book that was chosen to read in December 2025.
How to Hang A Witch by Adriana Mather
The Book
This book was first published in the United Kingdom by Walker Books in 2018.
My copy is a third-print paperback with 384 pages, which include the author’s notes, acknowledgements, a biography, social media links, and advertisements for other books from the publisher. I also used an ebook copy when I was away from home.
This book is also part of my second-to-be-read bookcase in another room.
What Did I Think?
Sammatha has come home. But she has never been to the town of Salem before, yet her name is one of the founding members of the witch trials. Her family connection is that the Mathers’ name is on the wrong side of history.
Her father walked away from the city after his wife died many years ago. And because of medical bills and her father being in a coma, she has had to move into her family home. Her grandmother has also passed and has left the house to them. But the house, the families, and the city hold a secret she knows nothing about. But she must find out what this “curse” is, solve it, and end it before more people die.
Sam doesn’t know why, and they won’t tell her why. But the town does not like her, and from the get-go, she is bullied at school by the descendants, a group of teens whose families originate from the trials.
I wanted to go into this book without any preconceptions. My book club group tried to give me some details, but I covered my ears. The less information, the better. But from the moment I started reading this book, I knew it was a teen drama. And that did make me think, ‘Oh great.’ But as I continued, the book did grow on me.
Relationships
The concern I had was that it would swing in the direction of a Twilight-like relationship story. And there is a hint at this in the story. However, the romantic part of the plot remains neutral. It stuck with the main plot of what the curse was and how to solve it. And the couple of instances that I read did feel forced.
Who would you rather be with, a four-hundred-year-old late teen ghost or the next-door neighbour? They both can create things from wood, but the neighbour isn’t as brooding.
Sammatha eventually gets the descendants on her side, and they work together to solve and deal with the threat.
The story isn’t too complicated and is easy to follow. I wasn’t looking for the villain and was nicely surprised by the outcome.
The only downside I noted was the lack of character development. The characters that were introduced gave you just enough information, and that was it; you didn’t get much in the way of a backstory. No details, but a character for Sam to connect with.
Would I Recommend?
Yes, I would recommend this story. The story is easy to follow and read, as well as rare in that it keeps you coming back for more. So, if you think you would enjoy some teenage angst while dealing with the possibility that a curse could kill everyone connected to the Witch Trials, this could be the book for you.
Please give this book a go.
Would you like to purchase your very own copy?
You could try these online stores: Amazon UK/USA. Waterstones. AbeBooks UK/USA, Barnes & Noble, or eBay UK/USA.
Alternatively, you could try your local bookshop or even your local library.
