Blog Tour & Review: Haunting the Deep (How to Hang a Witch #2) by Adriana Mather

Haunting the Deep is the second installment in the How to Hang a Witch series by Adriana Mather! We are so appreciative for the chance to read and review and must thank Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers for the advance reading copy. This is no way influences our review or our opinions. Haunting the Deep is available now!

 

Haunting the Deep (How to Hang a Witch #2) by Adriana Mather

Category: Young Adult, Paranormal
Publication: October 3rd, 2017; Knopf Books for Young Readers
Purchase: Amazon

The Titanic meets the delicious horror of Ransom Riggs and the sass of Mean Girls in this follow-up to the #1 New York Times bestseller How to Hang a Witch, in which a contemporary teen finds herself a passenger on the famous “ship of dreams”—a story made all the more fascinating because the author’s own relatives survived the doomed voyage.

Samantha Mather knew her family’s connection to the infamous Salem Witch Trials might pose obstacles to an active social life. But having survived one curse, she never thought she’d find herself at the center of a new one.

This time, Sam is having recurring dreams about the Titanic . . . where she’s been walking the deck with first-class passengers, like her aunt and uncle. Meanwhile, in Sam’s waking life, strange missives from the Titanic have been finding their way to her, along with haunting visions of people who went down with the ship.

Ultimately, Sam and the Descendants, along with some help from heartthrob Elijah, must unravel who is behind the spell that is drawing her ever further into the dream ship . . . and closer to sharing the same grim fate as its ghostly passengers.

Review:

[book rating=4.5/5]

Confession: I have always been fascinated with the Titanic and its downfall. Not in a morbid way, but just the history of it. The fact that so many died due to a lack of compassion and the oversight and confidence of the builders and designer. There are so many “what ifs” that go along with the sinking. I’d give anything to time travel back to the weeks leading up to that event.

So when I found out the sequel to How to Hang a Witch was going to be centered around the Titanic, I was giddy.

Now, I enjoyed book one. But upon my reread to prepare for this, I noticed some things that bothered me. The writing and story weren’t always cohesive. I felt things bounced around a lot. But Haunting the Deep had none of that!!

book totally surpassed its predecessor. In every way. From the ghost story to the romance, this was superior. I felt that the visions and mystery were much better written this time around. And definitely had more impact. Previously, I didn’t feel we got enough of the actual with trials. So not the case with the ship. I loved the scenes. It felt like we were watching someone who was truly present onboard.

And the romance! So much easier to deal with this time around. I don’t know why that is since it’s the same person, but it felt more organic this time. Perhaps that’s just because we know him now. But their chemistry sizzles on the page.

The writing being cleaner this time around also helps with the twists, turns, and creepiness factor. I also found myself liking Sam better, so I think that definitely was the reason why. She didn’t seem so wishy-washy here.

Oh! And the Descendants! I really love that group, but I’ve got to say Alice is THE BEST. I adore her personality. She is hilariously snarky and without her, I think this series wouldn’t be as great as it is.

My one criticism is probably Jaxon. I just have a love-hate relationship with his character. He wasn’t in this book much, and when he was I just despised his role. I’m not downplaying Sam’s part in things, because she definitely needs to be more honest, but…I just don’t feel like everything was resolved there.

Haunting the Deep combines history with the spooky and does so magnificently. Fans of book one will definitely be immersed in this second story. And, I’m pretty sure they’ll freak out and swoon and adore it as much as I did. And let’s hope there’s more to come, because I could read about this crew for a long time!

 

Author Bio: Adriana Mather

Adriana Mather, the New York Times bestselling author of HOW TO HANG A WITCH, is a full-time writer, producer, and actor. She owns a production company called Zombot Pictures, which has produced three films, including the award-winning Honeyglue. She lives in Los Angeles, California. Not only can Adriana trace her ancestry back to Cotton Mather and the Salem Witch Trials, she also has relatives who survived the sinking of the Titanic. Look for her on Twitter at @AdrianaMather and on Facebook at @AdrianaMatherauthor.