July 4, 2016
When her father's illness forces 15-year-old Samantha "Sam" Mather and her stepmother to move to Salem, Mass., her family's connection to the witch trials makes Sam a target of the Descendants, girls whose ancestors were among the accused witches. After Sam befriends a charming young ghost named Elijah, she begins to piece together just how much of Salem's past continues to haunt its present; forming a tentative truce with the Descendants may be the only way to break a 300-year-old curse. Inspired by her own lineage to Cotton Mather, debut author Mather infuses the story with a rich history of real places and events to anchor its more fantastical elements, including a supernatural love triangle involving Elijah, secret rooms, and hidden compartments containing ancient writings. Witty repartee can seem too irreverent in passages where the teenage characters are facing (and sometimes succumbing to) death, but Mather crafts an entertaining story that draws intriguing parallels between the 17th-century trials and modern-day bullying, as well as the fears and mob mentalities behind both. Ages 12âup. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio.
October 3, 2016
When her father’s illness forces 15-year-old Samantha “Sam” Mather and her stepmother to move to Salem, Mass., her family’s connection to the witch trials makes Sam a target of the Descendants, girls whose ancestors were among the accused witches. After Sam befriends a charming young ghost named Elijah, she begins to piece together just how much of Salem’s past continues to haunt its present; forming a tentative truce with the Descendants may be the only way to break a 300-year-old curse. Mathers’s characters are strong and well-rounded, but her skill as an audiobook narrator pales in comparison. She carries the story along at a decent pace, but she never fully realizes the dramatic depth and nuances of her own material. When she comes alive is the very end of the book, in her the author’s note. There her personality shines through as she details her family history (including the fact that she is a descendant of the real Cotton Mather), how she came to write the book, and how she feels the witch trials are relevant today. The same enthusiasm and expressiveness would have raised this audiobook from serviceable to memorable. Ages 12–up. A Knopf hardcover.