I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Haunting the Deep by Adriana Mather
Series: How to Hang a Witch #2
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers on October 3, 2017
Pages: 368
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
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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.

Hey everyone! I’m beyond excited to be on the blog tour for Haunting the Deep by Adriana Mather!! I absolutely LOVED both How To Hang a Witch (book one) and Haunting the Deep (book two)! I hope you enjoy my review!

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As much as I love the Salem Witch Trials, the plot in Haunting the Deep was even more epic than How To Hang a Witch. The writing improved a LOT – which is saying something, since there was nothing wrong with the writing in How To Hang a Witch. It just got even better in Haunting the Deep! And, most importantly (for me, since I’m such a character-driven reader), the characters felt more developed and epic.

I’ve loved getting to know Sam over the course of the last two books. She’s fierce and independent, almost to a point of being extremely stubborn. I get that she went through a lot (in book one), but as Alice pointed out, she wasn’t the only one who went through those things. Shutting everyone out – and pushing everyone away – wasn’t the answer. She needed, more than anyone, to have people she could trust and rely on. But she definitely grew and matured in Haunting the Deep.

Jaxon has frustrated me throughout both books. I felt like his interactions with Sam were awkward and forced in How To Hang a Witch. That improved in Haunting the Deep, but his attitude sucked. He went from being a charming ass in the first book to just an ass in the second. He was even more stubborn than Sam, super jealous, and completely close-minded. I know the things Sam went through were strange and crazy, but he could have supported her more. He did have his moments, though – I can’t deny that.

And that leads me to their relationship.. Sadly, I didn’t ship Sam and Jaxon. I really preferred them as friends. I didn’t feel a romantic vibe between them. At the same time, I DID like their banter and flirtations. I know that’s a huge contradiction but…. *shrugs.*

Elijah, on the other hand…. He was !!!!!!! I honestly don’t even know what else to say about him. He was just epic and swoon-worthy and I totally shipped him and Sam!

I loved the dynamic between Sam and The Descendants in this book. I especially loved Alice. She was bold and spoke her mind. Her dry, sarcastic humor was epic.

I also loved the banter between Charlie and Mrs. Meriwether. It was sweet seeing their friendship develop after they had been apart for so many years.

This book was such a fast, fun read. I read the first 170 pages in one sitting (5 hours) and didn’t want to put it down even when I was falling asleep in the middle of reading it! The ending was EPIC and INTENSE and full of !!!!! and “KNEW IT!!!” moments. It wrapped things up nicely, but still left me wanting a third book! Like, I REALLY REALLY hope there’s going to be a book three! I’m not ready to say goodbye to this world or these characters!

If you couldn’t tell from my review, I absolutely LOVED this book. If you love historical fiction – specifically books about the Titanic – this book is DEFINITELY for you!

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Favorite Quote:

“You’re not allowed to try to fix me. I’m not broken” – Page 234 in the US ARC

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About the Author:
 
Adriana Mather is the 12th generation of Mathers in America, and as such her family has their fingers in many of its historical pies – the Mayflower, the Salem Witch Trials, the Titanic, the Revolutionary War, and the wearing of curly white wigs. Also, Adriana co-owns a production company, Zombot Pictures, in LA that has made three feature films in three years. Her first acting scene in a film ever was with Danny Glover, and she was terrified she would mess it up. In addition, her favorite food is pizza and she has too many cats.

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