I thought ot would be as good as the first one.....Sadly, it was not. It felt to flat and plain to me. I couldn't continue the story any further.

Enjoyed this spooky, thrilling tale. Highly recommend it for fans of the genre. Will recommend it for purchase.

After breaking her family's curse in the first this series, How to Hang a Witch (4 stars), Samantha is back 6 months later and dreaming she's on board the Titanic. Who has targeted her this time and why?

I really liked the first book and was excited to read this one, especially since it was about the Titanic, but unfortunately, it just didn't hold my interest.

Location: Salem, Massachusetts

I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I tried reading this book but sadly I didn't make it very far while reading this book. I think that the different point of views made it a bit difficult to understand . I usually love this author's books and I hoped that this one would work out for me.

A good mix of historical and thriller for the YA crowd. I like that the author is taking this in the direction of a series, hopefully exposing more teens to real history. It's well written and keeps the action moving.

My biggest criticism is the cover, it looks like a cheap Photoshop job for a self-published title.

I loved this book! The full review will be posted soon at kaitgoodwin.com/books! Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to connect books to their readers!

My Highly Caffeinated Thought: A rich story that melds the past with the present to create a suspenseful and emotional read.

In HAUNTING THE DEEP, Mather revisits Salem with a new mystery for Samantha and the Descendants to uncover. With careful reverence to the history of the Titanic and its passengers, the author eloquently laces together the past with the present once again. The layers that are built into this book enhance the complexity as well as making it positively addictive.

I cannot tell you all how much I love this series. There is something so wonderful about these books. The mystery and magic that lie in these pages do not overshadow the emotion and the interactions between all the characters. It has it all. The feels, chills, and the history work seamlessly together.

I think the thing that I love most about this book series is the fact that the author actually is related to key players in the Salem trials and had family members on the Titanic. What are the odds that someone is so historically connected? I love that Mathers uses her familial connections to write captivating stories. While I do think I liked the first book better, I did still really enjoy the sequel and am curious to see if she writes a third book.

Haunting the Deep by Adriana Mather was an interesting take on the Titanic setting, which already has countless fictional stories about it. Bringing in the YA aspect and the paranormal, made for a somewhat fun, if not superficial read.


Okay, so I requested this book via NetGalley purely because it just sounded so good. I did not do the research to see if this was part of a series or not and whether it could be read by just jumping in. For me, it caused some confusion. Character relationships were already introduced in the last book and I felt like there was major story spoilage for me. If I had wanted to go back and read the first book, there would be absolutely no surprise for me. Everything is practically mentioned. I was tempted to just stop reading this one, but my curiosity got the better of me. My fault entirely, but just a warning, read the first book in the series first.

With that being said, I enjoyed the friendship factor between Samantha and her friends. The whole modern witch trope is fun (a la The Craft--but slightly less tragic), with Samantha being a little shell shocked with the whole situation (again, all this from the previous story). At times, the story seemed to slow down a bit, but the mystery of it all kept me going. There were a couple of red herrings thrown in as to the identity of the “bad guy”, but to actually have it revealed at the end of the story was the fun part.

Overall, I think I might have enjoyed this more if I had read the previous story. Samantha’s love interest seemed interesting, but since there wasn’t that much “love” going on in this book, I feel like I missed something crucial. I did enjoy Adriana Mather’s writing style and I do think she has some interesting ideas on popular themes.

I absolutely loved this second book in the How to Hang a Witch series. Adriana's insight and relationship with the stories she writes comes across clearly. One can tell she's passionate about the subject matter. I think the pace of the book, the characters and the setting were all well done. I look forward to reading more books from her.

I really, really enjoyed HOW TO HANG A WITCH from Adriana Mather last year so I was so ready to pick up HAUNTING THE DEEP when I heard of its release! I started reading it close to Halloween, being that HOW TO HANG A WITCH was the perfect Halloween read. HAUNTING THE DEEP didn’t quite have the same vibe for me and it was still enjoyable, but I also felt like it was lacking quite a bit.

I felt like all of the work to incorporate the witch story line was kind of lost. There was still magic involved but HAUNTING THE DEEP was focused more on a ghostly plane versus a ghost being involved in a witchy story. Sam’s interactions with the Titanic and its passengers stretched the imagination a little bit more and moved from what I guess I’d call “believable magic” to a point where it was a bit too far-fetched for me. I also wasn’t as big of a fan of the Titanic concept as I was the connection to the Salem Witch trials.

What is very cool is that Adriana Mather writes these books in connection to her own family history. Her relatives have some serious American historical roots and their actual involvement in the Salem Witch Trials and the Titanic inspired her writing for these books! It’s really neat to know that she has a personal connection to the stories.

The long triangle from the first book really kind of bothered me but I’m not feeling as bothered by it anymore. I’m still team Human versus team Ghost (the ghost thing is… weird?) but I guess we’ll see where things go! I like the connection but I wish it wasn’t like, a full-on romance thing here.

When it comes down to it, I just really missed the witchiness of the first book and especially reading it around Halloween, that’s just what I really wanted. I’m definitely going to read more from Adriana Mather because I can’t wait to see what else she’s writing about (she has a LOT of sweet family history) and I love the personal author’s notes at the end of these books to explain a lot of that too! I didn’t really connect with HAUNTING THE DEEP like I had hoped but I’m definitely in for the long haul with these books!

The 411

Haunting the Deep is the follow-up to How to Hang a Witch  & so I'll leave out the Goodreads synopsis for fear of spoilers. In the same manner its predecessor was based on real life historical events, this sequel is centered around the Titanic. A YA Historical Fiction mixed with paranormal, Haunting the Deep picks up right from where we left off and the same characters are back. I truly enjoyed this follow-up a million times more for so many reasons but most of all it's the character depth & fast moving plot that was fun and easy to follow, that make Haunting a 5 star read for me. This time around there was less of a Mean Girls vibe (not completely without) & more of  the 1966 cult classic The Craft. After the events of HTHAW, our MC Sam is a bit shaken up & avoiding any and all interaction with a group of girls in Salem that are known as The Descendants. This group is known for their family lineage, each having descended from those accused of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials, Sam herself (like the author) is descended from Cotton Mather who stands on the accusing side. This bad blood pits Sam against the Descendants in the first book however, in Haunting we see a meeting of the minds. Since Sam & the Descendants saw themselves in a terrible predicament in HTHAW, this time around calls for them to set their differences aside. Ghosts have always made themselves visible to Sam but this time around they've multiplied and need the help of the living. We follow Sam & the Descendants as they try to piece together what really is going on with the ghosts of those who passed away in The Titanic. The paranormal aspects were tuned up & Sam's witchy abilities have further developed allowing her to leave her body and enter the spiritual world. I could NOT put this book down for long! I found that it had the perfect balance of paranormal & historical and soaked up all of the details Mather had to have heavily researched.

Characters

If you found yourself wanting more from the characters in HTHAW, this is the follow-up you're going to want to pick up ;) although we still get a bit of the mean girl vibe, it quickly develops into something else that I found myself really enjoying. Sam still managed to slightly annoy me but she also grew on me by the end. The real stars of the book (beside the ghosts) were The Descendants Susannah, Mary, and Alice aka MY FAVORITE! haha! Mary unfortunately gets the ditsy role but she also has a heart of gold that makes it hard to dislike her. Susannah is the calmer more mature of the crew and is able to see things before they happen. Alice is unapologetically unfiltered & every time she put Sam in her place I chuckled. I got more of Mrs. Meriwether & her wonderfully tempting pastries and good cheer, I honestly could smell her baking through the pages haha! We also get to see Elijah aka the hot Ghost who has a thing for Sam & who Sam can't stop thinking about. There was definitely less romance this time around & more of a focus on friendship which I feel, boosted my interest ten fold. I still couldn't get enough of those Elijah scenes but I really enjoyed The Descendants & fast moving plot so much so that I didn't miss the romance too badly. There are a few ghosts we meet along the way & everything from their manner of talk & dated clothing fleshed this world out so well, I just couldn't get enough of the story.

Writing and Final Thoughts

The amount of research that had to have been done to re-create the night of the Titanic down to the music playing is pretty awesome! We get descriptive writing on the clothes worn, the ship itself, way of life for those on the Titanic, and so much more! I feel as if author Adriana Mather's writing has grown in such a short matter of time leading me super excited for what's to come in 2018. I absolutely plan on continuing on with this series, I care for these characters & am curious to see how much more developed their witchy abilities get in the next book. Also, Elijah and Sam...essentially both a living person and a deceased one have managed to catch feelings for one another...how is this going to work? I have questions lol! each of the characters in Jaunting the Deep had their own distinct voice & each personality jumped off the page. I found myself transfixed by this story & how well it blended the historical with the Paranormal. I love when a book makes me Google the real life facts to compare & the surprise I receive when I realize how close to the real deal the author kept it. It's no secret that I love Fantasy but when it comes to Paranormal, witches are my achilles heel & I cannot resist a good story. Haunting the Deep is a treat to those who enjoy Historical Fiction & Paranormal. The title couldn't be more fitting as the pages truly did leave a haunting impression every night (spooky x 1,000) & I may have possibly needed to leave my nightstand lamp on to fall asleep. Need book 3 but I'll settle for a release date at the very least Haha! ;)

*Many thanks to Knopf Books for Young Readers, Netgalley, and Adriana Mather for the eGalley copy of Haunting the Deep in exchange for an honest review.
****Links to be added on 12/16/2017 when review goes live on Lair Of Books & Goodreads***

I wasn't able to read this book because I didn't realize it was the 2nd in a series.

I originally found this series because I saw this gorgeous cover on Netgalley and could not pass it up! After reading book one, I was able to immediately read book two! I did not want to put either down.

If you haven’t read book one, it’s not completely needed for the series, but a lot does happen in How to Hang a Witch, so I would recommend reading these in order.

Let me get the negatives out first. There is a love triangle that starts in book one. I hate love triangles! But, being a fan of the first and loving all things Titanic related, I just had to continue with this story. Actually, I couldn’t put book one down so I certainly wasn’t going to go without reading this one!

There are some interesting happenings in this one. It’s seemed even more of a mystery than book one because Sam starts having dreams where she is transported to the Titanic, but it actually feels like she’s there. She knows of their fate and wants desperately to figure out what is happening before she winds up with the same fate!

I enjoyed the plot a bit more in this one. Although I loved book one, I think the tropes were keeping me from falling really into it. This one was a bit better, and the portions with the Titanic were out of this world. This lives up to the idea of what being on the Titanic was like, almost like I was watching the James Cameron movie all over again.

I’m a slow reader, so I was surprised to be able to finish this 368 page book in a day, but that just shows how much I enjoyed the story.

In short! Read book one! Ignore the tropes, and enjoy this story!

WOW Just WOW this book might be over 300 pages but man you wouldn't know it. I got this in the mail and dived right in and was done in just under 4 hours! It was just that good!!! I couldn't put it down! This one was fast paced and totally epic! I loved being back with Sam and her friends and a certain heartthrob. The story this time is the Titanic and I am one to tell you that you haven't heard a story about the Titanic until you check this one out! This is an edge of your seat story that gave me so many chills! The author did a fabulous job putting all the elements together to make this story come alive! I really love the history that the author puts into these stories it makes them so much better. All of the characters were great in this one it was a joy to read about them again and see how far they have come. This is a great book for the holiday season! Read it won't disappoint you!! Just make sure to read How to Hand a Witch first!

I will say one thing for Adriana Mather's ancestors. They are certainly an impressive lot. Directly descended from Cotton Mather himself, she puts those ancestors to good use. This time around, finding a letter from an ancestor who actually survived the Titanic serves as the inspiration for her newest novel. Haunting the Deep is another entertaining, suspenseful mystery with plenty of teen snark, magic, and a dash of romance.

There really isn't much to the story. It takes place six months after the first novel, and Sam is still experiencing some trauma from what happened to her and to the Descendants. When the theme of this year's Spring Fling is announced, Sam just wants her life back to normal. Except the theme seems to mirror her recurring dreams about the Titanic. Suddenly enchanted objects start wreaking havoc, and the Descendants and Sam realize they have another magical foe on their hands. Who that person is, what this person wants, and just how far this person is willing to go to get it remains to be seen, but Sam soon realizes time is running out. The rest of the novel is a rush of magic, secrets, and danger.

Haunting the Deep is the type of novel you read purely for entertainment. It is not a story through which you will learn about yourself or begs for introspection. It does not explain society or provide historical information. It is simply a fun, escapist novel about witches that just happens to tie to the author's own ancestry. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with this.

The second book in the How to Hang A Witch series by Adriana Mather, this book centers around the Titanic and ancestors of Samantha that were on the ship at the time of its sinking. The sequel contains many of the same elements from the previous book, such as witches and magic, with a mystery taking center stage. Samantha, now friends with the Descendants from the first book, is trying to find out who keeps leaving her enchanted objects that somehow transport her to the Titanic itself, all while trying to navigate her life as a high school student.

I loved the imagery in this book and getting a sense of what the Titanic was like and the people who were on it. There are many more ghosts that make an appearance in this book, as well as an old favorite, and it gives the story a haunting feel. While the mystery person was pretty easy to figure out from the beginning, the reason behind the mystery was a bit more tough to determine. I had hope that the petty school squabbles between Samantha and her peers would have stayed behind in the first book, but it looks like that particular trope is here to stay in young adult literature that takes place in high school. It's interesting that Samantha (and the author as well) has ties to both the Salem Witch Trials and the Titanic, and it would be cool to see who else she is distantly related to if there happens to be a third installment.

When I requested this one I didn't realize it was a sequel, so I had to request the first book from the library to make sure I was up to speed on things.

I was pleasantly surprised with both of the books. While the topics are farfetched and a little silly, the magic kind of weird, and the characters annoying at times...I really enjoyed this series.

Like any YA series, it's got its tropes. There are your mean girls and your brooding boys (ghosts!) but deep down its a decent story.

I like Samantha a lot as a character. She's kind of a loner, but is trying hard in the second book. She's realizing that things are happening around her and to her that she can't control on her own. Although she's stubborn, she knows that she needs her friends and they need her. It's interesting to read about her realizations and watch how she grows.

The supernatural and magical part of the story is fun. There's not too much explanation about how it all works, but I didn't really need too much of it. I loved the history of the Titanic mixed in with the storyline. History is the way to my heart and this was a great way to get it all in.

I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what else this series has to offer.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Books for the ARC.

I hate it when I don't realize I asked for a book that's a series book and I haven't read the first one. I don't think it took away from this book, however. (Although I hear fantastic things about book one and I may just have to go get now.)

This was fast paced, twisty, a Titanic meets Ghostship type feel (I don't care if that sounds the slightest bit redundant). While the love story part of the book could be a little meh, this is more of a YA novel so I tend to give that some leeway. But hell, throw in all this supernatural stuff and I swoon anyways :).

An easy and entertaining read.