4.5 Stars. I was hesitant going into this book, and I honestly did not expect to like this as much as I did. 
 About a year ago I was able to hear Katherine Howe speak at a YA literature festival, and it was clear that her books were very research based, and she clearly knew her stuff. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to follow or get into the events in the book if they were written overly analytical, but that was not the case at all. This book managed to blend historical accounts with a great modern day voice that had me completely pulled in and immersed by the first chapter. 
 "Sometimes, Colleen, it can be hard to tell, in history. There's the dominant narrative. And there are the parts of the story that are overlooked. Maybe because they don't fit with what they people in charge have to say. Sometimes, the people in charge, all come to one explanation, and once that happens, they will do whatever they can cling to it. They've staked their reputations on it being right. Maybe the experts have their own agenda. Maybe that's true for one group of people isn't necessarily true if looked at from another group's point of view." 
 This novel has two alternate storylines. The main story follows Coleen, a high school senior starting her spring semester at a competitive private girls school that puts students on track for an ivy league education. One by one girls in the senior class begin to fall victim to a mysterious illness. Each girl has a different set of symptoms--symptoms very similar to the one's reported in Salem in 1706. Howe writes this story in a tone that feels as though someone is recounting events to you aloud. It is refreshing and completely immersive. Although I found some parts of the story obvious, I thoroughly enjoyed reading every part of it and was shocked by some twists I did not see coming. 
 The story is interjected with interludes, where we follow Ann and the events that led to the Salem witch hunts. I found this narrative a bit confusing, and I blame that on my complete lack of knowledge on the Salem witch hunts and that part of history. Since it is told in first person, you don't get a lot of backstory on why things happen or the way that they happen. At first, I found this narrative boring and would skim to get back to the main story, but eventually this storyline gripped me as well. 
 I'm glad that I was able to put my original hesitations aside and give this book a chance, and it actually taught me a lot of interesting things about the Salem witch hunts. I had so much fun reading and trying to piece together the puzzle and figure out what was going on. It was definitely an original book unlike any YA I'd read before, and that made it a very refreshing read.