Megan Davenport left her mother and father’s home at seventeen when she was accepted into college early. Unable to keep living a lie, she couldn’t help but feel that her preacher father would be better off with his gay daughter out of the picture. Always meaning to come back home at some point, time suddenly runs out when she gets a call from her mother that her father has unexpectedly died. Going back to her hometown, she suddenly remembers the witch that was buried in the yard. Not sure if the ghost of Sarah James is haunting her family, or if she just imagined things, she can’t deny the fact that the grave and the birch tree had something to do with his father’s sudden heart attack. After finding charms from a bracelet that her father gave her as a child, Megan and her mother decide to dive deeper in hopes of finding out who Sarah James was and what exactly she wanted from them. Was Sarah a witch, or were the tales of what she did nothing more than a fabrication that turned into urban legend? Find out in Birch by Jennifer Hotes.

I haven’t read a book this good in quite a while. The plot is so gripping, and I like the fact that it’s the story of a woman who lost her father but with a supernatural subplot that keeps the reader on their toes. I also liked that it was fast-paced, which caught and kept my attention right until the end. I enjoyed the main character, and it was really easy to relate to Megan. Jennifer Hotes has done a great job with Birch: A Witch Tree, and I can’t wait to read more of her work.

A woman's spirit bound to a tree haunts the nearby family in the eerie paranormal novel Birch: A Witch Tree by Jennifer Hotes. Since she was a child, Megan had dreams about the woman buried beneath the birch in her front yard. After bullies had left her crying under the tree, Megan made a pact with the witch. The ghost would protect Megan, and one day Megan would set the woman free. However, as the years pass, Megan forgets her promise, moves away, and doesn't return. When Preacher, Megan's father, dies while trying to hack down the birch with an ax, she goes home for the first time in a decade. Nightmares related to the birch had already started before she went home, but once there, their intensity increased. The witch reminded Megan of her promise and demanded her release. Did Preacher have the same experiences with the grieving spirit? Can Megan find a way to give the soul the freedom she seeks?

Fraught with spine-tingling scenes, Birch: A Witch Tree by Jennifer Hotes is a hair-raising and unforgettable paranormal novel. Well-written, the story has a tense and blood-curdling plot, an eerie setting, and a frightening ghostly apparition. The storyline has a beautiful arc and moves at an ideal pace to keep reader interest and apprehension alive, culminating in a thrilling conclusion. Realistically portrayed, the protagonist's emotional distress and angst add to the atmosphere and horror that stains the scenes. It is a nightmare-inducing LGBTQ story that will chill everyone who enjoys tales that include ghosts and witches.