Danvers

by Brittany Bell

In 1692 Danvers, Massachusetts, Mary and her friends don’t shy away from attention. They thrive on it. While neighboring Salem is busy condemning innocent women in a misguided attempt to find witches, the people of Danvers are watching with great interest.

Because they are the witches.

And Mary and her friends are the most wicked among them.

They are the kind of girls everyone watches and no one crosses, and together, they make it look effortless. That is, until a handsome stranger arrives in town, and suddenly his attention isn’t something they can share.

What starts as a competition quickly spirals into rivalry, backstabbing, and delightfully chaotic witchcraft. But as Salem’s hysteria creeps closer and the girls become more dangerous to each other than anyone else could ever be, they will have to decide whether being chosen is worth losing the one thing that made them powerful in the first place.

267 pages, Hardcover

First published August 8, 2026

Reviews

[Zachary Poulin]

Mean Girls meets the Salem Witch Trials and it works perfectly.

Danvers is fast-paced, lighthearted, and tremendously silly in all the best ways. The characters are so much fun that you’ll either want to be their best friend… or desperately want to join the high school ‘mean girl’ clique.

It’s such a unique take on the Salem Witch Trials, with plenty of humor, drama, and ridiculousness along the way. A quick, entertaining read that feels like the perfect way to kick off spooky season.

Silly, spooky, and a whole lot of fun!

[Kellie Woods]

Absolutely devoured and loved! Cant remember the last time I read a book so quickly!

The perfect transition into fall, warm hug kind of book. Immediately immersed in the late 1600 witch trials, this story is a unique and fun take on a time when women were historically oppressed for being themselves. It instead takes a much lighter, fun and whimsical approach to the witch trials where you fall in love with the characters and are reminded of the girlfriends who felt like family growing up.

It is a story filled with what finding sisterhood is all about, banter that actually makes you giggle and a reminder that women’s intuition is never wrong 💞 🧙‍♀️🪄

[smdids]

A fun, fresh take on an old story that weaves modern humor with a historic setting. You felt transported to 1600s Salem with characters true to the times but also deeply relatable. The blend worked so well! The story feels comforting while also taking some unexpected twists and turns that will have you unable to turn pages fast enough. It is a celebration of female friendship and women's empowerment, which strong rep across multiple generations. The characters feel distinct and flushed out, which is super impressive for such a tight novel. It leaves you feeling fulfilled by the story, but also very open to more hijinks from these wicked ladies! Loved it!

[Lace Logan]

This book was so fun. Anything related to the Salem witch trials is a must read for me and this was a fun new twist on the historical event. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a witchy, autumnal book about some badass women.

[Emily | booksandbedtime]

What a fun witchy surprise! I’m personally not a big historical fiction reader, but if it’s about witch trials, I am so in. And this didn’t feel like a typical historical read. It was full of female rage and friendships, humor, and smart, sassy women.

This was a fast-paced read about the Salem Witch Trials….except the real witches aren’t in Salem. They’re in the town over in Danvers. And a group of girls led by Mary cause all sorts of chaos and hexes over the town. (But in the best way.)

It was fun and whimsical read. I wasn’t expecting to laugh as much as I did.

If you’re looking for an entertaining take on the witch trials and a story about female friendships, then this is your next pick. It’s a perfect fall read!

[Gwen]

Yessssss! Why should Salem get all the attention when witches don't obey boundaries?! I loved everything, EVERYTHING about this book. Old tropes refreshed. A new take on our Mass witches. Danvers getting a shout out. Stellar writing and *chef's kiss* humor. Read the back jacket of this book and I promise you won't be able to resist the hex. Nor should you. This one's brilliant through and through.

[Marki]

SUCH a fun read!! Witchy vibes that feel both old timey and refreshing, and a fun but realistic friendship. Loved the dynamic among the girls but also the side characters brought the right amount of intrigue — I need a sequel that dives more into Abigail’s grandmother’s back story, stat!!!

Whether you normally dig witchy vibes or not, I definitely recommend this book — and also a no brainer for anyone from the Salem/Danvers/Northshore area!

[Michael]

Loved it, especially for the fall season with a coffee and a blanket.

Start off what feels purposely like the typical “the girls are fighting” over a boy (but with witches) but it pulls the rug out around halfway. Then it turns into more of a dark comedy with light horror elements, purposely going against some teen movie cliches with a unique, fun tale I couldn’t stop smiling at. Some GREAT references to pop culture to try and catch, too.

[Jaclyn DiMatteo]

Danvers is a must read! If you are looking for a fun, entertaining story entwining friendship, self discovery and witchcraft, Danvers is for you. The writing is so captivating, you will not want to put this book down. So, grab a brew (preferably witches brew), curl up on the couch with your favorite blanket, light a fall candle, and dive into this delicious novel!

[Aimee]

And that is how you start the fall reading season!! 👏👏👏 I LOVE witchy books and have read so many that some of the plots start to become so similar. Danvers is a breath of fresh air! It's witty, empowering and just so so fun. I hope there are more books to come because I would love more back stories on the other girls and the grandma! A fantastic debut and I hope the author writes more! ✨️

[Nathalie Franco]

Sass, flirting, and witches? Sign me up. The ultimate summerween / Halloween book that oddly got me very interested in the Salem witch trials. I’m normally not a satire person and I was both laughing and rolling my eyes at the antics of these characters. 10/10!

[Trinity]

This was honestly so fun!! I hated the fight that broke out, but the friendships in this book were the best. I mean you have an entire town full of witches and you just get to experience the magic and then the pressure of the Salem Witch Trails. It was so good! Amazing fall read.

[Alisa Yancey]

The main reason I read this book is because I was born in Danvers, Mass. We moved when I was 13 months. I would love to go visit there someday.
I have fun visiting “haunted” hotels and hearing “ghost stories”. This book was just what I expected, for me- light and fun 😊

[Allison Boza]

A perfect and fun transition book into Fall! Danvers melded together modern humor with an old classic witch story. I really appreciated the short chapters and pace of the book. Free Lucky!!! 💜

[Travis Van Horn]

This is an incredible read that will get you into the fall mood!! Don’t miss out on this gem of a book!!!

[Jessica Tanguay]

I laughed the entire way through. Well-written, easy, fun read. Free Lucky!

[Cassie]

Cute YA story about a witchy friendship

This was such a cute, easy read! It’s fast-paced and lighthearted, but the prose is still really well done. It’s definitely predictable in some ways, but honestly, I think that adds to the charm—it makes the book feel comforting and very anti-anxiety in the best way.

A really sweet YA story about friendship, family, and history, with plenty of funny moments along the way. Such a cozy, feel-good read, and I’d definitely recommend it!