Fantasy

Wild is the Witch

Wild is the Witch

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  • Create Date：2022-05-20 07:51:35
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Rachel Griffin
  • ISBN：1728229456
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Summary

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Nature of Witches， comes another high-stakes contemporary fantasy。 When eighteen-year-old witch Iris Gray accidentally enacts a curse that could have dire consequences， she must team up with a boy who hates witches to make sure her magic isn't unleashed on the world。

Iris Gray knows witches aren't welcome in most towns。 When she was forced to leave her last home， she left behind a father who was no longer willing to start over。 And while the Witches' Council was lenient in their punishment， Iris knows they're keeping tabs on her。 Now settled in Washington， Iris never lets anyone see who she really is; instead， she vents her frustrations by writing curses she never intends to cast。 Otherwise， she spends her days at the wildlife refuge which would be the perfect job if not for Pike Alder， the witch-hating aspiring ornithologist who interns with them。

Iris concocts the perfect curse for Pike: one that will turn him into a witch。 But just as she's about to dispel it， a bird swoops down and steals the curse before flying away。 If the bird dies， the curse will be unleashed―and the bird is a powerful amplifier， and unleashing the curse would turn not just Pike， but everyone in the region， into a witch。

New witches have no idea how to control their magic and the consequences would be dire。 And the Witches' Council does not look kindly on multiple offenses; if they found out， Iris could be stripped of her magic for good。 Iris begs Pike to help her track the bird， and they set out on a trek through the Pacific Northwest looking for a single bird that could destroy everything。

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Reviews

Laura Bowie ，

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 I went in reading this book with high hopes and it did not disappoint。 The whole book was rich I felt like I as there。 I loved the animal magic and finding love in the most unexpected ways。 Once I started I could not put it down。 This is a book I feel everyone should read。

Caitlin Rose ，

4。5⭐I received an eArc of this book from Netgalley。 Thanks for sending this one to me for review！Iris is a witch。 She's been the unfortunate victim of circumstances in the past that have caused her to hide her status as such， and when her work adversary Pike makes a comment about hating witches - well， what can she do but curse him？I don't typically gravitate towards books written in first person， as I feel they can often read very young - and I do think， were this not written in first person it 4。5⭐I received an eArc of this book from Netgalley。 Thanks for sending this one to me for review！Iris is a witch。 She's been the unfortunate victim of circumstances in the past that have caused her to hide her status as such， and when her work adversary Pike makes a comment about hating witches - well， what can she do but curse him？I don't typically gravitate towards books written in first person， as I feel they can often read very young - and I do think， were this not written in first person it would actually work better for a New Adult/crossover audience than simply YA。 This is also what took it down from being a 5 star read。 That being said， I still devoured this story and had a thoroughly good time doing so。The characters in this， the slow unravelling of their motivations and thoughts and feelings， was so enjoyable to read。 Especially for a stand alone， I feel that we were given a lot of insight into the characters choices as they were the driving force of the story。 There were definitely times when I was slightly frustrated by choices made but these moments didn't take away from the story， as they so often do。Would strongly recommend for readers who love character driven stories with concise yet beautifully descriptive writing - will definitely be picking up more from this author。 。。。more

Elysian Fields ，

Review to come！

Lisa ，

This novel is a truly amazing。 Rachel Griffin writes well and her story-telling is engaging and suspenseful。 She masterfully weaves together magic，romance， and family dynamics。You'll enjoy this novel and Ihighly recommended。ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 This novel is a truly amazing。 Rachel Griffin writes well and her story-telling is engaging and suspenseful。 She masterfully weaves together magic，romance， and family dynamics。You'll enjoy this novel and Ihighly recommended。ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Jeannette Nikolova ，

Also available on the WondrousBooks blog。Disclaimer: I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。Fact #1: I wanted to love this book， I was ready to love this book， this was my book - nature， witches， it doesn't get any better。。。Fact #2: 。。。 except it does。 I did not love "Wild is the Witch"。 Didn't even like it。I've been hearing about Rachel Griffin's "The Nature of Witches" for some time now and it was definitely on my list of books to buy， so imagine my surprise a Also available on the WondrousBooks blog。Disclaimer: I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。Fact #1: I wanted to love this book， I was ready to love this book， this was my book - nature， witches， it doesn't get any better。。。Fact #2: 。。。 except it does。 I did not love "Wild is the Witch"。 Didn't even like it。I've been hearing about Rachel Griffin's "The Nature of Witches" for some time now and it was definitely on my list of books to buy， so imagine my surprise and excitement when I found that her book "Wild is the Witch" is on NetGalley， and that I got approved for it！The novel is about a girl called Iris， who's。。。 a witch （probably no surprise there）。 She gets in trouble because of a very unfortunate incident she witnessed and she's forced to move to another state to escape her past。 Her mother goes with her to Washington， while her father decides he's not up for it and stays behind， effectively abandoning his family。 Iris grows wary of the world and her only desire is to protect her home， her mother and the animals they care for。 Her whole life is turned upside down again when， feeling threatened by a boy who she works with who hates witches （not knowing that Iris is one）， she makes a curse that will turn him into one。 She doesn't intend to use the curse， but rather to destroy it， thereby destroying all of her fears and frustrations， but the curse gets stolen by an owl， an amplifier for magic， and with the curse being linked to the life of the owl， Iris has to find a way to catch the bird and remove the curse before it's unleashed。 To the help comes none other than the boy she cursed， Pike Alder。In theory there's really nothing to dislike in this book。 In practice though， despite the pretty writing， despite the seemingly creative world， I just。。。 did not buy it。 I don't think there have been many books in my life that just did not manage to convince me to buy the story。 There have been ones I disliked， ones I did not particularly care about， or thought boring， but I've never felt such an overwhelming feeling of "This is all so flimsy and improbable"。For starters， I found the magic system weak - magic in this world is known to all， yet people don't particularly care about it - there are just some witches who do some witching and a Witches' Council， and normal people just keep on living。 Witches can theoretically turn other people to witches （or rather， mages， as the humans-turned-witches are called）， but don't because it's dangerous （though it can also work without much of a problem）， and life goes on。 It just feels。。。 improbable。 Of all the ways a reveal of magic could go， I would never imagine witchcraft would stay so low-key and unchecked as it does in "Wild is the Witch"。Secondly， and what's much worse， is the premise of this book - Iris decides to create an actual， working curse， with the intention of aiming it at some herbs and burning them， thus destroying the curse， but an owl swoops down and steals it and that means that if the owl dies not only will the victim of the curse be hit by the curse， but it would spread for miles and miles in all directions and hit many other people （because the owl is an amplifier）。1。 How f***ing stupid can Iris be in this case？ It's a real curse！ Maybe it's unlikely that it'll get out， but it may！ I know that people do some dumb stuff like those who were licking public toilets to show they're not scared of COVID in 2020， but to so recklessly create a working curse which can get out and do its work seems incredibly， shockingly stupid and reckless。2。 It's explained why the curse gets taken by the owl， kinda， but。。。 I don't buy it。 I just don't。 Makes no sense。And then everything else that happens， which is in the realm of spoilers and shall not be explained， just continues being so flimsy and far-fetched - starting， but by far not finishing with the fact that Iris hates and fears Pike so much that she makes a curse especially for him， and then the moment the curse gets away from her， she goes after the owl with none other than Pike himself。 I mean， there's no amount of nagging and convincing my mom can do that would get me to bring my most hated person backpacking through the mountains in search of an owl with me。 Also， considering that Iris is not a child but a young woman， that she needs her mom's permission to go do her job （rescuing animals）， and that she'd get it only if she brings her nemesis just gets my BS radar buzzing （of course， if her mom hadn't forced her to go with Pike， none of the book would have happened， so as I said， flimsy reasons for the characters to do things to get the book where the author wants it to be）。Just nope。 。。。more

Mia ，

I had a fun reading this book。 It has enemies to lovers and curse， that I was a treat。Romance is cute and very easy to read。The plot was simplistic but still very enjoyable。Definitely recommend picking it up if you like witchy books。I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。

CraftyKE ，

Rachel Griffin is officially the queen of nuanced， contemporary paranormal。 Once again， she succeeded in creating a completely fresh take on a modern system of witchcraft。 Wild is the Witch is a simple story paired with fleshed out characters and magic system。 It is an easy but immersive read。Wild is the Witch is the story of Iris， a Lunar Witch （power connected to animals） living in Washington State。 After a traumatic event uprooted her life， she moves to the Pacific Northwest to run an animal Rachel Griffin is officially the queen of nuanced， contemporary paranormal。 Once again， she succeeded in creating a completely fresh take on a modern system of witchcraft。 Wild is the Witch is a simple story paired with fleshed out characters and magic system。 It is an easy but immersive read。Wild is the Witch is the story of Iris， a Lunar Witch （power connected to animals） living in Washington State。 After a traumatic event uprooted her life， she moves to the Pacific Northwest to run an animal refuge with her mother。 There she meets Pike， an intern with his own dark history with witches。 The two of them go after a wayward owl in the forests of the Northwest。 Will they find it in time？ Will they ever stop fighting？This book is such a gem。 It takes real craft to create something that feels so simple and yet is so thoroughly fleshed out。 Rachel Griffin is quickly becoming an automatic "must-buy" author for me。I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Laura ，

A young witch with anxiety issues creates a curse with no intention of casting it on anyone。 Unfortunately， things go wrong and lives are put at risk。 Griffins writing is good， the plot moves along smoothly， but imho the story is not special。 I think many young teens will enjoy this romance novel set in the forests of the Pacific Northwest。

Mai ，

This was so fun to read， the perfect book for a cozy afternoon in fall！Rating: 3。5/5Synopsis:After a night of magic turns deadly， Iris Gray vows to never let another person learn she's a witch。 It doesn't matter that the Witches' Council found her innocent or that her magic was once viewed as a marvel-that night on the lake changed everything。 Now settled in Washington， Iris hides who she really is and vents her frustrations by writing curses she never intends to cast。 And while she loves workin This was so fun to read， the perfect book for a cozy afternoon in fall！Rating: 3。5/5Synopsis:After a night of magic turns deadly， Iris Gray vows to never let another person learn she's a witch。 It doesn't matter that the Witches' Council found her innocent or that her magic was once viewed as a marvel-that night on the lake changed everything。 Now settled in Washington， Iris hides who she really is and vents her frustrations by writing curses she never intends to cast。 And while she loves working at the wildlife refuge she runs with her mother， she loathes Pike Alder， the witch-hating aspiring ornithologist who interns with them。When Pike makes a particularly hurtful comment， Iris concocts a cruel torment for him。 But just as she's about to dispel it， an owl swoops down and steals the curse before flying far away from the refuge。 The owl is a powerful amplifier， and if it dies， Iris's dark spell will be unleashed not only on Pike， but on everyone in the region。Forced to work together， Iris and Pike trek through the wilderness in search of the bird that could cost Pike his life。 But Pike doesn't know the truth， and as more dangers arise in the woods， Iris must decide how far she's willing to go to keep her secrets safe。Thank you NetGalley for giving me an eARC！！ 。。。more

Amber McManus ，

I received this eARC from NetGalley。 Thank you to Source Fire Books and Rachel Griffin for allowing me to read and review the ARC of Wild Is The Witch。This book was like sitting next to fire while snowed into a mountainside cabin。 In other words， it was warm and cozy。 The author's writing style is so atmospheric and her world is so rich and vivid。 I loved how the magic system in this book felt so nature to how the earth actually works and the idea of witches being out and accepted （mostly） by so I received this eARC from NetGalley。 Thank you to Source Fire Books and Rachel Griffin for allowing me to read and review the ARC of Wild Is The Witch。This book was like sitting next to fire while snowed into a mountainside cabin。 In other words， it was warm and cozy。 The author's writing style is so atmospheric and her world is so rich and vivid。 I loved how the magic system in this book felt so nature to how the earth actually works and the idea of witches being out and accepted （mostly） by society made me feel all warm inside。 Because of this the book reads a lot like a contemporary and it feels like witches are just a natural occurrence in our world， as though it was the way it always should have been。 The book is very character driven with just a spice of magic and I loved it。 I think it's the perfect book for someone wanting to get into fantasy but is a little scared to jump straight into more complex magic systems。 Speaking of magic systems， I really loved the way it was explained。 The way magic was used， the limitations and consequences of using too much of it felt very believable。 The only negative I have is that I wanted more。 There is an entire sanction of magic that we never really got to see and I hope there are more books set inside of this world。This book is for anyone who loves natural magic， realistic witches， and a whole lot of atmosphere。 。。。more

Sadie | The Library Lane ，

Absolutely loved this！ RTC！

Sophie Snow ，

There’s something about Rachel Griffin’s writing that just feels so cozy and comforting。 This book was absolutely beautiful。 The atmosphere felt lush and so incredibly real。 Wild is the Witch felt like a love letter to the woods and the Pacific Northwest as a whole。 It was obvious that Rachel Griffin herself has a huge amount of love and respect for nature and animals and that love just jumped off the page。 The pacing was great， and there were no issues with the gorgeous writing and descriptions There’s something about Rachel Griffin’s writing that just feels so cozy and comforting。 This book was absolutely beautiful。 The atmosphere felt lush and so incredibly real。 Wild is the Witch felt like a love letter to the woods and the Pacific Northwest as a whole。 It was obvious that Rachel Griffin herself has a huge amount of love and respect for nature and animals and that love just jumped off the page。 The pacing was great， and there were no issues with the gorgeous writing and descriptions of the world slowing the book down。 Everything was really well explained and the magic system was simple but really unique。 Like The Nature of Witches， nothing was overcomplicated and the magic was written in a way that makes it seem like it could exist in our world。 I will say， this book is very light on the magic and is much more character and setting driven than it is fantasy-driven。 That wasn’t a bad thing in the slightest， but definitely something to keep in mind before going in。 The characters/romance are where this book fell down a little for me。 I really liked both Iris and Pike as characters and I felt like I had a really good grasp of Iris’s own personal motivations， but I didn’t feel particularly immersed in either of them。 Because of this， they， as individuals and as a couple， didn’t feel super real to me。 I think this felt more obvious to me because the world and magic felt so real that， in contrast， I was left a bit disappointed by the characters。 Overall， however， Wild is the Witch was a beautiful story that featured really great representation of anxiety and grief。 This is the kind of book I foresee myself revisiting time and time again when I feel like I need to be surrounded by nature but can’t be。 I absolutely adore Rachel Griffin’s writing and can’t wait to read what she writes next。Content warnings: （view spoiler）[Death （human and animal，） grief， cancer， injury （human and animal，） illness， burning alive， parental abandonment。 （hide spoiler）] 。。。more

Faith ，

I officially can say that Rachel Griffen’s book have my entire heart。 Wild is a beautiful contemporary fantasy with enemies to lovers （there is one tent！！！） and characters you will grow to love。 What really sets this book apart for be is how emotions and trauma are handled。 While， these emotions are strong and heartbreaking at the same time this book is healing。 Iris has Anxiety and Panic Disorder， which is shown， but also dealt with in away that still showed she was strong and brave， but still I officially can say that Rachel Griffen’s book have my entire heart。 Wild is a beautiful contemporary fantasy with enemies to lovers （there is one tent！！！） and characters you will grow to love。 What really sets this book apart for be is how emotions and trauma are handled。 While， these emotions are strong and heartbreaking at the same time this book is healing。 Iris has Anxiety and Panic Disorder， which is shown， but also dealt with in away that still showed she was strong and brave， but still struggled。 I love how supportive Rachel writes her characters， even despite there flaws and mistakes。 And yeah， they do make big mistakes， but I love how it is handled。 Did I mention that the personalities of the animals in this book are beautiful。 Especially， at the end with the Owl。 Overall， I loved this book！ And probably wouldn’t shut up about it ever。 Thank you Net Galley for the free ARC。 All opinions are mine。 。。。more

Mathilde Banville-Chénier ，

Rachel Griffin’s The Nature of Witches turned out to be one of my favourite books， so when I heard there was going to be a second one I was beyond excited。 Wild is the Witch is about Iris who binds a curse on an owl without meaning to。 In a quest to save the owl， she and her colleague Pike go into what was supposed to be a two day backpacking trip in an old forest。The bar was high for this book and it delivered。 I was afraid it would not be as good as the first novel， but Wild is the Witch broug Rachel Griffin’s The Nature of Witches turned out to be one of my favourite books， so when I heard there was going to be a second one I was beyond excited。 Wild is the Witch is about Iris who binds a curse on an owl without meaning to。 In a quest to save the owl， she and her colleague Pike go into what was supposed to be a two day backpacking trip in an old forest。The bar was high for this book and it delivered。 I was afraid it would not be as good as the first novel， but Wild is the Witch brought tears to my eyes （for an owl！）。 The book had lgbt representation， well developed characters and a super cute ennemis to lovers story。I would absolutely recommend this book。 It just proves that any Rachel Griffin’s book is an insta buy。 5/5 。。。more

M'lissa ，

Wild is the Witch is a lovely new tale from Rachel Griffin。 All Iris wanted to do was get her curse back from the bird who interrupted her spell-making。 She wanted to bind it to the earth and not actually hurt anyone in the process。 However， her mission gets considerably more complicated when her mom asked for Pike to go with her on the journey。 The longer she spends with the boy who drives her crazy， the more dire the consequences become， and the more she realizes that she may not be able to un Wild is the Witch is a lovely new tale from Rachel Griffin。 All Iris wanted to do was get her curse back from the bird who interrupted her spell-making。 She wanted to bind it to the earth and not actually hurt anyone in the process。 However， her mission gets considerably more complicated when her mom asked for Pike to go with her on the journey。 The longer she spends with the boy who drives her crazy， the more dire the consequences become， and the more she realizes that she may not be able to undo what has been set in motion。After really enjoying Griffin's writing in The Nature of Witches， I was eager to continue with her latest novel。 Wild is the Witch takes the reader down a completely different interpretation of what it means to be a witch in the modern world。 Griffin is skillful in her relationship building between characters and her descriptions of the natural world。 While I still hope for a sequel to her first novel， I have no doubt Rachel Griffin's work will continue to create magical worlds for years to come。Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this book。 。。。more

Genesis Sheli （Whispering Chapters） ，

Wild Is The Witch is like a soothing blanket of comfort and coziness; it's all so atmospheric and whimsical， emotionally raw and filled with depth and vulnerability。 "Magic is always present， always close。"Iris and her mom are comfortable and happy where they live。 As witches running an animal refuge center， they can help calm animals they encounter and help heal them。 When Pike， an intern working at the refuge， expresses his hate for witches， Iris emotions run rampant with fear， which leads Wild Is The Witch is like a soothing blanket of comfort and coziness; it's all so atmospheric and whimsical， emotionally raw and filled with depth and vulnerability。 "Magic is always present， always close。"Iris and her mom are comfortable and happy where they live。 As witches running an animal refuge center， they can help calm animals they encounter and help heal them。 When Pike， an intern working at the refuge， expresses his hate for witches， Iris emotions run rampant with fear， which leads to creating a curse for Pike that will never see the light of day。 Unfortunately， an owl takes the curse and sets loose。 If the owl dies， the curse gets unleashed and it will be life-threatening for anyone around。 "Being a witch isn't just casting an occasional spell。 It's seeing the world differently than the way others see it。 It's living in the same space but experiencing it in a totally singular way。"Rachel Griffin's writing is one of pure comfort。 I felt like I was in a foggy and misty forest， surrounded by magic， with a cup of tea in my hand。 As with her debut novel， she crafts a beautiful narrative that is filled with lessons and wonders about nature， all while inspiring readers to be conscious about climate change。I found Iris to be so relatable， especially with her anxiety; it was conveyed so perfectly and authentically。 I saw myself in Iris， in her train of thoughts， her anxiousness over situations she couldn't control。 "But that's the thing about anxiety， it doesn’t care if something is rational or not。 It takes hold of your mind and squeezes， tighter and tighter until it can’t be ignored， demanding your undivided attention。 It turns from insignificant to allconsuming in the span of a breath， a fog so thick it’s impossible to see through， and no amount of breathing or counting or visualizations undoes it。"Onto our love interest。 At first， I was so wary of Pike。 His arrogance and cockiness was getting to me， but once we got to know more of him， I couldn't help but be entirely charmed。 He brings out a side of Iris that， without her knowing， helps her to get out of her head and become present。 "When I say something that annoys you， you give me an expression I’ve never seen you give anyone else。 So I keep annoying you， just so you’ll make the face you only make for me。"Their dynamic while on the rescue mission of the owl was highly entertaining。 They cannot stand each other and are constantly butting heads， but it's in this mission through the forest that they start opening up and revealing layers of themselves， reaching a level of vulnerability they weren't expecting。 "You're special， Iris。 You’re strange and surprising， and I’m endlessly curious about the things that take up space in your mind。" [。。。] "Effortless，" he says， reflecting someone who can't possibly be me。 "You're effortless。"Overall， Wild Is The Witch crafts a page-turning， thought-provoking， and remarkable story-telling that is eloquent and magical with beautiful imagery that brings comfort， peace， and hope。IF YOU LIKE:- Loathe-to-love- Enemies-to-lovers- Contemporary Fantasy- An unruly and meddling owl- Forced proximity- Major Pacific Northwest vibes- There's only one tent- An ill-fated curse- Nature in all its glory- Wolves as petsFOLLOW ME:Weekly Newsletter ❃ Instagram ❃ Twitter ❃ Bloglovin ❃ Goodreads ❃ Pinterest ❃ WordPress ❃ Feedly 。。。more

Catalina ，

The atmosphere of this story is spot on and the best part。 I loved learning about the witches powers and how it correlates to the animals and wild。 The romance was sweet if a little too corny but it is directed at a younger audience so I feel like they will enjoy it and relate to it more。 As a mother I couldn't even imagine sending my child out to track an owl alone in the mountains for a few days。 I had issues with that part， I don't care how much she trusted her or if she is a Witch or if she The atmosphere of this story is spot on and the best part。 I loved learning about the witches powers and how it correlates to the animals and wild。 The romance was sweet if a little too corny but it is directed at a younger audience so I feel like they will enjoy it and relate to it more。 As a mother I couldn't even imagine sending my child out to track an owl alone in the mountains for a few days。 I had issues with that part， I don't care how much she trusted her or if she is a Witch or if she has a boy who she barely knows or likes going with her that's a big no。 I guess it had to be done for the story to work but still。 That was probably the only thing I didn't enjoy about the book。 。。。more

Emma Durphey ，

After releasing a curse into an owl who is also a sacred amplifier， making the curse dangerous， Iris must seek out the help of Pike， the very target of the curse and boy who hates witches。 I loved this book。 As soon as I started reading it， I could not put it down。 I fell easily for the magic in this book， I love how in tune it is with the earth。 This magic is beautiful and I wish it was real！ Iris and Pike are such a fun dynamic。 Iris is a bit grumpy and likes animals more than people， whereas After releasing a curse into an owl who is also a sacred amplifier， making the curse dangerous， Iris must seek out the help of Pike， the very target of the curse and boy who hates witches。 I loved this book。 As soon as I started reading it， I could not put it down。 I fell easily for the magic in this book， I love how in tune it is with the earth。 This magic is beautiful and I wish it was real！ Iris and Pike are such a fun dynamic。 Iris is a bit grumpy and likes animals more than people， whereas Pike is humorous and more open to people。 This book was well written， it was fun， contained a beautiful magic system， an awesome romance and high stakes that kept you pushing through。 I highly recommend to anyone who loves witches and ya contemporary fantasy。 It's a perfect， quick read！ Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks FIRE for the opportunity to read an arc。 。。。more

UndertheTBRMountain ，

Thank you sourcebooks fire and Rachel griffin for the opportunity to read this book。 It made me crave going back home to the PNW so bad。 The descriptions were so vivid and detailed。 I absolutely adore Rachel’s writing style， I want to curl up by a fire with coffee and this book forever。 I loved every moment of this book。 Iris is such a closed off quiet soul trying to prevent anymore hurt， while pike is arrogant and loud。 But every person has their own pain and we all deal with it a different way Thank you sourcebooks fire and Rachel griffin for the opportunity to read this book。 It made me crave going back home to the PNW so bad。 The descriptions were so vivid and detailed。 I absolutely adore Rachel’s writing style， I want to curl up by a fire with coffee and this book forever。 I loved every moment of this book。 Iris is such a closed off quiet soul trying to prevent anymore hurt， while pike is arrogant and loud。 But every person has their own pain and we all deal with it a different way。 This book felt like a therapy session with a sprinkling of magic， I was so rooting for iris from the very first page and loved all her strengths and weaknesses。 Not only are the characters so easy to love but the tropes are superb。 I love a rival to lover and can now die happy after reading about their one tent。 The slow build love was so perfect and now I need a pike in my life to notice when I’m hurting and to kiss it better。 。。。more

Carmen ，

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。It took me less than a day to read this。I love how the magic system is introduced and I absolutely love how it operates。 I appreciated that I didn’t have to figure out how the magic worked through context clues。 It’s placed in such a great place （the second chapter） which allows the reader to have a few questions and have them answered pretty quickly。This is marked in the NetGalley system as Romance Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。It took me less than a day to read this。I love how the magic system is introduced and I absolutely love how it operates。 I appreciated that I didn’t have to figure out how the magic worked through context clues。 It’s placed in such a great place （the second chapter） which allows the reader to have a few questions and have them answered pretty quickly。This is marked in the NetGalley system as Romance and SciFi/Fantasy。 I understand the fantasy stuff， but the romance wasn’t my favorite part。 In fact， I desperately wish this book could have been “enemies to friends with maybe lovers in the future after we learn to trust each other。” Why do I word it like this？ She set a curse on him that she wasn’t going to activate but may be activated！！！Cue my rant:Iris got Pike on this mission for the owl under false pretenses。 She doesn’t tell him anything about her magic and any time he does catch a whiff of it， she makes him think he’s imagining things。 It got to the point where I was questioning why Pike was even there when she makes it seem like she knows more than him。 Okay， sure you have magic， but he’s been studying owls for quite a long time。 It’s much like the magic system: magic and science co-exist。 This would have been the perfect opportunity to demonstrate that， but Iris consistently puts him down and there’s an inclination that she thinks she’s better than him because of it。 I really hated that。 And then it doesn’t help that the one thing she does have an advantage on is swept away。 With how much she boasts she’s prepared for everything， the one thing she needs is gone because she wasn’t prepared。 I just can’t。When the story turns from enemies to lovers， it felt weird。 Iris hides information from him that would probably stop him from going into that lovers territory。 It’s a weird lack of consent that felt gross。 I could be wrong in that reading though; please take that into account。After the tree was on fire， I wanted this book to end。 I’m trying to stay super vague since I didn’t catch at what percentage this was。 The owl is disregarded for Iris and Pike to reveal stuff about themselves。 I didn’t like that Iris’ intention （that she wasn’t going to activate） would hurt， or possibly kill Pike， but doesn’t ever seem to fully understand that she could have hurt/killed a lot more people than just him。 And then right when she says she’s not going to do a certain thing， she turns around and finds a way around that will get her the same result without doing the certain thing。 Girl， you almost killed people！ Why do you think that’s a good idea？How would have this been better？ It didn’t need the romance。 It could have easily been that whole “enemies to friends to eventual lovers” and I would have understood it so much more。 Also， the ending didn’t feel earned， more like forced because that last chapter was just odd。 It would have been better to put it as an epilogue and have a little more time pass in between。The magic permeates throughout and I will admit that’s what really saved this book for me。 。。。more

Kristen ，

I'd have to call this one "good， not great。" I enjoyed the verdant， woodsy setting and the magic system established for the witches。 I enjoyed Iris's backstory， and especially her struggles with anxiety。 The passages describing the burden of generalized and social anxiety were the strongest in the novel and the most impactful。 I think Rachel Griffin explains these struggles in an accessible way that will help young readers feeling the same things that plague Iris。 But the overall plot， character I'd have to call this one "good， not great。" I enjoyed the verdant， woodsy setting and the magic system established for the witches。 I enjoyed Iris's backstory， and especially her struggles with anxiety。 The passages describing the burden of generalized and social anxiety were the strongest in the novel and the most impactful。 I think Rachel Griffin explains these struggles in an accessible way that will help young readers feeling the same things that plague Iris。 But the overall plot， characterization， and especially relationships in this one simply didn't grip me。 I really had to push through while reading。 I think that overall the witchy story would be better suited to a historical backdrop than a modern setting， but that's also a matter of preference。Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC :） 。。。more

Emily Rainsford ，

I really enjoyed Griffin's debut， The Nature of Witches， when I read it on Netgalley， with no idea at the time how much success it would garner！ So I was thrilled to be offered access to her second standalone， Wild is the Witch。 Luckily I enjoyed it equally as much。In this one， Iris has run from the consequences of illegal magic gone horribly wrong， and her and her mother own an animal sanctuary where they hide their witchhood。 When their intern Pike， witch hater and arrogant dick， makes a parti I really enjoyed Griffin's debut， The Nature of Witches， when I read it on Netgalley， with no idea at the time how much success it would garner！ So I was thrilled to be offered access to her second standalone， Wild is the Witch。 Luckily I enjoyed it equally as much。In this one， Iris has run from the consequences of illegal magic gone horribly wrong， and her and her mother own an animal sanctuary where they hide their witchhood。 When their intern Pike， witch hater and arrogant dick， makes a particularly scathing comment， Iris channels her frustration into a curse that was meant to be burned away as catharsis， not put into action。 But a wily owl intervenes， absorbs the curse and flies off， forcing Iris to hike through the mountains to find the curse before it causes devastating consequences - and of course， she has as company the very annoying boy the curse was meant for。This is a simple story and yet it is beautiful to inhabit。 Much like the first book， the atmosphere is languid， lyrical and introspective。 I loved the nature based magic system and Iris's relationship to it - I'd love to read another book in this world， just because I enjoyed the magic system so much。 It's a world you want to live in and experience the way the protagonist does。I didn't really love Pike and his excuse for being a rude dick to Iris initially didn't sit well with me （"for her own good" come onnnnnn， no）。 I do also feel like Iris got off quite lightly for the magnitude of her actions。 There were a couple of times things felt engineered to make a scene happen， even though they didn't make sense （why would she bring the owl *closer* to Pike to attempt to undo the curse， when she literally was just trying to get him *away* from it because it would be safer for him？？ That was silly and needing to monitor him for infection was a weak excuse）。I did just overall love the vibe of this book though， the setting， the world building and the magic， and I will continue to follow this author's work with excitement。 。。。more

Sandra （folded。between。pages。of。books） ，

The Nature of Witches is one of my favourite books and I am SOOO excited for this one！

Michelle Cornish ，

Rachel Griffin is one of my new favorite authors！ Wild is the Witch is a beautiful story， eloquently written with characters you care about doing amazing things。 Iris is wise beyond her years， but she has a secret。 She's a witch who deals with her emotions by crafting curses she never intends to activate。 When an owl with the potential to amplify curses， steals the most dangerous curse Iris has created， she must find the owl to save the curse's intended victim。 Add to that a simmering romance wi Rachel Griffin is one of my new favorite authors！ Wild is the Witch is a beautiful story， eloquently written with characters you care about doing amazing things。 Iris is wise beyond her years， but she has a secret。 She's a witch who deals with her emotions by crafting curses she never intends to activate。 When an owl with the potential to amplify curses， steals the most dangerous curse Iris has created， she must find the owl to save the curse's intended victim。 Add to that a simmering romance with the curse's intended， and the result is a tremendous page turner bursting with emotional turmoil。 This book is fabulous， and I recommend it to nature lovers and those who want a bit of magic in their lives。 。。。more

Patricia Romero ，

Iris Gray and her mother run a wildlife refuge in Washington。 It’s not where she is from but that place no longer wanted witches nor did her father who stayed behind。But she loves her days at the refuge and when she gets frazzled， she does what her Grandmother taught her to do。 She creates a spell， puts it in some herbs， and burns it。 Much like writing a letter but not sending it。 No one gets hurt and she feels a little better。Her life would be fine if it weren’t for the annoying intern， Pike Al Iris Gray and her mother run a wildlife refuge in Washington。 It’s not where she is from but that place no longer wanted witches nor did her father who stayed behind。But she loves her days at the refuge and when she gets frazzled， she does what her Grandmother taught her to do。 She creates a spell， puts it in some herbs， and burns it。 Much like writing a letter but not sending it。 No one gets hurt and she feels a little better。Her life would be fine if it weren’t for the annoying intern， Pike Alder。 It’s a mutual hate feeling。 And he has made it clear he despises witches。So she takes her frustrations out in the same way， only this time before she can push the magic into the herbs， an owl dives in front and takes the curse。 These birds are amplifiers of magic and unleashing the curse could harm not just Pike， but much further。The Witch’s Council has already given her a pass once and she knows if she doesn’t get the curse back， she will lose her magic for good。 And Pike will probably die turning into a mage。Pike doesn’t know the real reason she is so bent on finding the owl， but he volunteers to go with her。Along the way， they both will learn a lot about each other， magic， and themselves。This is a YA book and I can see why it’s popular。NetGalley/August 2nd， 2022 by Sourcebooks Fire 。。。more

Kirsten Clark ，

What a great read！ Enemies to lovers- check， Pacific Northwest-check， a curse-oh！ Well written with characters that you can’t help but fall in love with Rachel’s latest book will leave you wanting more。

Morgan ，

In Wild is the Witch - an equally witchy follow-up to The Nature of Witches - Rachel Griffin mystifies and enthralls readers again。 Wild is the Witch is NOT a sequel to The Nature of Witches， but seems to occur in the same universe， where magic and the existence of witches is widely-known， but often misunderstood。 Wild is the Witch will appeal to any teen or adult reader regardless of whether they read The Nature of Witches。 Put this book in the hands of readers looking for enemies-to-lovers or In Wild is the Witch - an equally witchy follow-up to The Nature of Witches - Rachel Griffin mystifies and enthralls readers again。 Wild is the Witch is NOT a sequel to The Nature of Witches， but seems to occur in the same universe， where magic and the existence of witches is widely-known， but often misunderstood。 Wild is the Witch will appeal to any teen or adult reader regardless of whether they read The Nature of Witches。 Put this book in the hands of readers looking for enemies-to-lovers or paranormal romance， nature and animal lovers， and fans of witches。 Iris and her mother are witches with the ability to communicate with animals。 No， the animals don't make funny quips - the magic is more grounded than that。 It's the magic to sense the wants and fears of animals and help influence them to safety - yours or theirs。 Their magic makes them perfectly suited to run an animal refuge。 Despite Iris's love of her work and the nature around her， she's filled with the anxiety of being found out， of making a mistake and being punished and stripped of her magic like her former best friend。 She fear having to leave everything she loves behind。 Her fear is amplified by Pike， a future ornithologist and intern at the refuge。 Pike gives off a lot of vibes - geeky， but subtly sexy hipster， accidental ladies' man， & witch-hater。 After a particularly charged， heated interaction， Iris writes a curse against Pike。 She never intends to cast it， but before she can destroy it， an owl takes it from her。 Iris must hide herself and her true motivations as her and Pike trek into the Washington wilderness to find the owl。 As they search for the owl， what else will they discover in the forest？ Dangerous animals？ Themselves？ Each other？ 。。。more

Margarida （mbooksbycandlelight） ，

This was really good！ I just love Rachel Griffin’s writing。 This book could have had twice the pages and I would have read it with as much enthusiasm。 My favorite part were the characters， they felt so real and genuine， and I loved reading from Iris’ POV。 She was amazing。 I also loved how the magic was incorporated in the real world and how it all relates to nature。 Overall， this was a really quick and beautiful book。 I will definitely be re-reading it。I received an eArc from Netgalley in exchan This was really good！ I just love Rachel Griffin’s writing。 This book could have had twice the pages and I would have read it with as much enthusiasm。 My favorite part were the characters， they felt so real and genuine， and I loved reading from Iris’ POV。 She was amazing。 I also loved how the magic was incorporated in the real world and how it all relates to nature。 Overall， this was a really quick and beautiful book。 I will definitely be re-reading it。I received an eArc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Veronica Foster ，

Rachel Griffin has a knack for writing sympathetic characters， and in Wild Is the Witch， nature is one of them。 Iris Gray is a witch with a special connection to animals， but after a tragic experience with her best friend forces her and her mom to move， she isn't telling anyone about her magical gift。 Enter Pike Alder， a boy who， in addition to being cute and irritating and a giant know-it-all， hates witches。 Sparks （of both the angry and romantic sort） fly。Iris and Pike are lovable and complica Rachel Griffin has a knack for writing sympathetic characters， and in Wild Is the Witch， nature is one of them。 Iris Gray is a witch with a special connection to animals， but after a tragic experience with her best friend forces her and her mom to move， she isn't telling anyone about her magical gift。 Enter Pike Alder， a boy who， in addition to being cute and irritating and a giant know-it-all， hates witches。 Sparks （of both the angry and romantic sort） fly。Iris and Pike are lovable and complicated in equal measure， and their back-and-forth gives the novel its momentum。 By the end， I was all in， but I'll admit that at first their disdain for one another seemed too intense to overcome。 Iris initially hates Pike enough to curse him， and not in the "I hate the way I love you way。" Her transformation from number one enemy to number one fan didn't always feel believable to me， though ultimately their parallels stories and struggles make for a sweet romance。 I was impressed by the way Griffin addressed the cascading impact of trauma on a person's mental health—her characters are indelibly shaped by what has happened to them， and they must work through vestiges of grief and fear in order to find their way to one another。 Griffin's knowledge of and love for the natural world animates every page of Wild Is the Witch， and the flora and fauna of the Pacific Northwest comes to life through her description。 Young people who care about animals and are looking for an enemies to lovers-style romance will undoubtedly fall for Wild Is the Witch！Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for the ARC！ 。。。more

Susan ，

Wild is the Witch is a gorgeous， atmospheric story about finding love， but more importantly finding yourself。 With a lush Pacific Northwest setting， enemies-to-lovers romance， and nature-based magic， readers will be pulled under it's spell。 Wild is the Witch is a gorgeous， atmospheric story about finding love， but more importantly finding yourself。 With a lush Pacific Northwest setting， enemies-to-lovers romance， and nature-based magic， readers will be pulled under it's spell。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Wild is the Witch

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Wild is the Witch&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Wild is the Witch&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0