Wild is the Witch is a fast-paced, dark, magical, YA novel. All the characters in the story added so much to the plot and I really enjoyed the journey that Iris and Pike have to go on to save the realm. The world building and the witchy vibes were immaculate!

truly nothing better than a witchy, autumnal vibes book for these darkening mid-october days. idk about you guys, but toronto is getting dark quickly in the evenings, and while i’m missing the long days of summer, there’s something special about rushing home to curl up with tea & a good book at the end of the work day.

speaking of good books, last month i read rachel griffin’s sophomore ya novel ‘wild is the witch’ and let me tell you this book is awesome. we follow a young witch named iris who knows her magic isn’t welcome in most towns, and keeps is secret from those around her. but she has lots to fill her time, between working at the wildlife refuge with her mum and writing curses she never intends to cast. her days would be perfect if not for pike, the witch-hating intern at the refuge she has to spend her days with. when a curse to turn him into a witch goes very wrong, the unlikely pair has to track an owl in the woods outside of town, lest the curse lead to repercussions neither iris nor pike are ready to deal with.

this book had just the perfect amount of intrigue blended with magic & romance & beautiful setting descriptions. honestly read this for the setting alone — it made me miss the pnw greatly!

This was a fast paced, magical, YA novel. The relationship was believable and I liked the characters together. The mom was my favorite, actually, but the owl was also pretty cool.

The magic system was unique enough to keep me interested, even though I’d have liked to see more of it. The MC was very much a YA character in that she often reacted, rather than planned. It was done in a way that didn’t make you cringe, however.

It has some great tropes and a fantastic setting. I’m ready to head back to Washington to relive the scenery!

Griffin has done it again! I loved this book and couldn't get enough. It has a great story, an immersive world and characters you care so much about.

Iris wanted to move on from the past experience she had had. She didn't do anything. That's why she would always take precautions when writing a spell.

When this young witch couldn't handle her frustrations toward their aspiring ornithologist intern, Pike, she wrote a curse that would make him a witch.

The bad part: before Iris had a chance to dispel it, a bird suddenly swooped down and stole the curse.

Iris needed to haunt that owl because if the curse was released, not only would Pike be a witch, but everyone in the region would be. She has no choice but to ask for help from none other than the guy who intended the curse and who hated witches in the first place.

It's been awhile since I read a fantasy romance story that really caught my interest. Although this was a slow pace at the beginning, I enjoyed the time of Iris and Pike in the wilderness looking for the owl. I didn't expect the outcome near the end, yet it was understandable. I wished, though, that there were more action scenes, but all in all, this is a good YA read too.

Thank you, Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley, for the ARC.

I am devouring witchy books at the moment and I love the diversity within the genre. I had no idea what to expect from this book but the cover suggested a nature theme and that was very intriguing for me.

Iris and her mother have fled their home after the Witches Council let Iris off with a lenient punishment, following a tragic incident. Their days are now spent hiding their powers and running a popular wildlife refuge with the help of student ornithologist Pike Alder. Pike has some questionable views on witches and Iris is tired of his antics, so she creates a curse to turn him into a witch. But the curse is stolen by a rare owl, which quickly flies away. Iris knows the dangers of the curse escaping on the bird’s death, so she must find the owl and protect him. How can she find the owl and keep the powers of the curse under wraps without alerting the Witches’ Council once again?

I love the idea that magic is naturally here and that witches have the ability to see it and use it. The notion that it’s part of nature fits with the vibe of this book and makes it seem like an inevitable, immovable thing. Nature magic seems to have a bigger impact and power, so that helped me really grasp the threat of what would happen, should Iris and Pike be unsuccessful in their mission.

Pike and Iris are always at odds with each other but they have a chemistry that is ideal for an enemies-to-lovers romance. I wasn’t sure that was where the book was heading but I assumed that was the general direction. To be honest, both Iris and Pike come across as a little arrogant and self-centred like normal teenagers, so they are certainly well-suited!

Pike hates witches and the prejudice that he holds is typical of the majority of society within this book. A horrible tragedy is behind his reasoning but he speaks like any other bigot in terms that allude to the idea that all witches are bad. I wasn’t sure that Pike could have the redemption arc that he got because of his strong, fixed, emotionally-charged views on people like Iris but perhaps she is the reason for his softening.

The romance is a slow-burner, which was great fun to watch. I think that Pike has always been interested in Iris but perhaps neither of them really recognised it. The most important thing for Iris is being seen and understood for who she really is and Pike shows that he can do that in tiny, thoughtful ways that warmed my heart.

Wild Is The Witch is a tense, interesting witch book with a gorgeous setting and beautiful magic system. If the book had been longer, there would have been scope to develop the characters a little more and I’d have been able to get attached easier. However, I loved it for the fun, ethereal, autumnal vibes it gave me.

I loved Griffin's previous witchy novel, but this one was set up much different. It was a completely new-to-me magic system, so it did take me a bit to get settled into the rhythm. But once I did, it was a great read. I love Griffin's writing style and storytelling.

This is the story of Iris, a teenage witch who accidentally cursed her arch nemesis and has to go on a quest to save him. Classis enemies to lovers YA fiction. Its written in a very descriptive and picturesque manner so you really felt like you were in the pacific northwest with these characters.

The only reason for the 3 star review was because I felt like it could have developed more on the story could have continued on. It was just very fast paced plot and then it was done.

I would recommend in you are into YA witches/fantasy and need a quick read


Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I had such high hopes for this book but I ended up being very disappointed. For this to be a book about witches, there really wasn’t any magic or spells. I didn’t really get the world building that I needed…if the world knows about witches and they coexist, how did that happen?

This was really more of a YA romance with a witch as one of the characters than a fantasy book about a witch and magic.

I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion

I enjoyed this book with its fresh take on a magic system. It was a quick read. 3.5 stars. Thanks to the author and publisher for an egalley.

Yet another book about witches from Rachel Griffin!

I didn’t like this one quite as much as her first book, but i still feel like it was pretty solid, 3.5 rounded up. I’m impressed that she has written two books about witches with COMPLETELY different magic systems, as opposed to revisiting the world of the first.

About the book itself: I feel like it was all a little too “it all worked out ok in the end!” And I really wish there would have been more substantial conflict between the MC, it all kind of happened very quickly? I mean, This book was also a REALLY short read for me, only took me a couple hours to finish.

I liked the magic system and I really enjoyed the main characters connection to animals. I think this world could just use some more fleshing out! Maybe a sequel to improve the worldbuilding

I just couldn't get into this one, which is a shame because it sounds right up my alley but I think I'm just not into the nature trek books this year.

"Wild is the Witch" by Rachel Griffin is a wonderful YA magical adventure, full of struggles and grit. Wonderful characters, conflicted, good hearted and strong, overcoming great obstacles. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the copy for review. All opinions are my own.

Iris is a young witch that works on a nature preserve with her mother. However she accidently lets loose a curse that his captured by an owl. She needs to get this curse back before it gets to the intended person, Pike, because it could have dire consequences. She and Pike set out to find the owl who is injured. A lot of the book moves very slowly. There is bickering between Iris and Pike --enemies to lovers. It was a cute YA novel.

I loved that this story took place in the PNW. That's always one of my favorite places for a setting of a book.

The magic within the story wasn't really a hit with me. It was such a small part of the book and when I think of a Witch story, I always assume it will be front and center.

As well, the relationship between the 2 teens was fun at first but as the story progressed, it became a bit annoying. Pike was always getting in the way at the last minute and screwing everything up and Ira's inability to communicate the truth added complexity that couldn't be removed. Also Ira did a lot of really dumb things that prolonged the story but just increased my disinterest in the story.

This book gets really high ratings so I'm either on the outside or perhaps I need to step away from some YA books for a bit.

2.5 stars

Wild is the Witch is giving me all the fall feels, and while the temps are currently in the triple digits, I’m going to take all those feels I can get. The imagery is amazing and has me wanting to book the next flight to the PNW. Annnd enemies-to-lovers is kind of one of my favorite troupes, so there’s also that! I also love the message of the power of your words and decisions.

This book is absolutely fall vibes. As someone who lives in the PNW, I love how this book captured the atmosphere of this area. This is the perfect book to sit down and read on a cool fall evening, wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket with a cup of hot apple cider. I will definitely be reading Rachel Griffin's other book, and really wouldn't mind reading other books set in this universe.

Iris and her mom are witches and own a wildlife refuge where they use their powers to help the wildlife. After Iris accidentally curses Pike the intern at the refugee, when an injured owl steals it she comes up with a plan to rescue the owl and stop the curse from happing. Iris is also keeping her powers a secret and wants it to stay that way, but also knows that in order to save the owl and everyone around her the truth will come out.

The Nature of Witches was a favorite read for me last year, so I was very excited to pick up, Wild is the Witch, Rachel Griffin's second novel. It did not disappoint. This felt like such a love letter to PNW, nature, animals, and the autumn season. It's a YA novel that doesn't feel like YA and can be enjoyed by anyone who likes witches and nature. I really enjoyed this world she has created and the way she writes her characters.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

I was blown away reading The Nature of Witches so I was excited to pick up Griffin's latest work. This was an emotional and character-driven book where I could easily immerse myself in the wilderness as I read. The descriptions were crisp and lovely and made me want to hike at a forest again.

First person POV is effective to evoke Iris' innermost thoughts and fears if anyone found out she was a witch, dealing with the tragic events of her best friend and the Witch Council. The stakes were even more evident with how desperate Iris trying to find the owl that stole the curse meant for Pike, an ornithologist who interns at a wildlife refuge and can drive her insane with his actions and words. The owl is an amplifier and if it dies, the curse will be casted on everyone in the whole region.

The dynamics between Iris and Pike definitely gave the enemies to lovers vibe as I found myself frustrated with Pike at the beginning, however the characters deeply develop throughout their time in the wilderness and come to understand each other despite the secrets they hold inside, such as Iris' reasons for searching for the owl and Pike's reasons for hating witches and magic.

Overall, this is another work from Griffin that took my breath away 🪶

A magical delight! This is an amazingly powerful page turner that easily transports the reader in to the magical world of witches. This magical realism romance book has fabulous writing with complex characters that are easy to get to know and care about and a plot that has depth and real issues combined with magical realism. The story easily flows and is impossible to put down.
The relationship between Iris and Pike is a slow growing gentle romance that felt very realistic and is full of fabulously enjoyable banter. Iris is a well written character that is compassionate, kind and courageous. You cannot help but care what happens to this young witch and hope that everything works out for the best in her relationship with Pike and with her magic.
I highly recommend you find a comfortable place to open up this book and immerse yourself into Iris' magical world in this page turning delight.
I am grateful to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the opportunity to read this wonderful book in exchange for a honest review.