The premise of Griffin's work~a world where witches control the atmosphere and shaders (nonmagical wielders) push for more territory and continue to create greater threats resulting in a climate crisis~ is really great and a new take on witches in an urban/contemporary fantasy, and having one witch that can help to control and end the crisis is the major thing that kept me reading this book.
A few Positives: 1. the imagery is well done. 2. It is clear that Griffin took the time to understand weather patterns and developments, which help to make the content more believable. 3. The side characters were likeable and developed enough to contribute to the story rather than getting lost like some do in fantasy novels. 4. the conflict the main character faces is understandable and multidimensional (internal and external--peers and adults) 5. LGBTQIA+ representation
A few negatives: 1. Clara is annoying 2. the concept that the female main character cannot believe in herself until the guy she falls for believes in her, why make someone so powerful weak until a SO gives her confidence--ugh.

Overall, I can see why this book has many 4 and 5 star reviews, but I felt it didn't quite reach that level for me. Fans of urban fantasy, love saves the day for the damsel in distress, or those seeking a new take on witchy abilities will probably enjoy this book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the dARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.

I liked this book a lot, and it hooked me right from the first chapter. The pacing was good, as well as the character dynamics. The magic system was really cool and was explored really well too.

I really enjoyed the school of magic aspect of this story. The seasonal weather magic was also super unique and I would really love another book to explore the magic more! It was definitely the most interesting part of the story. The romance fell a little flat- overall this was good but could have been great had they spent more time on the school and magic.

I've waited a few days after reading this book to write the review. I wanted to marinate on it for a while to get a real feel for it. Overall, it was a wonderful read. I enjoyed the setting of this book immensely. I have not read too many books that are set in modern day America, and I seriously doubt I have read any that have a focus on climate change and the impacts we as humans are making on the environment. I loved that Rachel Griffin was able to share the message about how we as humans are impacting the world and the atmosphere, how all the weird weather phenomenon are because of our actions, but in such a fantastical way with witches. I enjoyed the magic system in this book. The witches powers are connected with the seasons and the weather. Each witch is born during a season and that season is when their powers are the strongest. However, there is one type of witch, very rare, called an Everwitch, who has powers for every season. Such great writing, and a lovely story. I do believe the world could have been expanded a bit for an even richer story. The seasons go by very quickly and we do not get to delve too deeply into the world of witches. I would have enjoyed seeing more of the witches outside of the school setting, like those in jobs around the country or world. The book and the story seemed to progress well but a little quickly for my liking. Overall, an enjoyable read that I would recommend to others.

Sadly, this book was really not for me. I couldn't stand the main character, and although I kept hoping she would get better, I got about half way through before I just gave up. The fact that she was the only witch who could save the world but didn't want to was infuriating, Honestly, the only character I really liked was her friend (who gave her shit for being so whiny). I wanted to clap every time someone called her out. There was quite a bit of romance, but it didn't make me feel anything.

Furthermore, I'm not a big fan of books where the main character "trains" for a significant portion of the story, and for this reason I couldn't stay engaged. I felt as though nothing was happening. I was also very confused about the world building - it seemed modern, given that climate change was an issue, but nothing else implied any similarities to the real world? I had no sense of space or time.

The writing style overall was good, but because of the issues I had, I couldn't be bothered to finish. In my opinion, this adds nothing of interest to the YA canon, and those hoping for an exciting eco-fantasy will be disappointed.

I absolutely loved the story!! The way the magic changes with the seasons and allows you to realize it’s ok to change “with the seasons”. The authors writing style throughout the story was mesmerizing and really allowed you to connect with the story. This books also contains love and I would recommend to any girl looking for an amazing read! Definitely recommend this book!

One of the most entertaining Witch books I've read in a long time. Absolutely amazing character development. I am definitely going to be looking for more books from this author.

I don’t know, I wasn’t crazy about this, but it was good because of how the witches’ seasonal magic works; I’ve never read anything like that!.the magic system was interesting and unique, but the characters didn’t draw me in. dnf at 40% because I wasn’t that invested

The concept and synopsis sounded great but I had such a struggle connecting with the book. I did not love the main character. I am.always driven by characters even more than plot and I couldn't get into the story as much. Interesting concept but not my favorite.

This is a book that will stay with me for a long time, and it is one that has a lot to say. Such a powerful book that brings in themes of climate change and power dynamics. It is just so good!

This book reminded me of a Taylor Swift song (more precisely The Lakes) in the best way possible. The writing was lovely, I fell in love with the characters and the story flowed beautifully. It was such a different take on magic and witches than what I'm used to nowadays and I really enjoyed it. I really felt all the emotions Clara felt during her journey and that ending brought actual tears to my eyes. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for a review.

This was so much bette than I thought it was going to be! We even had it as our book club pick and everyone enjoyed it. The plot and world building was fabulous, Clara was such a strong main character and the romance was really well done.

Can’t wait to read more from this author.

Loved this book! I throughly enjoyed the world it creates and those who live as witches in this world. Satisfying as a stand alone, but so won’t complain about a sequel.

ARac from the publisher via NetGalley but the opinions are my own.

I was excited to read The Nature of Witches because I had heard so many great things from other reviewers. It had some really interesting elements; Griffin uses magic and witches to explore the issues surrounding climate change. The main connection is that in the book humans take the earth for granted and a small subset of the population (in the book these are the witches) are the only ones who seemed concerned for the earth. The way that Griffin explores these ideas are really well done and feel well thought out.

My main problem with this book is that the characters felt very one dimensional. Many of the actions made by characters felt like plot devices, not things I could see the characters doing. I stopped reading this book at 70% because the characters' actions just felt so weird and not real.

If you like a well-thought out plot and you are not bothered with poor character development, you will probably enjoy this book.

I absolutely fell in love with this book. The beautiful writing drew me in right away and I couldn’t help but get lost in the story. The characters are so well written and I can’t help but feel like Clara and Sang stole a little piece of my heart as they fell for each other. I loved watching Clara learn to trust herself and her powers and seeing her grow more confident throughout the book. This will definitely be a book that stays on my mind for a while.

When the weather affects your powers you try to stay away and seclude yourself, but you never expect to find love during your volatile heartbroken moments after losing family.

A magical story about learning to become who you are meant to be, while basking in the many different kinds of love in this world. Clara has faced challenges but once she learns to love herself and trust in both herself and others, there is no stopping her self discovery.
The plot is unique, detailed and touching, the characters are varied and the message is amazing. I loved this one, loved the chapter introductions, (I highlighted most of them!), and this will certainly stick with me for some time.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an egalley for review. I really enjoyed "Nature of Witches" by Rachel Griffin. This had such a message of climate change and balance, without being heavy handed about it. This was a story about working together, witches and shaders(humans), witches and other witches and finding inner strength. A powerful story where conflict came from nature, not people being horrible to each other. What a nice change in YA

A breath of fresh air. Loved the magic system and the prose. Can’t wait to read more from this author!

I enjoyed the premise of this story. The characters are great and the relationships are authentic and interesting.