Thank you. Netgalley for my copy of The Orphan Witch. I was extremely excited to read this becuase I love any witchy reads. This story started off very strong but the more I got into it the more confusing and complicated the story got. I started to lose interest by the halfway point and couldn't get back into it.

This book started off so strong, I was hooked from the first. However the more the book went on the more busy it got and I found myself getting lost and having to reread to ensure I understood.

In the end I didn’t love it as much as I first had hoped.

Unfortunately this book and I just didn't really click very well. After a month of trying to finish this book I finally did which is saying something because I usually finish a book in like 2 days... I was just SO very bored. The first chapter was good, and intriguing to me, I was thinking we were going to have a similar Addie Larue type vibe, but with murder... exciting! The answer to that is NO, as after the first chapter that plot line ends. While I was reading this book I kept telling myself to push through, it'll get better, this book doesn't even get a little bit interesting until at least 100 pages in, and even then I still was just hoping for something better to happen. The main "action" of the plot is hard to follow, just straight up COMPLICATED. I had a hard time figuring out which characters we were talking about, and the only thing saving this book from being 1 star for me was Dorian. Usually when I read a book, even if I have a hard time getting in to it, the last chapters where the action happens are ones that I speed through. I put this book down with two chapters and the main action left, and I had a hard time picking it back up. I guarantee I will forget everything about this book in two days. Sorry.

Sometimes being lost is the one thing you need to survive.

At first, I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this book. It took a little bit to get into but once I did I finished it up in less than three days. Persephone grows as a character as the book goes along. There are a few twists and turns that I did not see coming, which makes it even better. It will be interesting to see if this is a stand alone or if there will be a second one.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Orphan Witch started off a bit slow for me. We enter into this magical world and get to know who Persephone is. Now she has no control over her own magic but she always say it as a bad thing. Mostly because of how people in and out of her life reacted towards her. So when things go a little crazy, she ends up taking a random trip to go meet an acquaintance.

I don't think she was necessarily going for answers right then and there but once she stepped onto this mysterious island - she felt at ease a bit. At this moment, I was very intrigued with what was going to happen on her adventure.

I lowkey adored her meeting Dorian and I had so many questions when it came to him being involved. Then there's her cousins who definitely kept me on my toes the entire time. Especially since she kind of just walked into this huge family feud and got all kinds of whiplash from it.

Other than that, the magic was actually pretty interesting throughout the book. I still have some questions about the different kinds because we didn't get that much detail for it all. Plus the family grimoire was barely mentioned after we saw it and I just wanted to see what else was in it. Honestly, I have so many unanswered questions but I've already devoured the last page.

Not sure if we will get another book due to how this one ended.. but I wouldn't mind getting a prequel about their aunt's or grandma's. This family had so many secrets and I don't think we got them all out in the open.

The cover of this book is what made me want to read it. It’s a magical story of good and evil. I did think it was maybe a bit too long. For me it dragged a little at the not quite half point. I found myself getting distracted from the story.
I think in the last fourth of the book it got better,picked up and became more interesting. I did enjoy the book and think it will appeal to fantasy book lovers.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

I did not enjoy this book. At all.

It had such an intriguing premise. It was exciting and the first eight percent was written well. Persephone is an orphan who grew up unloved and without being able to make eye contact. Why? Well, if she did it long enough--a few seconds--it caused people to do horrid things to themselves. One person dumped a fresh pot of hot coffee on themselves, another tried to walk into traffic.

I was eager to see where this story went.

Then we meet the other two characters. And they're witches and Hyacinth is an absolute pain. Anytime chakras are mentioned I check out. The way it's handled here in the Western part of the world is just a distortion of something beautiful that was appropriated from another culture. So it's a big peeve of mine.

Another pain is bad characters. I don't mean evil. I don't mean cruel. I mean bad. People you don't care about. Characters you can't enjoy or sympathize with.

I couldn't stand them. And then there's the tonal issues in the book. I couldn't tell if parts were meant to be funny or serious. If I was even meant to like the characters. They just didn't click.

The plot was incohesive and slow. Once Persephone reaches an island that's supposed to be where her only friend lives, the plot tanks in pacing. It's awful. I've been reading a few books at once and getting back into this book was difficult. I didn't want to finish it.

I recieved this ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

One (1) star.

I liked this book and thought it was a good YA fantasy book. Overall, I thought it was fast paced and had enough world building that it allowed for me to understand the story without feeling like it was dragging.

Plot: Persephone May is a young woman who her whole life has only wanted a place to belong, family, and friends. Her special ability makes it nearly impossible for her to connect with anyone, since every time she looks into someone’s eyes they immediately try to hurt themselves or others around them. After a tragic accident causes her to run from her current life as a barista, Persephone finally takes up her old coworker, Hyacinth’s offer to visit on the small island of Wiles off the coast of North Carolina.

After arriving to the island Persephone discovers that Hyacinth isn’t just an old coworker but also her long lost cousin. Persephone developed her powers on the island with the help of Hyacinth and Moira, Persephone’s other cousin, to help break a curse made by two sisters long ago. The island holds many secrets though and Persephone learns more and more of them the longer she is there.

What an incredible book! Original, strong characters and great atmosphere. I wanted to be on Wile Isle. I loved every second I spent reading about Persephones journey to find out who she is. If you like witchy things I highly recommend this book.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love stories about witches. This was no exception.
Persephone is all alone and just wants family. She knows she is different but does not know she is a witch. This story is about her finding her family, their history and where she fits in with all of it.
The magic in the book is not just basic Bewitched twitch your nose stuff. And the other dimensions that exist there make it truly unique. Imagine having a romance with a man that is in another dimension! And of course there is a bad witch. That battle is epic. If you like a book that has a bit more than just magic try this one out.
I voluntarily and honestly reviewed this advance reader copy from NetGalley and was not compensated in any way.

This was a lovely, charming, book that draws you in - very slowly. I actually have mixed feelings on this book.

The world building was excellent - I could picture everything so well. I kind of wanted to hang out on that island - on that porch. The story unfolded a little at a time, and you could just sense the relationships growing.

On the other hand, it wasn't ,my cup of tea for some reason.. I felt like it was too slow, or too sweet, or it just lacked that little extra spark. It reminded me of those cozy mysteries - but better.

I do appreciate that it was a little different take on someone with magic.

I want to thank the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review.

For those who have felt friendless and orphaned and as if they’ll never belong, this orphan is a sister at heart. She breaks the mold when she leaves to visit cousins she never knew living on an island of magic only to learn she has to break that world to save all those who have lived there at great cost to herself. The cost of magic is steep, yet our heroine finds a way toward a happier life. Very imaginative and empowering.

I found this to be a very interesting book! Persephone had a bleak and unfulfiling life as a foster child and her strange power to make people hurt themselves. This all changes when she visits her friend at Wisle Isle, her magical journey start. I absolutely loved the storyline and the writing was really good!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Net Galley for an ARC in return for my honest review!

Witches are just cool, aren’t they? I mean you’ve got the academic scene with Harry Potter, the small town dynamics of Practical Magic, the teenage angst of The Season of Witches, and now we can add Penelope and the witches of Wile Island from this book for a little family drama action.

I’m not going to lie. If I woke up tomorrow with magical powers, I’d probably start walking a little taller and feeling a certain way about myself. But, if like Penelope, those magical gifts put those I love in danger, I would do exactly what she does – learn to go it alone.

What I Liked
I like that this fully embraces magic in a contemporary setting. And I liked the complexity of the history of the island and the witches who live there. There was lots of great sensory description and I found the characters to be unique and memorable. I especially enjoyed the Library of Lost Things and the dashing librarian.

Penelope is likable, her plight plausible, and I genuinely wanted to see her step into the truth of her powers and become the hero.

What I Wish Had Been Different
There were several places where the pacing of this book slowed down and I was struggling a little bit to stay engaged. As Elvis was known to sing, I might have liked “a little less conversation, a little more action, please.” Sometimes I felt that descriptions and build up to some really great conflict scenes just took a little too long to get to the point. There is a lot of backstory in this book and I got a little lost with some of it.

For it’s relatable characters, it’s inclusivity, and for so many great, vivid scenes, this book earns 3.5 witchy stars.

This was great mix of thriller, magical, and romance.
Overall, the plot hits all the marks: great protagonist and it is fast-paced.I had a great time reading this book. I'm pretty sure it took me so long to finish because I didn't want it to end.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a sucker for a story about magic, and I’m always in search of ones that are fun and whimsical without being corny,
What I liked the most about The Orphan Witch is that it is filled with magic and fantasy, but there is a lot of reality in this story that can resonate with almost all of us. I also loved that in the end, what Persephone perceived to be the worst part of her, was actually one of the greatest parts of her once she found out who she was.
This is a story about finding your power and confidence, and also about finding companionship in friends and family.

The Orphan Witch is Paige Crutcher’s magical debut novel.

Persephone’s an orphan. Bounced foster family to foster family. No permanent ties. No friends. At least not since she discovered that simply staring into her eyes causes people to do insane things like step out into traffic. Or that she can make an entire cafe full of people fall asleep with just one word.

After the cafe incident, she’s ready to try something different. Hyacinth, the closest thing Persephone has to a friend - they email sometimes, offered her a place to stay on a remote island. Persephone discovers friends, family, and her destiny - break a 100-year-old curse.

With family curses, secret witches, world walking and time travel, The Orphan Witch is perfect for fans of the All Souls books by Deborah Harkess or the Lost Things series by Paula Brackston.

Persephone is incredibly likable - she’s smart, funny, determine, loyal, and resourceful. Even though she struggles, she’s never willing to give up. The four feuding witch sisters sound like characters out of an Alice Hoffman novel - eccentric, passionate, driven, and fierce.

Good and evil, battling sisters and cousins, multiple timelines, magical artifacts - And Dorian, the pirate/librarian in the library of lost things, yowza - does it get any better than that for your broody, grump of a leading man?

Found family, home, and hope amidst curses and magical attacks on a remote island, all make The Orphan Witch the perfect book to read while you're cozy and sipping a mug of tea.

The author does a great job of keeping you on your toes because you are never quite sure who can be trusted and who cannot. I was pretty much hooked right from the beginning and had trouble putting this book down. The pacing gets a little slow at some parts - mostly with regard to Persephone's training, but for the most part it's a smooth read. I liked how Dorian did what he could to help Persephone even when he knew it might cost him later. Even though I was never sure who could be trusted I did really enjoy Hyacinth, Moira, Ellison, and Ariel - they all thought they were doing the right thing, but they also all helped Persephone fulfill what was clearly her destiny. Initially I wasn't a huge fan of the ending, but as I thought more about it I realized it was actually pretty perfect - it may not be a traditional happy ending, but it was a happy ending.

The Orphan Witch tells the story of Persephone, an abandoned and lonely teenager who can't let anyone get to close. When she receives an email inviting her to Wile Isle you just know everything is about to change. Paige Crutcher took the magic dust that falls from dreams and put it into words. For anyone who has ever wished to step foot into a Library of Lost, here is your chance and you should not miss it!

I picked this book up because I've always enjoyed stories about witches and the paranormal. This book was a treat in that it was packed with magic throughout. Persephone has always been alone and she longs for family and a place where she fits in the world. She was abandoned and grew up in foster care. She was always looking down because when someone met her eyes bad things happened. Persephone was invited to vist a place called Wile Isle by a woman she had met and liked, Hyacinth. When she arrives she finds that Hyacinth and her sister, Moira are actually her cousins and they all share something in common - they are all witches. Hyacinth and Moira need Persephone's assistance in breaking a curse that has stood for a hundred years - no one else has been able to break it, though many have tried.

Persephone is a strong and determined character who tries her best to do good things. She has to make a very difficult choice that made me squirm - a tough one. I liked the character. One of my favorite concepts from the book is the Library of the Lost and how it functions - very interesting. The book moved well with quite a bit of action.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. The book will be published on September 28, 2021.