This book took a long time to get started, and I kept thinking the author had cleverly seeded some information into the story which would come back, but it never did. I was confused as to the tone as well - it wasn’t clear to me if things were supposed to be funny or serious. Was I supposed to like the side characters? I don’t know!

I thought the premise of this one looked promising and when it was compared to Alice Hoffman I thought I would really love it. When I had been reading it for 3 days and was still only 15% in I realized that this book is not for me. I thought it was very slow moving and confusing and didn't make a lot of sense. The characters were all hard to like, in my opinion, I also couldn't tell what genre this is supposed to be. Am I supposed to laugh? Feel sorrow for Persephone? Are the family she finds on Wile Isle supposed to make me laugh? I couldn't tell and ultimately decided I did not want to spend any more time on this one.

Loved it! Such a magical and mystifying read! Loved that mix of past and present, curses, witches, finding family and one's place in the wold and travelling through time to solve a mystery. Reminded me so much of Alice Hoffman and Paula Brackston's work but had it's own original take!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ St. Martin’s Griffin for sharing this story with me in exchange for an honest review. Will post this review to my Goodreads page.

As a result of a series of truly poorly thought out decisions, I found myself reading this at the same time as an arc for the conclusion of Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic series and, through no fault of it's own, it simply cannot compare.

#theorphanwitch #netgalley

It was heartbreaking to read what Persephone went through as a child and reading about her story, she grew so much. This book was magical and lovely.

Absolutely Addicting. This book went everywhere with me so I could fit a page in here and there while: doing errands, to work, where I never have time to read but squeezed in a few pages before I started my truck to drive home, to the hardware store with my husband where I had to explain to him "No I am not helping you pick out switch plates for the porch. I NEED to read this book"... Paige Crutcher you have written a book that will be on my favorites shelf when I can buy a hard copy. Also you need to call my husband and let him know when your next witch book comes out so we can get our errands done ahead of time. This witch loved this book!

Absorbing fantasy with a bit more realism than I expected about being in the foster care system.

Great world building, a protagonist who steals your heart as she struggles to fit in and belong.

Open ended- could be a chance for a great follow up.

I have some words to speak about this book!!! The concept, the idea, the thought of this book had me. I was like, HELLO, this novel IS FOR ME! And I literally jumped at the opportunity to read it.

Then I began reading and I felt like it was a forced read the ENTIRE TIME… which was a total BUMMER!
BUT…… I finished the novel. So it wasn’t a Bad story. It didn’t even have any bad writing. So I had to give it a day or two to really figure out why I felt the way I felt while I was reading it.

So, I did what any need girl does while contemplating. I made a list.

This is what the novel had:

A great intro! You find yourself wanting to fix Persephone immediately! Poor lonely orphan witch that she is! You find yourself wanting to understand the dynamics of the Isle and the other witches as well.

A personable main character. Persephone is an amazing main character. Although the although writes from multiple perspectives, the mc is the focal point, and she has done an amazing job making this character lovable.

Mystery is definitely involved! Multiple layers of mystery are in play throughout the novel. Although the author does include a lot of dialogue, inter monologue, and the such that it sometimes feels like the mystery gets lost in the shuffle.

The library was my favorite part. I want a book on just that place.

A love story (or two) happen. Which, in my opinion, are the makings for a perfect book. The best type of magic is the magic of love!

The ending was good. It was predictable but I would have been saddened if it happened any other way.

All in all, a brilliant 3.5 stars. I feel like if the novel had a better pace then I may not have felt as “forced” to read it. I loved what happened throughout but at times the story stretched on and on.

I received an ARC from netgalley for an honest review.

Beautifully written. Could not put it down. I can’t wait to read more by this author! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book!!

This book is a slow, lyrical burn. It follows a witch, Persephone, who, as a child, bounced from foster home to foster home. Turns out, that bouncing was for a very good reason, as people go completely mad when Persephone looks them in the eye. She is someone desperate for a home, a family, a place to belong. When she gets a chance for all of those things, Persephone is swept up into a fight that is not her own, but it is her destiny. The plot drives along at a brisk clip, even while the conversations are slow, thoughtful things. It can be a bit of a tonally odd combination, but this book is definitely going to find a home with modern fiction fans. It's the type of book that wants you to think it's plot driven, but it is actually powered by the feelings around family and connection.

Loved this! The island was beautifully described, the witches houses sounded like an oasis of joy with an undercurrent of drama and thrills, and the characters were perfectly rounded. But it was the imagination of the story, particularly the Library of Lost Things that I loved. The magic itself was understated, giving the characters a chance to shine.
Once the story begins on the island, it is a rollercoaster so be prepared to give over your day to reading this. There is no good place to put it down!
Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press for yet another fantastic story.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley
I totally couldn't wait to read this book. And it definitely didn't disappoint I love the family dynamic. The characters are unforgettable. The setting is magical

Persephone May has been alone her entire life. Abandoned as an infant and dragged through the foster care system, she wants nothing more than to belong somewhere. To someone. However, Persephone is as strange as she is lonely. Unexplainable things happen when she’s around—changes in weather, inanimate objects taking flight.

After an accidental and very public display of power, Persephone knows it’s time to move on once again. It’s lucky, then, when she receives an email from the one friend she’s managed to keep, inviting her to the elusive Wile Isle. The timing couldn’t be more perfect. However, upon arrival, Persephone quickly discovers that Wile is no ordinary island. In fact, it just might hold the very things she’s been searching for her entire life.

Answers. Family. Home.

Paige Crutcher has created a world, and populated it with fully developed characters, both mysterious and open. Readers will root for Persephone, as she works to undo a century-old curse, and save the unexpected family she's come to love. Recommended.

Completely derivative (of Harry Potter in some ways) and tedious for me. I really tried to like it, but it veered off the path of any potential for enjoyment quite early on.

I really felt Practical Magic and Hocus Pocus vibes from this book, especially with how Persephone is thrust into magic. Persephone has felt weird things happening all her life as she attempts to be normal in the modern world, and doesn't understand until she visits her friend Hyacinth. She discovers she is a witch, has family, and maybe is also a key to a world-changing prophecy.

I enjoyed all of the characters and the lore of the Wile Isle, it meshed well with the modern time setting of the rest of the world, and did not seem out of place. While there were many layers to the island, it all just added to the mystery, without adding confusion. I also enjoyed the library and how it was integrated into the lore. Hyacinth, Moira, Ellison, and Ariel were all very distinct, and I loved getting to meet all of them. The magic system that all of the witches used was very familiar, and focuses on different elements, while also using herbs and chants. The battles were sufficiently epic, which I loved. I did feel like the villain could have been a bit more ominous, she didn't come across as scary so much as just insane. I did enjoy the ending though, it was very satisfying!

I would like to thank net galley and the publishers for an advanced copy of The Orphan Witch in exchange for my honest review.
I wish I could give The Orphan Witch 3.5 stars

This book had so much potential! The story, the characters, the magic, the island setting, and even a Library of Lost Things thrown in for some extra goodness. It just missed the mark for me on a lot of levels. The book is good and I would recommend it, the only reason it got 3 stars instead of 4 from me was for the unrealized potential. The characters could have been better developed. The island better described and the relationships of the characters better explored. It all just felt a little forced to me and therefore left me wanting more, but at the same time confused and wanting it to go ahead and mercifully end. I loved the Persephone character and think there was so much more there we as readers could have been privy to.

A combination of fantasy and mystery; I love stories about libraries or bookstores.
Aww a mysterious library sounds like a fun read.

Persephone May is an orphan and a witch. She was abandoned by her family and has been in search of finding them. She grew up in foster care but was always alone never felt any attachment. In fact, if she became too close she would act violently. There was the time she stirred the wind and created and dumped a boy in a nearby pond because he tugged on her pigtails when she was five years old and called her Pippi Longstockigs. She was only five at that time and these situations continued and are reason she moved from foster home to foster home.

Now in her thirties and has completed a bachelor’s degree in English and wrote a book inspired by her magical behavior called “The Upside Down Magicks”. I am sure you suspect that it wasn’t a best seller.
She changes jobs many times and continues to be lost but in search for information about her background. She receives and invitation to return to the home where she was abandoned on the Island of Wile Isle. She believes that perhaps she can find the members of her family that she never knew.
She finds herself in “The Library of the Lost” (I totally visualized the Library at Hogwarts.)

I was so sure this was going to be a great read but have to admit I was a bit disappointing ~ as I mentioned I love stories about libraries and or bookstore ~ throw in magic and I am there.
I didn’t like the nasty language; it seems to me witches etc. should have their own language ~ vocabulary with made up words that have same meaning.
I tried my magical powers but couldn’t get the nasty words to vanish.

Want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for professional review purposes.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for October 5, 2021

Nice book I enjoy it even if it’s not my normal kind of story. Was different and really enjoyable. I really liked the characters and the story was fine too :) thanks netgalley !

I really tried to love this book.

It had everything I thought I wanted - witches, a curse, long lost family, creepy past. The beginning was stellar (a witch who makes people walk into traffic accidentally? Yes, please). But, the rest of the story was very, very slow. I had to take multiple breaks and read other books to get through it. I think the main issue for me was that the romance plot line was an afterthought, and I enjoy fantasy with strong romance.

Thank you to NetGalley for the complimentary copy in exchange for review.

This book is full of magic and witchy goodness.

Persephone grew up without friends or family. She grew up in foster care and has never felt like she belonged to anyone. Persephone learned from a young age that whenever she got too close to someone and let her guard down that person would have an extremely volatile reaction to her. Now, Persephone is in her thirties and frequently changes jobs whenever things get out of control. One day when Persephone is at work, she forgets herself and her powers affect not just one person but the whole room. So, she flees. As she’s trying to figure out where to go next, she gets a message from an acquaintance inviting her to come back for a visit on the island. Persephone thinks this invitation couldn’t have come at a better time, so she goes and this magical tale unfurls from there.

This story is told in the third-person with multiple POVs.

I thought I would love this book. It has all the elements I normally enjoy: witches, a curse, romance, and LGBTQ+ representation. Unfortunately, I wasn’t as invested in this story as I was hoping. I didn’t really connect with the characters. The writing is beautiful and lyrical, but I found my attention drifting off while reading. I was intrigued by Persephone’s Medusa-like powers. Instead of turning people to stone, making eye contact with her drives people to reckless behaviour.

If you’ve enjoyed books like Once Upon a River and The Binding, you might like this one.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.