Persephone May has always felt a little different. An outcast. She was abandoned as a baby and has felt alone ever since. She becomes a drifter of sorts, taking odd jobs and moving constantly, usually when she makes eye contact with someone. Her last straw was another job that she had to leave suddenly. She has only one choice and that is to head to Wile Isle - she did make one friend.

But things feel different here, she can actually maintain eye contact with Hyacinth Ever without her going crazy. But there are secrets to be discovered and a curse that needs to be broken.

Persephone has always wanted a family, a sense of belonging, love and now it's within her grasp. But sometimes, the things we want most are the things that need to be given up.

This magical, thrilling story is about history, jealousy, a curse, family and most of all love. I was enchanted from the first page and found it hard to put down. You should definitely pick this up today.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review this.

Who knew a book about witches and family and cute boys and curses could be so damn boring. I honestly considered DNF'ing this multiple times because I just didn't have a lot of care in me for what was going to happen to the characters.

The cover is gorgeous, so it has that going for it at least. I'll also add that if you're more of an "academic" or "literary" reader, you might enjoy this far more than I did.

The characters were all little cardboard cutouts of one another. It was hard as hell to remember who was who (other than Moira was grumpy and Hyacinth was bubbly) because they were all just . . . there. The other two sisters? Couldn't tell you a darn thing about which attribute belongs to which girl. And it's not that it wasn't mentioned, it just wasn't told well. The MC is a big old "I'm not like other girls" Mary Sue with no parents or family and she must harness this power she didn't know she had to save the world. We've read this story a million times, and it's been done better.

There might have been a plot but it was so far buried under existential BS that I couldn't really find it. Persephone has to go to the island. She has to save the island. Here's some roadblocks. They all mush together and it was just completely lost on me. This honestly felt like a 700 page book for the time it took me to slog through it. And that my friends, is a pacing issue. But because it felt like nothing was happening, it was all just . . . there.

Clearly from the above you'll know this writing style just doesn't work for me. I feel like we just kept being told the same things a thousand times but nothing was happening. And the few times something did happen, it was just this little flash and then everything was pulled back from you. So you were just left wondering about everything. I don't mind vagueness or not getting the answers until much later in the book, but I need there to be something else I enjoy about the book in the mean time. There was no humor, no joy in this book. It was all doom and gloom and that's fine, but I don't think that's what the author was going for.

And the only real "plot twist" was evident from chapter two. I knew exactly what was going to happen centuries before it did. - Wait? It didn't take centuries to read this book? Funny, it sure felt like it.

I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a good read. A little witchy, a little mystery nicely blended. I enjoyed reading this but had a hard time with the instalove storyline. Also the main character is suppose to be 32. But this read as more of a ya novel. She was childish and immature and her internal dialogue was whiny. I enjoyed all the other characters and would follow more of their stories. But Persephone May was not my favourite gal!

I received this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Persephone May is, quite literally, alone in the world. Raised in foster care and unable to keep any meaningful relationships due to what happens when someone truly looks at her. Afraid that she herself is the problem, Persephone hops from town to town looking for something or someone to hold onto. The one friend she has ever been able to hold onto, Hyacinth, invites her to visit her on the island she lives on. Persephone takes her up on her offer after yet another disastrous happening at her job, and after stepping off the ferry onto the island she thinks she may have finally found somewhere she belongs. Little does she know that there is magic on Wile Isle, and she is the catalyst to set in motion events that are over one hundred years in the making.

This novel is very much in the realm of Alice Hoffman and Deborah Harkness, with magic inhabiting a world that we all live in but are just too oblivious to notice. The world building by Crutcher is superb and all of the characters feel fully realized and fleshed out with wants, dreams, hopes, and fears.

The beginning of the book felt long to me, perhaps I'm just impatient, but I found it dragging on when I just wanted something big to happen. The middle third of the book really picked up, but then it felt like the ending went so quickly that it was confusing. A LOT was packed into the last 25-30% of the book, and I found myself having to reread sections to understand what was happening and who was in danger vs. who wasn't etc.

That said, it was an enjoyable novel that I'm grateful I had the chance to read!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book is a nice slow burn. It follows Persephone, who, as a child, bounced from foster home to foster home. Turns out, that bouncing was for a good reason, as people go crazy when Persephone looks them in the eye. She is someone who wants a home, a family, a place to belong.
The plot drives along at a brisk clip, even while the conversations are slow and thoughtful. It can be a bit of a odd combination, but this book is definitely going to find a home with modern fiction fans. I would recommend giving it a try!

Summary: Persephone May is a girl who has never quite fit in anywhere. She has spent her entire life bouncing from one foster home to the next. On top of the fact that she's never had a family or a place to call her own, Persephone also has a tendency to make strange things happen. This only adds to her isolation as she learns to keep people out and to always stay moving. This story follows Persephone as she makes yet another move after her most recent strange occurrence. This time, Persephone decides to move to Wile Isle and finds that it is much more than it seems to be.

Review: This book truly has it all: a sympathetic protagonist, a curse that only she can break, found family. When Persephone gets to Wile Isle she knows that things will be different. She learns of a 100 year old curse plaguing the witches of the Isle and a prophecy telling of a time walker that can break it. All signs point to Persephone as the one who may finally break the curse but not everyone is on board.

This novel was well-written and it was truly a wonderful escape. Not only is Persephone a time walker but she can walk between worlds and the author did a great job of making me feel like I was on Persephone's journey with her. I enjoyed the vivid imagery and the characters. The plot seemed to drag a bit through the middle but it picked back up towards the end. Overall, it was a great read.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ St. Martin’s Griffin for giving me this arc!

Normally a mystery reader, I was enchanted by this book. Persephone, growing up unloved in a series of foster homes, knew she didn’t fit in, and could cause pain and confusion as she went. The story takes us through the many twists and turns of her finding her true identity, family, and home, and the struggle to save them all. The magical island that smells of pine and the sea isn’t all light, as she had hoped. I’m hoping for more of the same from this author, I appreciate my ARC from NetGalley and the publisher.

The Orphan Witch by Paige Crutcher has Persephone May searching for where she belongs. She has always felt lost. When her one friend invites her Wile Isle, North Carolina, Persephone accepts the invitation. She can tell right away that Wile Isle is different. Persephone can feel the power on the island. This may be the place Persephone has been searching for, but all is not as it seems. The description of The Orphan Witch captured my attention, and I was eager to read it. I began the book and I found myself reading long, drawn out chapters. The writing felt awkward, and the pacing is slow. The first couple of chapters felt like an information dump as we are told Persephone’s history. I had a hard time wading through this story because of the writing. The multiple point-of-views did not help matters and there was little action. I also found certain elements to be confusing. I wish I could have connected with the characters and become invested in this tale. This paranormal novel was just not the right fit for me. The Orphan Witch is a story about family curses, spells, witches, and Persephone finding her where she belongs.

The Orphan Witch focuses on a witch named Persephone who was lost in a world with no family and powers that she doesn't understand. A seemingly chance encounter with a woman named Hyacinth brings her into a world that is both confusing and magical. I have a soft spot for the wandering. Add magic and I was excited to read this book. Unfortunately it did not work for me. I found the story to be confusing much of the time. The plot was a little flip floppy which made it hard to grasp what exactly the issue is that needs to be resolved. Character names sometimes get mixed up. The book could have used another read through from an editor. This was an e-arc so maybe it did in the final print.

Thank you Netgalley for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I did not, not enjoy the book, but I missed a little something throughout the whole story. It is fast paced but I couldn't help to be bored here and there.
I did like the characters. They were fun and I enjoyed the growth each of them showed from the beginning to the end.
The curse itself, I thought not dramatic enough. But that is just my own opinion. When I read about curses, I like them to more substantial.
The book was an enjoyable read, but I won't be reading it a second time.

I absolutely adored this book! It took me longer to read, but that's on me. I've kind of hit a reading slump. This book reminds me of why I love to read though. It's so easy to fall into and become a part of. It really reminds me of Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic series. The characters are people you would really want to know in real life. I love all books about magic/witches and this one is perfect. It's got a whole range of emotions. Heartbreak, thrill, love, family love, everything. I look forward to reading more by Paige Crutcher.

I liked this book which is about a girl named Persephone who is lonely as she was abandoned when she was young but she accidentally exposes magic one day which leads her to Wile Isle which involves a curse and family feud that she must solve. I’m a sucker for books with witches in them. For this book, I enjoyed the overall story plot and could see what it was getting at. The beginning was easy to get into but the pacing got a little slow and didn’t pick up pace which made it a little difficult for me to stay focused. The world building was okay in a way I understand the world in ways how magic world and the family relations but at some parts it would get complicated. The beginning and middle of the story was great as the story was fun but the ending got complicated and I was lost half of the time.

I have to say that the characters saved the book for me. I enjoyed Persephone’s character as she has to go through a lot and had a great character development. I also enjoyed the side characters especially Persephone’s sisters and the great sisterhood bond. There are also villains in this book that are witches which is really amazing. There is sadly no romance in the book but I loved how the theme of family played in this book instead.

The ending was kind of rough in my opinion and could have been better. The writing style just wasn’t for me but the characters were great. I think those who love complicated magic systems would enjoy this book more so I recommend it to them. But if you think you will like it I recommend it to fans of witches and Medusa stories.

I want to say that I like to understand all the aspects of a story. Know the backstory, character's history, how everything is tied together, etc. This one was confusing to me - I would have needed a white board and a ton of post-its to keep it straight. The story was an enjoyable one but I felt lost for a lot of the time and had to say "who? what? why? and even when?" throughout the book. I liked the characters and there were a ton of twists. If I didn't have to work so hard to keep it straight in my head it would have rated higher.

Wow!!! This is one of the most incredible works of whimsical magic I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading! So full of marvelous details! I’m not one who is big on a lot of detail or word fillers, but in this case all the details were necessary. I normally fly through a book in a day or two, but this one took me 3 days of reading 2-3 hours a day. Don’t worry, the details won’t consume you, in fact the details make this book along with the dialogue. I don’t read much fantasy, but I love a good witch book from time to time. Need to escape to a magical world? The Orphan Witch is a must read. Follow Persephone’s journey to Wile Island to discover herself, her family, and her magic. Meet her cousins and their mystical homes and gardens. Travel to the Library of the Lost, escape through the Arch to different worlds, and time travel with Persephone. This was a splendid and delightful book! Hoping for the stories of the Mayfair women to continue into a possible series. My review and opinion is of my own. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy.

I kind of was confused for most of this book, like Persephone. I liked her as a character and boy did she not have it easy with the magic that was uncontrollable and caused so many accidents as she was growing up! I am actually kind of surprised that she made it to 32. Though I did like having a slightly older woman being the one to save the day in a book. The magic was cool but the schemes of the various witches on Wile were what confused me. Mya favorite parts were the traveling and the Library of the Lost. I would love to be able to visit that!

So, confusing book for me but parts I liked and it had a sweet ending for Persephone as her one wish was to find a place where she belonged.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: The Orphan Witch by Paige Crutcher

The Orphan Witch is a contemporary paranormal fantasy about a young orphaned woman under a curse who finally has an opportunity to find her family and control her witchcraft powers.
The Orphan Witch starts out with Persephone, an adult former foster youth who is alone in the world and running from one job to the next. Her inability to control a curse that makes anyone that looks her in the eye immediately try to maim or kill themselves has kept her from connecting with anyone or being adopted into a family. When a former colleague offers her a chance to visit her on a quant island she jumps at the chance.
Unfortunately, the only intriguing part of the plot is her tragic curse which was introduced briefly in the beginning (when both a coffee shop patron and a barista co-worker try to kill themselves after catching her eye) and it never occurs again nor is there a logical explanation of why it ever happened and how to stop it. The next 90% of the book is witch relative drama, tea drinking, gardening, portals into other worlds, a library, pirating, a love interest with zero chemistry, gemstones, a grimoire and is overall a big convoluted mess.
I really want the book about the witch who has the ability to destroy people with her gaze, can’t form relationships and desperately needs a cure. Unfortunately, I got a Mary Sue Chosen One witch who spends a lot of time in witch family interpersonal drama and portals into parallel worlds. I didn’t enjoy the setting, the characters or the romance.

Two stars ⭐️⭐️

This was a beautiful story. The beginning was a bit difficult to fully comprehend and the long chapters added to that but once you get about 30% in then the story gets more interesting and suspenseful. I really enjoyed the characters and loved the theme of sisterhood and searching for belonging. I agree that Alice Hoffman fans will love this and anyone who loves witchy reads will also adore this. It’s perfect for spooky season and the cover is gorgeous.

3 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This was an interesting contemporary paranormal fantasy. Persephone May is an orphan and has been alone her whole life. She wants nothing more than to belong somewhere, but whenever she tries to forge bonds with other people, unexplainable things happen and she finds herself moving on again.

After one particularly jarring public display of powers she doesn't understand, Persephone receives an email inviting her to visit one of her only friends on the elusive Wile Isle. As soon as she steps on the island, Persephone feels at home, something she's never felt before. It's clear that Wile Isle is no typical island, nor are some of its occupants. Persephone learns that she is a witch from a long line of witches and she may have a part to play in the welfare of the island and its occupants.

I liked the overall general theme of the story and it was well written. The problem I had with the book is that it just seemed to drag on. Maybe it was because Persephone reminded me of Debbie Downer from SNL or Eeyore - everything was always the worst case scenario and everything was so heavy and dark. Even in stories with difficult storylines or heavy subject matter there is an occasional spark of lightness and laughter. I didn't find any of that in this book. Some of the descriptions of places, people or things were far too in-depth and I found myself skimming parts of the book. I had high expectations for this book but it fell a bit short.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. All opinions are my own.

This was a good witchy story that had curses, lost family, and a library of lost things. There was LGBTQ representation that I appreciated, but I felt it could have been stronger. Overall I enjoyed it and it had a good pace. The world building for a standalone book was impressive for the size of the book. 4 stars

This book has a gorgeous cover and many readers will love the story. I thought it was okay. Something about the writing style didn't really engage me. There's a lot of thinking and wondering and a lot of talking. I think the author was trying to be funny but it was weird, like saying "her lost appendage (more commonly referred to as her laptop)". Eye. Roll. Also, please do not ever use the word mothertrucker (hopefully that got changed in the final version.) It's not even like there wasn't cursing throughout the book (some I thought was unnecessary, even confusing once.) Things were mentioned but not developed, like the family grimoire. The ending was confusing. Dorian was my favorite character in the book.