Wild is the Witch follows the adventures of Iris and Pike as they trek through the mountains as they try to track down an endangered owl. This owl isn't just any bird, however, but an amplifier for Iris's magic; magic that she used to create a curse aimed at Pike. Pike, not even knowing Iris is a witch, gamely aids Iris in finding the illusive owl. The two become closer despite the secrets between them, and a relationship starts to blossom. I enjoyed this book, although, like most books that are written around a large secret, I was constantly wishing Iris would just come clean before everything got worse. This book was definitely set up for a sequel which I think could end up being better then this one as it felt a bit like a set-up for an even grander adventure. 3.5 stars

Wild is the Witch explores the wilderness in the Pacific Northwest with a young man who hates witches. Unfortunately for Iris, she is a witch who wrote a curse that could be unleashed on everyone if they do not find the owl who swooped it up and took off with it.
This journey is about so much more than the curse written in haste. Wild is the Witch explores secrets and anxiety while Iris and Pike journey to save something much bigger than themselves. Their enemy to lovers story is based on very young adults/ teenagers that still have so much to learn about communication. I loved the nature - animals and trees in the forest. The setting was written so well, it is my favorite part! Definitely an enjoyable young adult read!

This is a story about wilderness.

I really enjoyed this one. It’s definitely YA (not a criticism!) so if you’re looking for a steamy romance, this is not the book for you- but the plush landscape and exploration of prejudice were well done. I’m also interested in reading more books where the world is as it is, but with the addition of magic as something everyone is aware of. Also the naked hardcover is beautiful!

Thank you so much @netgalley @sourcebooksfire & @rbmed_ for the e & audio copies.

I truly enjoyed Rachel Griffins writing in this book. The imagery was great and I was able to imagine myself there with the characters. The story was sad at times, but it also had moments of hope and joy. I do wish there was a bit more magic throughout the story, but I think the book was more focused on Iris and Pike and their growth (rightfully so). I loved the banter between them and seeing them go from foes to more. I liked the twist at the end because it showed that actions have repercussions.

Wild is the Witch was a thoroughly enjoyable read. It started darkly as Iris was exonerated from the crime her best friend accidentally committed. Although she was declared innocent, the stigma that followed her was excruciating to she and her family. Seeking a fresh start, she and her mother moved to Washington State and created a wildlife rescue sanctuary, leaving the past - and her father- behind. Iris is a witch, and in this magical of fantasy, witches are widely accepted, but Iris feels the sting and stigma of being uniquely a wtich. In Washington she and her mom create a new life for themselves, and Iris embraces their quiet new undercover life until Pike begins his internship at the sanctuary; Iris cannot stand his laid-back, seemingly half-hearted approach to his duties.

The fantasy world Rachel Griffin builds is rich in detail of the beauty and wildness of Washington state, and although the romance is predictable (highly independent girl meets annoying boy, they experience conflict, then grow to appreciate each other), it is enjoyable and not overly saccharine; how they get to the finish is interesting and anything but typical. The touches of witchcraft and how it is closely linked with nature truly add to the storyline.

This one started off a little slow, but I ultimately ended up really enjoying it! YA fantasy is a comfort genre for me, so this book was right up my alley.

I was a bit apprehensive going into this. The Nature of Witches wasn't my fave, but I really enjoyed this second book. I don't think these are connected - I could be wrong. But I definitely enjoyed this, I loved Iris and Pike - their banter and relationship was top tier.
I'm really glad that this exceeded my expectations and I really enjoyed reading it.

I don’t typically read YA but this book sounded interesting so I figured why not? And I was reminded of why I don’t like YA books or enemies to lovers books. Right from the start Pike is incredibly annoying but like annoying in an elementary school boy might annoy a girl so rather childish and always picking at Iris for no reason. I knew it would be a struggle to get through it or really even care about them getting closer through forced proximity. As for Iris who the story is technically about we start with her on trial after a tragic event happened with her friend. And though she is cleared of any involvement her life is upended she loses her home and security and father in the aftermath due to witch hate. And it seems rather obvious that she’s taken on the role of mothering her own mother who is incredibly annoying. Iris worries about everything and her mother worries about nothing. Seems like she needed some therapy after everything happened but nope her mother didn’t seem to worry about anything ever. Her daughter’s concerns about Pike’s feelings towards witches? No... she just brushed it off like it was nothing but what if it had been something?

Anywho to deal with life Iris writes spells and burns them so quite predictably when she writes one for Pike after he annoys her again and unnerves her with his hate for witches it gets stolen by a bird that’s been hanging around. So she has to try to find the it before the spell can be released and cause more damage than to just Pike. And naturally since Pike is studying to become an ornithologist he’s the perfect person to help her. So off into the forest they go.

I remember why I don’t read YA the characters were all irritating and I guess I just really don’t like the enemies to lovers troupe. To be fair it’s not really bad it’s just not for me.

Iris Gray is a witch, but she has vowed to let no one know. Magic can be deadly, and everything can change in an instant. After leaving her old life behind, Iris feels like she found the place she belongs. The only problem is Pike Alder. He interns for her mother, and he hates witches. When Pike says a hurtful comment, Iris conducts a ritual and performs a curse, but she never meant for it to get out. When it’s stolen by a powerful amplifier; a sacred owl, Iris ends up needing Pike’s help. They’ll track the amplifier and she’ll dispel the curse, and no one will ever find out. If they do, Iris’s secret will be in jeopardy and could threaten everything she loves.

I enjoyed Rachel Griffin’s debut novel so much, I immediately added Wild is the Witch to my TBR! Griffin does a wonderful job making readers see the power and beauty of the outdoors. Her writing is almost like poetry. It makes you fall in love with nature and everything it offers. Everything you read is almost like a movie scene unfolding in front of you. The magic and nature references captivated me, but I did not find I connected with the characters as strongly as in Griffin’s first book. Including stronger flashbacks could have enhanced the story. Plus, I wish the romance wasn’t predictable. I would have loved a twist to shake things up! Even though the ending did not blow me away; I’d still highly recommend this book! It touches on anxiety and finding coping mechanisms. Plus, Griffin is a powerful writer, and she can bring an entire world to life.

Thank you to Net Galley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for the ARC!

If you want all the feels of Rachel Griffin’s first novel, The Nature of Witches, you will love this book. Her writing is lyrical and poetic in a way that flows through her narrative beautifully. I thoroughly enjoyed the banter between her characters and this novel feature a trope I really enjoy: enemies (somewhat) to lovers. I will not use the quote here without a final copy to reference, but there is a part where she talks about anxiety and I feel like she really captured the feel of it well. The only draw back to this book is that I wish there was more magic. The magic of this book intrigued me, but I feel like we didn’t see a ton of demonstrations of it. I enjoyed seeing a character that was driven to under her mistake at any cost to herself, even when the secrets she kept jeopardized her situation more. Even though I really wanted more, I still really loved this book. Rachel Griffin is an author I will return to time and time again. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for a chance to read an advanced copy and share my thoughts prior to publication.

What a wonderful wild witchy read! I loved this book and hope there is a sequel! Definitely loved this concept and it was different from the typical books i read.

Started slow for me but I love rivals to lovers stories. I thought the setting was perfect and makes a great fall read.will be reading nature of witches now!

Wild is the Witch is completely out of my comfort zone, and I loved it. Fantasy YA? I can't even remember the last time I've read this genre.

This book is cute, fun, and very fast paced.

Iris is a young witch. Pike hates witches. He doesn't know Iris is a witch, but after saying something mean about witches, Iris accidentally curses him. She didn't mean for the curse to be so bad. Oopsie.
Also, she didn't expect to fall in love with Pike. Oopsie again. The whole book is a journey to reverse the curse.

Lots of nature, animals, and magic. This book is perfect for fall.

4.5

The one thing that bothered me was the owl. I love all animals but owls really freak me out lol

Iris Gray is a witch in a world where magic and science co-exist. Witches and non-magical people live together, mostly in harmony, but because of a horrible accident Iris was part of a few years ago, she wants to keep who she is a secret. Iris and her mom moved across the country and opened an animal sanctuary in the Pacific Northwest, and are living peacefully in the mountains.
But an intern at their shelter threatens the peace. Pike is an arrogant, annoying college student who rubs Iris the wrong way. The two disagree on almost everything, and the final straw is when Pike admits he hates witches. Iris tries to deal with her anger toward Pike, but accidentally sets off a spell that could have terrible consequences.

rounded up from 4.5
Rachel Griffin has absolutely become one of my favorite authors. her writing is completely enchanting, her magic/world structures are uncomplicated yet still so interesting. I flew through this in less than 24 hours. I didn’t love this as much as Nature of Witches (one of my favorite books of all time), for a few reasons. the main conflict felt forced/like conflict just for the sake of plot. the magic felt secondary to the ~love story~ and I would have liked more detail on the magic. overall though, this was just lovely, and I highly recommend.

Wild is the Witch features, but is not limited to, the following themes:
○ YA fantasy
○ Witches
○ Enemies to lovers
○ Only one tent
○ Magic
○ Secrets

My overall rating for Wild is the Witch is...

5 Stars!

Wild is the Witch was such an unexpected delight! I honestly didn't think I would love this book as much as I did. Iris, the MC, was relatable and lovable. I loved her dedication and the way animals gravitated towards her was so cool! The enemies to lovers romance progressed at a generous rate, like you could feel the slow but steady change in their attitudes towards one another. I also found the emotions on the page were extremely expressive; at one point I even had tears in my eyes. Overall, this young adult fantasy is going to warm the hearts of readers all over the world, just like magic.

Rachel Griffin's magical writing casts yet another spell with Wild is the Witch. As a personal aside, I am not a fan of dark magic/occult-style witch stories, and I love the fresh way Griffin approaches the concept of magic in our everyday world without it going super dark.

Iris and Pike's story is compelling from the start, and I kept turning pages wondering what would happen to that marvelous northern spotted owl and how things would turn out for the crew at the Foggy Mountain Wildlife Refuge. I found myself shaking my head at Iris's impulsiveness, but also nodding along at her reasoning. The settings have a life of their own, and are an atmospheric love letter to the Pacific Northwest (as a local myself, I can see how much care and detail she puts into this element of the story, and it's fantastic!).

I can't wait to see what comes out of her imagination next--Rachel is an auto-buy author for me now.

Loved this story from start to finish, from the nature to the animals, to the attraction & secrets. 5 of 5

Wild Is The Witch is a very fast-paced and enchanting story about witches, an accidental curse, and a perfect enemies to lovers scenario. I had access to both the kindle and audiobook versions.

Iris Gray was forced to pack up her life and move to Washington after a disastrous accident involving magic. She and her mom are now working at a nature preserve where they hide their powers. When Iris decides to write a curse for her arch nemesis at work, a sly owl intervenes, and now both Iris and Pike need to trek the mountains to find the owl before any deathly consequences occur.

I loved everything about this book. Rachel Griffen’s writing is simple yet enchanting and beautiful. I loved the atmospheric feel and felt like I was there in the forest of the Pacific Northwest. The magic aspect of magic fit perfectly into the story, and it was not overbearing. There was something so comforting knowing that Iris used her magic to talk and heal animals. The chemistry between Iris and Pike felt natural, and I loved that they used logical approaches to find the missing owl before anything happened. I also loved the powerful message about acceptance, loving who you are, and forgiveness. The narrator, Laura Knight Keating, did a great job.

Thank you to NetGallery and to SourceBooks Fire and RB Media for giving me a copy.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

Iris Gray and her mother are witches, and they lived a normal life in a normal village, along with Iris' father. But when Iris' best friend, Amy, decides to turn her boyfriend into a Mage and takes Iris along for the trip but tells her nothing, things go terribly wrong. Iris is awoken by the screams of Amy's boyfriend as he draws too much magic to himself, and the smell of burning flesh is something that haunts Iris. The seemingly blurred line between witch and non-witch becomes clear again as the town turns against the kind that took a beloved small-town innocent boy from them, despite Amy having had her magic taken from her and the council determining that not only did Iris have nothing to do with the scheme, she didn't know that was what Amy had been planning.

While Amy is sent to prison, Iris and her mother are feeling the pressure of attitudes changed, and eventually decide the best thing to do would be to move. Iris' father is in agreement and helps plan it, but when it comes time to move, he doesn't join them.

Hurt and betrayed, Iris and her mother move to Washington and start a wildlife refuge. Both Iris and her mother have animal magic and veterinary training backgrounds, so the magic works in tandem with the medicine and science. Iris has become withdrawn, refusing to make connections at school, choosing instead to befriend a wolf, Winter, and the many animals that pass through their refuge. She hides the fact that she is a witch because despite living peacefully in co-existence with non-witches, she has seen how quickly that relationship can burn, and how her kind can become hated and feared.

When her mother hires a new intern, Pike, to help at the refuge, Iris is irritated. He is sarcastic, egotistical, rude, and he leaves his chores to her at the end of the day. She tries to ignore him, but when a news report on the tv mentions Amy's release, Pike is incensed, his attitude turning dark and angry. This scares Iris, because she has worked so hard to keep her secret, and even though her mother doesn't agree with her, her mother keeps it along with her. She fears having to uproot her life again, especially since she has come to consider the great Northwest home.

So she starts a process her grandmother taught her, one she has been doing for years: create a spell, even an illegal one, and cast it into a pile of herbs, then let it burn. It has the cathartic effect of a letter pouring out your feelings but never being sent. Harmless. But when she casts the curse on Pike to turn him into a mage, an owl from the refuge swoops between Iris and the herbs, catching the spell and flying off into the forest.

Using her actual concern for the owl, Iris convinces her mother to allow her to track down the bird whose wing is still a hindrance to its survival, and her mother agrees, but says she has to take Pike with her - for safety and also because he is planning to be an ornithologist. Iris is furious, but she has to find the owl and bind the curse to herbs and render it harmless. She doesn't like Pike, but she would never turn him into a mage against his will.

Iris and Pike start into the woods, both hiking with burdens heavier than their backpacks and gear, and try to find the owl that could change both their lives.

An incredible, captivating book. I am partial to witchy storylines, but this was impressive. If it felt at times like Forks, Washington, it might be because the author was such a fan and grew up near it. But the story was all its own. The explanation of magic and how it works was incredible, but also heartbreaking when you consider how ancient magic is being torn down all the time with deforestation.

I wish that Iris' friend, Winter the wolf had played a bigger part in the story, and hope that he appears in later works of the author. The backdrop of the Pacific Northwest was stunning, and the author did such an incredible job with things like the way rocks and wood become slippery in the rain, even mist, and how moss covers everything on the ground after so many years - rocks and fallen trees alike.

It made me want to read more Rachel Griffin.