Last year I fell in love with Rachel Griffin;'s writing . The Nature of Witches was in my top 20 books of 2021. Her writing was lush ,ethereal, and the story line unique reminiscent of Marian Zimmer Bradley or Mercedes Lackey . The way she wrote about witches and magic made you believe in the power of the universe around us and the possibilities that just maybe this isn't a story of fiction. Her characters were courageous and living out loud, just one step outside of nature and all of the beauty we take for granted
When I saw Wild is the Witch was available I was beyond excited to be approved. Not one paragraph disappointed. I had hoped this would be a spin off or sequel , but the treat this book was so much more.
Pike was my fave character. Yes he annoyed Iris every day but when he admitted why he annoyed her on their trip camping I swooned :
"“You double-check everything, sometimes triple-check. You pace when you’re stressed. You push your palm to your chest when you’re worried about something. You add vitamin D to your mom’s coffee every morning when she isn’t looking. You wear your hair up when we have group tours and down the rest of the time. When Sarah brings in doughnuts, you let everyone else pick theirs before you pick your own, including me. Your favorite color is green. And when I say something that annoys you, you give me an expression I’ve never seen you give anyone else. So I keep annoying you, just so you’ll make the face you only make for me.”
This confession was more than the confession in The Notebook. And he made her smores, and chased a bear...how many men can top that?
Iris had a beautiful coming of age in this book and the greatest character development that I have read in YA. She took a stand on mistakes to correct and learned from them. She didn't let miscommunication drive a wedge between her and Pike she took a leap and allowed herself to be vulnerable, to trust with her secrets, and in the end her actions saved his life and others. She didn't run away, she took a leap of faith. Ultimately hiding from our fears don't allow love in, and she let her love of magic shine for Pike, and help him heal from the death of his brother.
The animals , the mountainside in the Pacific Northwest was gorgeously written, you felt the cold , the rain, and felt the sanctuary of the woods. Before it is over you want to jump in a plane and go witness the majesty of the Olympic mountains, and hike this trail yourself. I love how naturally LGTBQ representation was introduced with Iris mom and Sarah, you felt the love of this family and wanted to make them yours. To date this is my fave YA book of 2022. Bravo Rachel Griffin❤ Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebook Fire for my gifted copy.

"You looked... free," he finally says. "Wild." He pauses, and his gaze falls to the ground. "Beautiful." Welcome to Foggy Mountain Wildlife Refuge. Where it's wild. Free. And beautiful.

This book radiates the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Griffin's writing style captivated me yet again. I couldn't get enough of her words. I couldn't get enough of Iris and Pike's loathing and angst for one another. Watching these two slowly peel away their layers and reveal their true selves was a journey filled with hate, forgiveness, love and hope. And oh, how they bickered like an old couple 😂 I was cracking up at times as they trekked through the woods in search of one meddling owl to break the curse.

There were so many inspiring lessons to takeaway, my favorite being how to center yourself and release negative thoughts and energy. Just make sure the area is owl-free 😂

Griffin has a natural talent for crafting magical, romantic, nature-infused stories. You will feel the rain on your skin, the leaves crunch beneath your feet and the flushing warmth on your cheeks. It's everything cozy, witchy lovers could want.

✨ YA contemporary fantasy
💔 soft loathe to love
😬 oops, I placed a curse on you
🦉 meddling owl
🤫 secrets
⛺️ only one tent
🤕 oh no, you're hurt
😂 bickering like an old couple
☕️ cozy, witchy read
🌧 moody & atmospheric
💜 asthma & anxiety rep
😭 a good cry

cw: tragedy, divorce, death of loved one, cancer, mild scenes of injured/death of animal(s)

Gah!! This book gave me all the feels I really enjoyed the setting and the way the characters grew together and learned that one bad experience doesn’t make that one thing bad.

I really resonated with iris, I don’t know what it was but me and her we just clicked and I think that’s just one of the major reasons why I loved this book. Like her I am always in my head as well, I loved how you can just see her become who she’s always born to be.

Pike is that guy who is always making jokes but also has so much more to offer. I love learned the complexity to why he didn’t like witches and just more about him, but the fact he’s just a little nerd but he has all these friends and goes on these dates it’s just so perfect and sweet.

My favorite thing about him and iris is she always finds him annoying but he just does it because she gives him a look that’s just for him and that’s why he does it 😭🥺

I did love the plot of the story and just how everything eventually came full circle but I do wish we would’ve got more of what happened in her past and got a glimpse of her friendship with Amy. But other than that I really enjoyed this one.

I requested this book as I had read and adored Rachel Griffin's previous witchy novel the Nature of Witches.

I was a little confused to begin with as I had assumed that this was set within the same world and would have the same magic system. Once I had wrapped my head around the different system I was hooked.

I really enjoyed the in depth focus on the two main characters and the fact they spent the majority of the novel in an isolated setting meant you really got to know them as characters as they were developing their own understanding of each other and their relationship changes.

There was a really well written focus on the impact of trauma and anxiety and how difficult it can be to open up and heal after difficult experiences. The focus on nature also really helped as it showed the positive impact nature can have on people.

I really enjoyed this book and will be looking out for more by this author.

I absolutely loved Wild is the Witch. The magic, the atmosphere, the characters... they were all so incredibly captivating that I did not want to stop reading. Rachel's writing just transports you. I loved everything about this book and will read it again and again.

Wild is the Witch is an atmospheric, moody novel set in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. It is a YA romance and perfect for fans of Adalyn Grace and Adrienne Young

Iris and her mother, both witches, leave Nebraska after an incident that caused their community to become fearful and wary of witches. They settled in the PNW and started a wildlife sanctuary where their ability as witches would easily be mistaken for veterinary training. After an owl goes missing, carrying a curse that was not supposed to get out, Iris it determined to find it before the witches council realizes what she's done. Her mother insists that she bring their intern Pike with her, but Pike has made his hatred of witches very clear...

I absolutely loved this book. It was atmospheric and moody, and it captured the spooky feeling of spending nights in the woods. The romance was balanced very well with the plot, and the tropes of loathe to love and forced proximity suited the story. I really loved Iris' connections with animals, and her empathy for them was palpable.

The ending came faster than I wanted it to, and I would love to return to this world that Rachel Griffin created. The magic system was nuanced and did not overtake the story, which I really liked. Iris' journey was at the center of the story and her being a witch was a part of the story rather than the whole story. I thoroughly enjoyed the slow burning romance as well.

A deeply atmospheric YA story centered around Iris and her journey to acceptance and belonging.

Iris and her mother are witches but after a devastating accident in their hometown, they move to the Pacific Northwest and she retreats within herself and keeps that part of her a secret. She is more comfortable with the animals at their refuge than forming connections with other people. Pike, an intern at the refuge, pushes all of her buttons with his obnoxious, arrogant behaviour but when she is forced to spend a couple of days in close proximity with him everything changes.

I loved the subtlety of the witchcraft in this story and the way it was portrayed as an extension of the natural world around it. Iris and Pike have some great banter but also a lot of vulnerability that makes it easy to see their connection.

Wild is the Witch is a beautifully written story and I am excited to check out more from this author.

Wild is the Witch was absolutely perfect. I love Rachel Griffin’s writing and this book did not disappoint me at all. The writing was absolutely beautiful which made the story more captivating. I loved how nature was beautifully described. I was completely hooked in the story and the characters from first to last chapter. The story had my favorite trope enemy to lovers. Iris Gray is a witch who accidentally released a curse that was never meant to happened. She has to try to find a way to stop it before it is spread to other innocent people. The cursed was meant for Pike who is currently working as an intern. Pike helps out with the wildlife refuge center run by Iris mother. There is definite tension between Iris and Pike who develop a romance. I cannot wait to have a physical copy in my collection. The cover is absolutely beautiful. Thank you so much NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to receive a copy. I will definitely recommend this amazing story to my students.

Iris and her mom are both witches. Iris’ best friend back home, Amy, was a witch, too. But she got into trouble, and the witch council took her magic away. Iris was present, but the council determined that she was not involved. Not everyone trusted her after that incident, though, and eventually she and her mom moved away to start over. Her dad did not come with them, which causes Iris to not want to get close to new people. She is especially guarded about being a witch. If even her own dad ended up not being able to handle it, why would other people?

Their new home is in the Pacific Northwest, where they run a wildlife refuge. It’s perfect for them, as their magic is one that focuses on animals. An old friend of her mom’s is also in the area, and runs a restaurant. They’ve established a good “home” there.

Pike Adler, a college student studying ornithology, is interning at the refuge. Not only is he cocky, but he mentions more than once that he hates witches. This makes Iris feel threatened. She doesn’t want her or her mom’s lives disrupted again, not when they seem to have found the perfect place. So she writes a curse for Pike. Now, she wasn’t really intending on cursing him – the plan was to write it out and not use it. Like some people write angry letters they don’t ever send. She means to bind the curse to a bundle of herbs, and burn it. No one gets hurt, right?

Except that an owl swoops down while she’s doing this ritual, and now the owl carries the curse. And then he flies away.

Obviously, Iris is panicking and wants to go after the owl. She knows how much trouble she could cause with the curse out there in the wild, and she’s already had to witness her best friend lose her sense of magic. Her mom, not knowing about the curse part, agrees to let Iris track the owl and try to bring him back… if she takes Pike along. He is a bird expert in training, after all.

This is a YA book, so of course some romance blossoms during their adventures. And in fact, the ending is a little too happy to be believable, in my opinion. (It’s fine, it’s what the audience probably wants, but it’s not super realistic. But then again, it’s a book about magic, so…) But I enjoyed the adventures they have trying to get to the owl, nonetheless. The book takes place in the spring, but I felt like summer was still a great time to be reading about nature, hiking, and camping (and s’mores).

What a unique story line! There are traces of every kind of teen issue in the story, but none of them over ride the main story of a young woman trying to be someone/ something else while hiding her true nature. In order to stop the drastic consequences of her childish actions, she must team up with her worst antagonist and journey through a "growing up" phase quickly.
With WILD IS THE WITCH, Rachel Griffin has proven THE NATURE OF WITCHES was no one hit fluke. Her writing shows considerable skill at weaving the reader into the story so well that "one more chapter" becomes up all night to finish. While the genre may say YA & Teen, the story has universal appeal. I see anothet Top Ten in her future.

I enjoyed this intriguing read. This enemies to lovers, YA romance had an appealing air of freshness to it that I found delightful. I felt Iris and Pike were both highly likable and I thought their banter was witty and entertaining and I thought their chemistry was obvious and potent. The story itself offers a smartly crafted blend of drama, tension, emotion, secrets and twists that I found irresistible and highly seductive.

Ugh I loved this! Rachel Griffin is a talented and beautiful writer.

Read if you like -
-enemies to lovers
- only one tent
-hiking/camping
-magic and witches

This is the kind of book you want to read during autumn season. Rachel Griffin has a gift for making you feel like if you’re in the book, and this one was really good! I did enjoy it very much. If you like nature, witches, love stories with actual meaning, this book is something you will love!
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for providing this copy for me to read.

I don't really read cute books, but this was cute and a smidge witchy and YA and not super deep, which was good for me at the time I read it and served as a palate cleanser for me which is always appreciated. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

Thank you Sourcebooks Fire for the gifted eARC!

Read for:
-PNW setting
-Loathe-to-love
-Only one tent
-Great nature descriptions
-Standalone fantasy

I've been looking forward to this book for a really long time and any PNW book is an automatic yes for me. It's possible that because of this I went in with overly high expectations. I thought this was a really sweet story with some nice character growth and beautiful nature descriptions, but I just wanted *more*. This book felt quite a bit younger than I remember from the author's debut, so I think that may have been part of my disconnect. I bet I would have loved this when I was a YA or if I was just in the right mindset for it.

3.5 stars, rounded up because I think I would have enjoyed this significantly more if I was in the targeted age range (YA) or if my timing would have been different.

First of all, Rachel Griffin has nailed down her book covers to perfection, they’re absolutely stunning!

This YA (Young Adult) novel was such a breath of fresh air. It was witty, magical, and so heartfelt.

Iris gets out her frustrations by cursing objects then burning them to dispel the curse so it doesn’t harm anyone. One day, accidentally cursing an owl that swooped down and flew away, she gets paired with Pike Alder to go hiking to find the owl and try to dispel the curse. Pike is the last person Iris wishes to go on this journey with. 👀

I loved the focus on young love and all the characters were simply huggable and had such great development. The banter between Iris and Pike had me laughing out loud. Also the immense amount of love for animals in this book put me in awe 🦉

The only thing missing in this book was a cat. Isn’t it a rule, that every witch related book or movie has to have a cat? 😂🐈‍⬛

Creative, magical and yet so realistic! Wild Is the Witch is clearly one of my favourite books of this year. If the word ‘witches’ or ‘magic’ isn’t enough to sell out this book to you, let me tell you more - the witches in this novel don’t wear robes and pointed hats, nor do they cast ‘expelliarmus’ or send patronuses because newsflash: they don’t have wands and other witch-ly stuff. This story of magic is a first of its kind where humans and witches live in a harmonious symbiotic relationship. Witches are no more shamed, in fact, depending upon their magical skills, they are given important roles to play which benefits the human population, for instance, our protagonist, Iris, is a Lunar which means her magic works most on animals. There are two other types, namely, Stellars whose magic work strongest on humans and Solars whose magic gravitates towards plants. Neat!

The best part about the book was the justification of the existence of magic. Unlike most fantasy books (I know, I know, this book falls better under the magical realism genre), magic here isn’t all powerful. It needs to work in combination with science to actually make things work. So a stellar might reduce the physical pain of humans by using magic, but cannot heal them unless there’re working together with a doctor. This fragility of magic makes the story believable - did I just say that?

The story starts with a trial where a witch (Iris’ best friend) is charged for a magic gone wrong and sentenced to prison (human prison, not Azkaban). This changes Iris’ whole life - she is shamed as a witch and decides to start a new life hiding her magic. Fast forward to two years later - Iris runs a wildlife refuge with her Mom where she meets Pike, an intern who hates witches. The real drama starts here. There is more magic, curses, magical forests and owls, enemies to lovers trope, and an adventurous trip. I’m not a fan of YA romances but I actually enjoyed this and I’m going to keep Rachel Griffin on my radar from now on.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: August 2nd, 2022.

4/5🌟.

Enemies to lovers with Rachel Griffin's lyrical writing <3 I'm a sucker for nature magic and connection to animals, and this fantasy book gave us that. The author is able to write about magic, witch craft, and fantastical things in such a realistic and naturalistic way, it is lovely to read. Magic doesn't feel out of reach :) YA enemies-to-lovers that are forced to work together, have all the witty banter and tension that is fun to read.

You might remember Rachel Griffin from The Nature of Witches, another fantasy that explores how witches living among us use their powers to manipulate climate for the greater good. Wild Is the Witch also explores witches living among us, but it stands alone.

Wild is the Witch stands out among the two books. In it, Griffin’s writing is more relaxed. Nothing feels rushed or out of place. There’s a sense of confidence that runs throughout, allowing you as the reader to get lost in the words.

Most of Wild is the Witch takes place in the wilderness with only Iris and Pike to keep readers company. And yet, that’s where the book feels the most expansive. The wilderness itself becomes one of the characters and its interactions are just as important as those between Iris and Pike.

Speaking of Iris and Pike, the two play well off each other. Their growing connection is compelling, and the angst Iris goes through is visceral. Neither of the characters are perfect and both have moments that make them less than likeable, but in the end, you find yourself rooting for them nonetheless.

Wild is the Witch is a fast-paced contemporary fantasy that you won’t want to put down. I read it in one sitting.

Wild is the Witch was an entertaining book, fast-paced and a really interesting magical storyline. I do wish there was a bit more explosive displays of witchcraft. It was probably a bit too YA for my taste, but the use of tropes definitely gives an appeal to younger audiences. It was a bit too contemporary and not fantasy enough for what the title promises, but it was still a fun read nonetheless.