Per usual, Rachel Griffin has written a beautiful story. It is full of compassion and learning and love. Her books, while always deep and meaningful, always feel like falling into a cozy blanket.

Iris Gray is a witch, but because of a tragic and deadly incident at a lakeside involving her best friend and her best friend's boyfriend, Iris and her mother leave her father behind to live in Washington and run an animal sanctuary. Nestled in a forested slice of the Pacific Northwest, Iris will do anything to protect her life here. That includes keeping the witch in her a secret. But when Iris creates a seemingly innocuous curse—that was never supposed to be released—to turn her work rival, Pike Alder, into a witch, an owl swoops in and steals the curse and flies away. The curse is safe in the owl, that is as long as the owl doesn't die. If the owl does die, Pike will be turned into a witch and the entire region could reap the fallout. Iris must venture into the forest she loves with a boy she loathes—who has no idea he's been cursed—in order to save his life and her own. What follows is a lesson in love, in acceptance, in grief, and in learning to embrace who you are.

Rachel Griffin has a way of writing that makes reading effortless. Her words play like a movie in my head, her metaphors and atmosphere and sentence structure make for beautiful writing that I'll never tire of. The Nature of Witches was her brilliant debut, which quickly found its way onto my all-time favourites list. Wild is the Witch, Griffin's sophomore novel, earned five stars from me from the very first page right to the last.

Iris is just as flawed as Pike, both of them are finding their way, fighting for what they believe in. And somewhere along the way, our misconceptions of these characters transform into love. At some point, the jibes between these two people become flirtations and this trust that has taken root blossoms into something more. It's a natural progression all pointed in one direction—truth. One of the main things that carry this narrative forward are these huge secrets that Iris is carrying. Secrets that could threaten to decimate her life and this new ground she finds herself on with Pike.

I will never tire of Griffin's ability to evoke the most real, sensory atmosphere. The Pacific Northwest became a character in itself too. Not to mention, MacGuffin; no spoilers.

Wild is the Witch is a new favourite of mine—if you can't tell from this haphazard, glowing review.

This is the second Rachel Griffin book I've read, after her debut The Nature of Witches, and both books I found to have both a beautiful writing style along with being quick and engaging reads, not all that frequent a combo! Griffin writes urban fantasy well, particularly here, where it feels perfectly natural that witches like Iris have always existed, with balances and checks on power that feel real and logical. The description of magic here is written in a frame of being an inherent part of one's self, and I particularly loved Iris's connection to the wildlife and how she's able to incorporate it into her work and daily life.

The only major issue I had with the book and what lowered it a star is my frustration with aspects of Iris's character, while she's not ill-intentioned she is incredibly reckless at the start of the book in a way that to me doesn't reconcile with the rest of her character. I would have also liked to see more an explanation of how the extended world worked, in particular the Witches Council, but can see how too much explanation or exposition would have pulled away from the rest of the story. But still an enjoyable read nonetheless, and in particular makes me desperate to visit the Pacific Northwest again, a setting so well drawn in the book. Will check out further works by Rachel Griffin for sure.

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✨Wild is the Witch by Rachel Griffin✨

Genre: YA Fantasy
Pages: 320

📚 After a night of magic turns deadly, Iris Gray vows to never let another person learn she's a witch. It doesn't matter that the Witches' Council found her innocent or that her magic was once viewed as a marvel—that night on the lake changed everything. Now settled in Washington, Iris hides who she really is and vents her frustrations by writing curses she never intends to cast. And while she loves working at the wildlife refuge she runs with her mother, she loathes Pike Alder, the witch-hating aspiring ornithologist who interns with them.

When Pike makes a particularly hurtful comment, Iris concocts a cruel curse for him. But just as she's about to dispel it, an owl swoops down and steals the curse before flying far away from the refuge. The owl is a powerful amplifier, and if it dies, Iris's dark spell will be unleashed not only on Pike but on everyone in the region.

Forced to work together, Iris and Pike trek through the wilderness in search of the bird that could cost Pike his life. But Pike doesn't know the truth, and as more dangers arise in the woods, Iris must decide how far she's willing to go to keep her secrets safe.

📝As y’all know, I have a special love for all things related to magic and witches. Throw in an enemies to lovers romance, an owl rescue and a wilderness setting, my heart was full.

This book avoided all the things I dislike in YA fantasy books: unnecessary subplots, undeveloped characters and insta romance.

A unique, well-executed YA book. Looking forward to the author’s next book!

💫Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for my copy💫

This is a MUST read. Easily one of my favorite books of all time. It was the perfect YA fantasy and had everything I could have wanted in a YA book. There is magic, there is love, and a coming of age. This was amazing. 5⭐️ 0🌶…just wow.

This is my first Rachel Griffin book and I loved it. This story is about witches but it's so much more than that. It showed such a deep connection with nature and how important it is to stay balanced. I loved the main characters and the dynamic that they had together. The plot of this book was so beautifully thought out and written. I absolutely loved it and I can't wait to read more from her.

Rachel Griffin created a world of magic filled with realism. It was rooted in the deep forests of the PNW, so much so I could feel the water in the soil and hear the crackle of twigs beneath feet. I felt like I could breathe in the cool air of the woods and found myself walking along side her characters. Wild is the Witch is a wonderful book that takes the reader on an adventure, a curse looming in the air. I couldn’t put it down, wanting so desperately to know if everything would be alright, if Iris’ world would be destroyed or grow stronger than ever. The relationship between her and Pike was a mix between everything I adore in a YA romance and realistic expectations- the perfect balance. I hope you pick this book up and discover how much magic is in the world we already live in, hidden in the trees and the bonds that tie us all together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

rating: 5 stars

when I started reading “wild is the witch” i honestly had zero expectations because i never read any of this author’s works before and had only seen a couple of people talk about it. let’s just say that i was pleasantly surprised by how much i loved and enjoyed this.

the story follows iris gray, a young witch who was forced to move out of her town with her mom after a devastating accident that she was involved in. now she hides her true nature while working at her mother’s wildlife refuge together with pike alder, an intern who hates witches. one day iris creates a curse that will turn pike into a witch but before she can dispel the curse it gets stolen by an amplifier owl. if the bird dies the curse could end up being deadly not just for pike but many people in the region. the only way to stop that from happening is if she works together with her enemy and if they find the cursed owl.

the writing was absolutely amazing and i was completely immersed in the story and the characters from first to last chapter. it was also very fast paced and easy to read.

it’s important to note that this book had all the amazing tropes that i and many others love so much, for example enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity and one tent/one bed. all of these were executed in such a perfect way and it gave me so much serotonin.

the constant bickering and fighting between iris and pike had me screaming, crying, throwing up!! the tension was unbearable + they were also really adorable and cute and it warms my heart just thinking about them. they had so much growth and if i could i would read this book again just for those two.

overall, an amazing book featuring witches and nature and most importantly amazing characters. i will never stop raving about how good it was and it officially entered the list of my all time favorite books. if i had more free time i would write a much better review but it is what it is i guess.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. This story follows Iris, a witch who recently had to move to the Pacific Northwest. She’s gotten in trouble with her magic in the past, and likes to make curses then toss them away. One of those curses accidentally gets tied to an owl and if the bird dies then the curse will come to fruition. She hikes with a boy who hates witches to do what she can to keep the owl, and thus the town, safe. I love a good witch story, whether it’s historical or contemporary like this one. The combination of the PNW setting and a lore that is simple to understand makes this an easy recommendation.

Iris, a teenage witch despises, Pike, her mom's intern, so intensely she conjures a curse on him that she planed to burn, but it gets intercepted by an amplifier owl who carries it away, despite having an injured wing. This inciting event forces Pike and Iris on a quest to find the injured owl in the Pacific Northwest forest before he gets killed by predators. If the owl dies - the curse is released. While all along Iris must kept silent about the curse, which is so dangerous it could not only kill Pike but also so many other innocent victims. An enemies to lovers troupe, involving witches, a misdirected curse, an endearing owl, a precocious college intern and a headstrong teenage witch. Set in the Pacific Northwest an atmospheric, woodsy read. Strong characters, satirical banter between the two main characters and a suspenseful plot that kept the pages turning. Enjoyable, realistic writing an excellent new spin on witches. Instead Strongly recommend this to young adult readers. Adults will enjoy this too, just may not appreciate the angsty teenagers as much as the target audience.

Wild is the Witch is a great novel to follow Rachel Griffin's debut, The Nature of Witches. WITW 's enchanting setting and high stakes premise kept me hooked and definitely fueled the nostalgia for a dreamy setting like Twilight's Forks, Washington (oh, past middle-school me was totally here for this magical journey into the rainy evergreens). This book is perfect for Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic fans. If you like pretty writing, a sweet enemies to lovers romance, witchy settings and low magic, this is a great book for you, but if you were anticipating this book to have a bit more action and liveliness, it may fall short. Nonetheless, Rachel Griffin is a superb writer, and I will continue to keep an eye out for what she puts out into the world.

This was sos so good!!! I love this nature magic theme so much I could not get enough! 1000000 stars!!!

This was a delightful, easy YA read. I loved the idea of magic as an extension of and in harmony with the natural world. It felt so accessible, like it could be real somewhere. I also really enjoyed the moody Pacific Northwest Forest setting. It was definitely a character in it’s own right. I liked the two main characters but wasn’t totally invested in them or their building relationship. It was cute, but too simple. I would have appreciated a story as complex and layered as the world of magic that the author created.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"From the New York Times bestselling author of The Nature of Witches comes an immersive, enemies-to-lovers contemporary fantasy standalone.

After a night of magic turns deadly, Iris Gray vows to never let another person learn she's a witch. It doesn't matter that the Witches' Council found her innocent or that her magic was once viewed as a marvel - that night on the lake changed everything. Now settled in Washington, Iris hides who she really is and vents her frustrations by writing curses she never intends to cast. And while she loves working at the wildlife refuge she runs with her mother, she loathes Pike Alder, the witch-hating aspiring ornithologist who interns with them.

When Pike makes a particularly hurtful comment, Iris concocts a cruel curse for him. But just as she's about to dispel it, an owl swoops down and steals the curse before flying far away from the refuge. The owl is a powerful amplifier, and if it dies, Iris's dark spell will be unleashed not only on Pike but on everyone in the region.

Forced to work together, Iris and Pike trek through the wilderness in search of the bird that could cost Pike his life. But Pike doesn't know the truth, and as more dangers arise in the woods, Iris must decide how far she's willing to go to keep her secrets safe."

Be careful who you curse!

“I lie down on my back and look up at the stars, thousands of white lights in a sea of darkness. Sometimes I'm overwhelmed by it all, the vastness of this life, the absolute miracle it is that I exist in this moment in time. How much magic is out in the universe, stretching beyond what the eye can see, reaching distances the mind can't even comprehend?”
Wild is the Wild by Rachel Griffin

There is just something so comforting about Rachels books. I loved The Nature of Witches & loved Wild is the Witch just as much. They’re like being wrapped up in a snuggly heated blanket with a delicious hot cup of tea coursing through my body while I can hear the rain pattering against the windowpanes. It’s one of those books you can read on a day that’s been rough & you just need a lovely slow burn, gentle romance with the added bonus of magic & witches that work in balance with the world, trying to protect it & heal it. Iris was a wonderful character & I greatly enjoyed following her journey of self-discovery. I loved her ability to commune with animals, to let them know she was there to help, as was her mother, both working at the animal refuge they have created to help rehabilitate the wild animals of the area. The atmosphere of the whole book was wonderful, I loved the descriptions of nature & how Iris sees the world, it makes me dream of a time I could connect that closely & makes me want to go camping again as soon as I can. The adversaries to friends to more trope was done well, & I loved the twist on the one bed trope with the one small tent twist. It’s an easy read that I binged in one sitting. Her genre of witchy, fantasy stories packed with plenty of emotion just feel like they hit me right in my soul. The anxiety & self-doubts Iris experiences are so relatable on a personal level to me; her courage, compassion & kindness were written perfectly. There is also so many quotable passages in this book it was hard to choose just one! Thank you to NetGalley and SourceBooks Fire for sending me a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. It was a joy to read.

I don’t even know where to start with how much I loved this story. It felt like a fresh of fresh air in the woods on an autumn day. It’s so beautiful. Gorgeous writing, magical landscapes and an immersive story. Reading it felt so comforting and cosy yet there was an element of wildness present which I adored. I found it to be incredibly atmospheric and a delight to all of my senses. This was a book I happily fell into and didn’t want to come out of until I was done.

Iris and her mum are both witches and lunars - which means their magic is best used on animals. They share a special connection to animals which allows them to heal their wounds. This was so beautiful to witness and their relationship was also very sweet.

I loved the banter between Iris and Pike. There’s a fun enemies to lovers dynamic going on here and I’m all for it.

And the owl! The cutest! Such a cheeky little thing!

Be aware there isn’t a huge amount of fantasy or world building in this book. Witches are simply accepted as a natural occurrence. Overall it does feel very magical and atmospheric though. Every day magic simply shines in this story.

One thing I also observed is Rachel’s growth as an author since her previous book. It’s so lovely to see.

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Some of my favourite quotes from the book:
“There is magic in my blood, but this place has its own kind of magic. I feel it every time the evergreens sway in the wind and whenever the treetops are swallowed by fog. I can feel it in the salty air and the fern-covered ground.. this is where I’m meant to be.”

“Magic is always present, always close. It exists along with all the atoms and particles of the universe, and when enough of it is brought together, it produces a reaction most would call extraordinary.”

“Being a witch isn’t just casting an occasional spell. It’s seeing the world differently than the ways others see it.”

“The smell of rain is one of my salves. The sound of rushing water is another.”

“I wonder at all the magic held in these trees, all the magic that has been absorbed over hundreds of years.”

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Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free arc in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars

<b> Thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.</b>

<b> A young witch unintentionally releases a fatal curse in this frenemies-to-lovers romance.</b> Publisher


Awww.... Iris Gray who loves animals yet cannot stand college intern, Pike Alder. She and her mother are witches living in the Foggy Mountain Wildlife Range. While her mother has found love, Iris is content with her animals and trying to survive as a witch in the modern world. But when an injured owl takes off on its own, Iris and Pike are going to have to put aside their differences.


This was a cute YA romance and I imagine it will be a wild hit with young readers that enjoy the enemies to lovers trope. I did enjoy it but was more interested in the magic and the owls.


Goodreads review published 21/06/22
Expected publication date 02/08/22

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for an eARC of this book. I’m usually a high/epic fantasy reader so this isn’t my typical fantasy read. However, it was so good. It has an interesting take on magic and how it works with nature and isn’t a cure all problem solver. The MC is a girl named Iris who is a witch more in tune with animals and nature. She can read animals and find out what ails them as she works at a nature reserve with her mom. She also works with a boy named Pike that really annoys her and is her “enemy.” She creates a curse for Pike to blow off steam and instead of binding it to herbs so it disappears she accidentally places it in an owl at the reserve. The owl flies off and Iris must track it down and remove the curse before it is released into the world. To make matters worse, she has to go on the hike/camping trip to track down the owl with none other than Pike. Pike who hates witches and has no idea what Iris is or has done!! I’m impressed with how much I actually enjoyed this one. 4 stars for sure

Super cute fantasy romance with a witch in hiding and a boy who despises witches. I thought it was super precious, easy to read, and I really enjoyed this one. (sorry for the lack of excitement in this one, chronic illness does that to you, but please don't think this wasn't a magical read in every sense of the word <3 )

This book was so fun! I loved the adventure that the main characters went on, I think the pacing really helped create good forward momentum that kept me interested.

Like Rachel Griffin's last book, this one is very atmospheric and the integration of magic into every day life is done expertly. My one gripe with the book is that I wanted more from it. The characters could've been developed more and the plot left me wanting more surprises or twists.

Overall, a really solid and quick read. The romance is really cute and who can resist animal magic?

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.