This was my first book by Rachel Griffin and it certainly won’t be my last. I really loved this book!
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It was a beautifully written YA story. I loved that it was a unique witch story. It’s about witches working with nature, much like how I interpret witches to truly use their magic. The story was organic and beautiful and so atmospheric.
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Iris is a Lunar witch, she can communicate with animals. Her mother owns and operates an animal sanctuary. Pike is a summer intern, studying birds. He hates all things magic and especially witches, he and Iris have an obvious strained relationship. Using an old ritual from her grandmother, Iris accidentally cures Pike, they must work together or her curse could destroy everything.
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Set is the Pacific Northwest
enemies to lovers
funny banter
Rambunctious owl
only one tent
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Just a beautiful, rich, earthy story. I loved it.
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Thank you netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the opportunity to read this book!

𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐈𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡
Release Date: August 22, 2022
Publisher: SOURCEBOOKS fire

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
★★★★★/5

𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨:
🌱 First-person pov
🌱YA adult fantasy with romance
🌱 enemies to lovers

𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲:
Two years later, after experiencing a traumatic event involving magic, Iris and her mom live in Washing, working at a wildlife refuge. Since that traumatic night, Iris Gray vows never to let another person know she’s a witch. She instead hides who she really is and writes her frustrations down as spells she never intends to cast. She runs the wildlife refuge with her mother and Pike Alder, the witch-hating intern. After hearing Pike make a harmful comment about witches, Iris vents her anger by creating a curse she knows he would hate. As she is about to destroy it, an owl swoops down and takes the curse. The owl just so happens to be a powerful amplifier. If the owl dies, the whole town will be inflicted with the curse. Without Pike knowing the truth, they must work together and trek through the wilderness to find the owl before something happens to it.


𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰:
I love love love the way Rachel Griffin writes magic. I fell absolutely in love with her writing in her book The Nature of Witches, and she didn’t disappoint in this book. Her magic system in this book is that, basically, magic co-exists with the universe. It has always existed. Energy from the universe is just reordered to create certain outcomes. I also loved the characters in the book. Iris is a very likable character, and I love how she develops throughout the story. The same goes for Pike. He’s a nerdy likable character for the most part. His character development was one of my favorites throughout the story.

Overall, the book was a very beautiful and easy-to-read story. The magic system isn’t confusing or difficult to understand at all. If you are looking for something that is fantasy but not too intricate that it takes a while to understand, then I definitely recommend this story. I think this is definitely one of my favorite books that I’ve read this year!

Thank you to Netgalley, SOURCEBOOKS fire, and Rachel Griffin for the eArc in exchange for an honest review.

Wild is the Witch weaves a powerful and alluring tale. Iris Gray is a witch with a traumatizing and harsh backstory. One night changed everything. When Iris’s best friend Amy accidentally burned her lover to death while attempting to turn him into a witch, Iris is wrapped in the middle of it. Even though she didn't know of Amy’s plans, she was crucified. Her town never saw her the same. She lost her best friend, her father abandoned ship, and Iris along with her mother were forced out of town. From that day, she swore to never give too much. No one could know she was a witch. The fallout would be too much for her to bear.

Enter Pike Alder; a sarcastic coworker who just so happens to have a deep hatred for witches. Iris cannot stand Pike and writes a curse that she will never cast; one that would turn him into the very thing he hates most. However, a northern spotted owl takes off with the spell, activating it. To save Pike and everyone in the region from a perilous fate, Iris goes on a journey to track the bird and put an end to her greatest mistake. But is anything ever that simple? Will Iris be able to stop what’s on the horizon? Or will lives be irreversibly changed?

Griffin’s writing is enchanting! The connection she has with animals and nature is unprecedented. You can feel the magic flowing out of each page, drawing you into its understanding of the world. The sensory detail and imagery of Wild is the Witch is an escape. One where readers can find comfort in, even as Iris’s life seems hopeless. In fact, it’s Iris’s story that is the most spellbinding of all. To watch her come into her own, accept, trust, and believe in herself is nothing short of a miracle.

Pike has his own backstory; equally, if not more, devastating than Iris’s. The pain, loss, and suffering Pike attempts to drown out on a daily basis nearly overwhelms him. Like many, he uses humor and sarcasm to cover up his deepest wounds and to soldier on.
Pike goes on a journey himself in Wild is the Witch. Throughout his travel tracking down a northern spotted owl with Iris, he learns acceptance, forgiveness, and how to cope.

Overall Wild is the Witch is a tale that one instantly finds themselves heavily infatuated with. The themes of loss, love, heart-break, acceptance, and the willingness to forgive detail events that leave one raw and open. Wild is the Witch is a beautiful novel that will shine light into the darkest parts of your heart. This is the type of book that hurts, but is necessary nonetheless. Overcoming any obstacle does not come without difficulty. Griffin expertly delivers a tale that some might not even realize they need until they take a chance on it. I highly recommend you pick up a copy!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire, the author, and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will release August 2, 2022.

Iris Gray and her mother are witches, living and working at a wildlife refuge in the Pacific Northwest, keeping their magic under wraps after an incident in their previous hometown that resulted in the death of a boy and in Iris’s best friend being stripped of her magic. This secrecy is complicated by Pike, an intern at the refuge, who is decidedly vocal in his dislike of witches, and, seemingly, of Iris. Trying to let go of her anxiety about Pike discovering her family’s secret and therefore running them out of their home once again, Iris crafts a curse that will turn Pike into a witch, intending to dispose of it immediately through a ritual learned from her grandmother. But then a northern spotted owl that’s been following Iris around the refuge steals the curse and flies into the wilderness, and Iris and Pike must track it down before the bird dies and the curse is unleashed.

This is a lovely contemporary/low fantasy novel, and has some of the best integration of magic into the real world that I’ve ever read. I love any book where witches and/or magic are common knowledge, and the author’s explanation of how that came to be is pretty great, and so is a later description of the connection between the northern spotted owl, magic, and old growth forests. In general, Iris’s feelings for animals and the nature of magic really sustained me throughout reading this book, and were easily the strongest and my favorite parts. While I came around to liking Pike by the end (which I was surprised by, as early on I had no idea how the author would change my opinion of him or create any kind of believable connection between him and Iris), for me personally the burgeoning romance paled in comparison to Iris’s passion for the wilderness—though without its existence, we wouldn’t get such an incredibly heart-wrenching and tense climax—or even the final image, I suspect, which was so soothing to my soul.

I received an ARC from netgalley, thank you so much for letting me read this in advance! First off WOW, I loved this book more than I though I would. Rachel Griffin's writing was stunning and atmospheric. The magic, animals, characters were all so lovely. This story was simple in a good way and beautiful. One of the best YA books I have read in awhile.

5/5 ⭐️

Rachel Griffin once again delivers an original story. WILD IS THE WITCH takes place in Washington. Griffin weaves a beautiful story where you can smell the freshly fallen rain and see the giant evergreen trees.

Follow Iris, Pike and a Northern Spotted Owl as they navigate past hurt and the future repercussions of decisions made today.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher Sourcebooks Fire for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an incredibly sweet ya story. The whole thing was simple yet just so heartwarming. I held my breath in so many moments hoping for a positive outcome. I have never rooted so much for an owl. There were so many emotional topics mentioned and they were dealt with so well. Loved this story!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

I love Rachel Griffin because she takes magic and witches and effortlessly weaves them into the modern-day world, tackling subjects like climate change and conservation. I love that her stories take place in my home part of the U.S.–the PNW.

Our heroine Iris is a witch who had to flee her home with her mom after her best friend turned a boy into a mage, killing him. She has a lot of trauma from this experience and lives with a lot of anxiety and fear. Her mom and her run an animal sanctuary and employ Pike, a college student studying birds. Pike is SO annoying, he is mean and snarky and literally just makes everything for Iris worse and harder. He is very aware that he makes things hard on her and he doesn't care. So she writes a curse, never intending to use it, and is ready to burn it when a rescued owl swoops in and takes it and flies away.

Thus starts Iris and Pike's journey to rescue the bird, undo the curse and return home. They have to camp and hike in the woods and spend a lot of time together. They slowly start to learn more about each other and their opinions about the other person chance. Honestly, this was done rather quickly to be believable. It is believable that Pike had a crush on Iris from the beginning and was mean to her because of it and he likes the attention. It is less believable that Iris would forgive him for his actions that quickly, especially because he's still an asshole to her on their trip. So not fully shipping them.

Pike hates witches so when he finds out Iris is a witch and she accidentally cursed him he freaks out and says a lot of mean things and runs away. Iris is trying to save the bird and take back the cruse but she doesn't know enough about the curse or have enough power to realistically do both. It was heartbreaking reading about the owl dying, I do wish the author had avoided this although I understand why she chose to do it. Pike agrees to let Iris bind the curse to him and turn him into a mage. He's almost overcome with power and flame but he pushes it to Iris, nearly killing her.

Of course help arrives and they are both saved. The Witches Council goes easy on her, recognizing that she tried her best to stop it from happening. Pike forgives her and she will help him use his magic. And then they return to the animal sanctuary and Iris realizes the ghost of the bird is back and bound to Pike.

Anyway, the way the animals and magic is described is beautiful. The obvious message about preserving and protecting our animal friends is respected and needed in today's world.

This is my first time reading a book by Rachel Griffin and I absolutely LOVE her writing style! This story was so beautiful. Simple and uncomplicated in that it didn’t need a lot of distractions or plot twists to drive it forward. I couldn’t put this down because I was completely engrossed in the world and the characters and didn’t want to leave them for even a second. I’ve already preordered my copy and can’t wait to read it again!!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARK of Wild is the Witch in exchange for my honest review!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Wild is the Witch is the second novel I have read by this author the first being the Nature of Witches. Similar to her debate novel this YA fantasy is a well written delight that is perfect for fantasy lovers and includes an enemies to lovers aspect. Iris finds herself forced to work with her enemy and romantic rival Pike to save the world from herself. The book was well paced and overall I would highly recommend!!

Wild is the Witch by Rachel Griffin

9781728229454

P320 ages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: August 2, 2022

Fiction, Sci Fi, Fantasy, Teens, Young Adult, Adventure, Romance, Magic, Witches, Spells, Curses

Iris Gray is a Lunar Witch and works with animals. Stellar Witches use their magic on humans and Solar Witches use their magic on the earth. Iris’ friend, Amy used her magic to try and turn her human boyfriend into a witch, but the power was too much for him and he burned to death. After the incident, Amy was stripped of her magic and sent to prison for the unlawful use of magic. Iris and her mother moved away for a fresh start to the Pacific Northwest and established a wildlife sanctuary.

Pike is a summer intern working at the sanctuary while studying ornithology. He is lazy and always pushing his work choses onto Iris. After a long day, Iris finds out Pike set her up to clean the sloths cage again and he is angry. When she is done and goes home, she creates a curse and intends to bind it to the herbs like her grandmother taught her. Something goes wrong and an owl intercepts the curse instead and flies away. Iris must do everything and anything to remove the curse from the owl. If the owl dies, the curse would be released onto Pike and everyone near him.

The story is fast paced and takes place over the course of a few days. The characters are developed, and it is written in the first-person point of view. I really enjoyed this story and the fact that magic is recognized, and witches are accepted. This is an excellent example of think before you act because of the consequences. If you enjoy young adult sci fi fantasy books, you will enjoy this one.

Fast moving, twisty story, relatable heroine and reluctant relationships? Yes please! I will definitely read more by this author.

I loved this book. It broke my heart, but then pieced it back together in the best way. A story that shares the difficulties of being judged for what you are and not being accepted so having to hide your true self.

This book was so refreshing! I loved the characters, especially Pike and his wit and humor. I also liked the magic and how it worked within a contemporary setting. I flew through this book and loved every second of it. Highly recommend for anyone that loves witches, curses, animals and the Pacific Northwest!

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Let me start by saying that I absolutely adored the academic rivals (-ish?) to lovers dynamic between Iris and Pike. I really enjoyed their banter and the romance. I think this book has a very unique take on witches. However, the plot was very simple and I wish it was more fleshed out. There was very little world building and not enough explanation of the magic system. I would have loved to see more of the world and how witches work together with non-magical people. Throughout the book we get to see how Iris’s past affects her decisions and makes her more anxious, cynical and scared. But I would have loved to see some other aspects of her past have some role in the actual plot (such as Amy or Cassandra bring some how involved in the plot, more involvement from the council, her dad etc). I also think this book could have been much shorter. While a part of me was getting anxious about the whole curse situation, I was also feeling a lack of the sense of urgency within the characters.

Overall, while I enjoyed the romance, the plot fell short for me and I wish it was more developed.

Wild is the Witch is set in the Pacific Northwest, the perfect place for an atmospheric novel about witchery and its connection with the Earth. It is a genre-blending confection that pulls off a young adult enemies-to-lovers trope well. Both the protagonist (Iris) and her romantic interest (Pike) are flawed and hurt. They turn to each other—eventually—to find a solution and heal. This is a story about Iris’s quest to deactivate the curse she inadvertently places on Pike. Their emotions and relationship seem real as they learn to move forward and toward each other and deal with their pain. There is some mild sexual interest but no consummation, so this is a safe book for younger YA readers.

Honestly, I really liked this book. I've never read anything by Rachel Griffin before, but this was a pretty nice intro to her writing and her world of low-fantasy witches.

I truly adored the magic system in this story, because it basically consisted of working in harmony with nature and harnessing energy that's already there. It came very close to my personal beliefs about the way the world works, and it's always refreshing to feel seen in that way. I also liked the fact that the witches were an accepted part of modern society. Like, they show up on the news, and they work alongside non-magical humans, and nobody's trying to burn them at the stake, which was really cool to me.

I also enjoyed the characterizations. Iris doesn't feel like a cardboard cutout character. She's anxious and worried a lot of the time, but isn't much of a doormat, which I appreciated. She calls Pike out on his crap in a cool, levelheaded way and doesn't often make stupid decisions for the sake of the plot.

Pike was adorkable and irritating as a person, not as a character. He made me want to jump into the book and strangle him sometimes because of how obnoxious and inconsiderate he could be, but at the same time, observing his obvious crush on Iris from the very beginning was kind of cute.

All in all, this was a really heartwarming story about nature, forgiveness, and the importance of knowing that it's okay to trust other people sometimes. I would definitely recommend!

trigger warning
<spoiler> trauma, ptsd, anxiety, grief, animal death, mention of death by fire </spoiler>

Iris Gray accidentally casts a curse and has to find the owl tied to it - accompanied by the guy who hates witches so much it frightens her.

In this world, magic is everywhere, and people who can sense and manipulare it are called witches. It is pubicly known that they exist, but not every witch may chose to announce their abilities.
Iris and her mom live a quiet life running a wildlife rescue center and using their magic to help the animals.

While in The Nature of Witches the magic wielders were sorted by season, in here we have Lunar, Stellar and Solar witches, depending on whether their magic is stronged on animals, humans or items. If both books are set in different worlds or not is not talked about, which bummed me a bit.

So, Iris casts this curse which accidentally get tied to an owl who is just going to life their best free life, despite being badly injured, which means Iris can get her mom to agree something needs to be done without talking about the curse just yet. But since the forests are big, mom doesn't think it would be a great idea to go alone, and only agrees to it if Pike joins. Pike, the guy who rants about witches and seems to enjoy to annoying Iris just for the lulz.

Hiking in the giant forest ensues.

Iris' mom is in a relationship with another woman. The relationship before that has been to Iris' dad, and we don't know if mom is bi or pan, so I just tagged this as sapphic.

It was fast paced, and I loved the depiction of nature as awe inspiring, not to be feared but to be respected. It makes me want to go camping again.

I would probably read more by this author, but be advised that this is more vibes than plot.
The arc was provided by the publisher.

Witches are known to the general population, but not a lot is known about them, and they're not necessarily widely trust. Budding ornithologist Pike Alder isn't a fan of witches. He's interning on a nature preserve, not knowing that the owners, Isobel, and her daughter Iris are witches. Iris finds Pike as repugnant and Pike does witches and every other damn thing he's always sneering at. He's an unpleasant person. Unfortunately, a combination of bad things sends the two up a mountain to bring back a rare owl, and things happen.

Supposedly the print volume is 320 pages, but my Bluefire galley is only 215--on my phone, so I'm wondering how big the type is. Wild feels like a short story or novella rather than a fleshed out novel. I wish I could say why. The protags--Iris is the narrator--despite having strong back stories, don't feel multidimensional.

Griffin does offer a good take on grief, though: "...don't grieve that he's gone," Pike says. "Grieve that he turned out to be such an asshole."

I was looking forward to this book, since I loved her first book. Second book syndrome. The main character is whiny and uninteresting. The book is a quick read.