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betweentheshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Atmospheric, witchy, and such a quick read! You get pulled in from the beginning, and the plot overall is pretty fast-paced. I basically almost read the entire book in one sitting! I enjoyed the way that the relationship evolved throughout the book; it felt realistic and believable. And not too heavy on the romance, which I especially appreciated.
The magic system was interesting, I just wish we got to see a bit more of it? We get bits and pieces throughout, I think I just wanted a little more magic. Give me more books set in this world because I'd love to see the different ways witches use magic. Maybe we'll get something in the future!
The magic system was interesting, I just wish we got to see a bit more of it? We get bits and pieces throughout, I think I just wanted a little more magic. Give me more books set in this world because I'd love to see the different ways witches use magic. Maybe we'll get something in the future!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Animal death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cancer, Child death, and Chronic illness
Minor: Cursing and Fire/Fire injury
growmealibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Wow! I loved the audiobook of this new YA novel that releases this Tuesday (8/2). Wild is the Witch is a stand alone YA Fantasy that follows our main character Iris who is a witch but hides her identity from those around her. She loathes her coworker, Pike, and to ease her frustration she attempts makes a curse just for him that she never intends to cast. This is where everything goes wrong.
The result of her actions leads to her and Pike hiking through the woods, looking for an owl that has carried her curse away. The only problem is, Pike hates witches, and doesn't know he's currently with one, looking for a curse that was meant for him.
I really enjoyed the character development throughout this book. I found Iris and Pike to be lovable characters that were written with finesse. The magic system in this story was incredible and believable.
I appreciate that this is a stand alone novel as well. We don't get very many stand alone anymore, and it is refreshing to read a fun and quick witchy romance.
I have two main issues with this book. The first is that it is marketed as a YA novel. This book definitely reads on the older end of YA stretching into NA or adult fantasy territory. The second is that the main conflict of this book centers on our main character lying about who she is and what she has done. I appreciate her character growth throughout the book, but wish that the central conflict wasn't centered around her inability to be open about who she is. However, I don't find this to be a huge downside, when considering who this book is marketed towards. This is a great lesson for teens to learn and a great book to learn it through.
I really enjoyed the audiobook of this as well. The narrator did a wonderful job with the pace and changing up the tone as needed for different scenes.
Overall, I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes YA, romance, and witches. Rachel Griffin has become an auto-buy author for me at this point!
*I was able to listen to an advanced copy of this audiobook through NetGalley.*
The result of her actions leads to her and Pike hiking through the woods, looking for an owl that has carried her curse away. The only problem is, Pike hates witches, and doesn't know he's currently with one, looking for a curse that was meant for him.
I really enjoyed the character development throughout this book. I found Iris and Pike to be lovable characters that were written with finesse. The magic system in this story was incredible and believable.
I appreciate that this is a stand alone novel as well. We don't get very many stand alone anymore, and it is refreshing to read a fun and quick witchy romance.
I have two main issues with this book. The first is that it is marketed as a YA novel. This book definitely reads on the older end of YA stretching into NA or adult fantasy territory. The second is that the main conflict of this book centers on our main character lying about who she is and what she has done. I appreciate her character growth throughout the book, but wish that the central conflict wasn't centered around her inability to be open about who she is. However, I don't find this to be a huge downside, when considering who this book is marketed towards. This is a great lesson for teens to learn and a great book to learn it through.
I really enjoyed the audiobook of this as well. The narrator did a wonderful job with the pace and changing up the tone as needed for different scenes.
Overall, I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes YA, romance, and witches. Rachel Griffin has become an auto-buy author for me at this point!
*I was able to listen to an advanced copy of this audiobook through NetGalley.*
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Death and Chronic illness
theespressoedition's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is one of the most atmospheric books I've ever read in my life. Though I've never visited the Pacific Northwest, Wild is the Witch made me feel as though I had. The imagery painted throughout the story was so vivid that I could practically feel the rain on my skin, smell the woodsy scent of the forest in the air, and hear the call of the northern spotted owl in the night. There's something about Rachel's writing that makes me, a person who truly dislikes being outdoors most days, have the strongest desire to be amidst the trees.
While this book is relatively short, it is certainly not lacking in poignancy and incredible storytelling. I wasn't expecting to highlight so many quotes in my ebook, but here I am, scrolling through my notes and seeing one gorgeous passage after another. It honestly makes me want to read it all over again (so, I sure am glad that I pre-ordered a copy)!
I consider myself lucky that I was able to read the ARC of this novel during a really difficult time in my life. While the rest of the world felt as though it was being turned on its head around me, I was able to truly escape into Wild is the Witch. I've struggled with getting into a lot of fantasy books lately, especially low fantasy. However, that was definitely not a problem I faced with this. It wasn't confusing, cyclical, or lacking ingenuity. Instead, it was creative, relatable, and absolutely magical.
Enemies-to-lovers isn't my preferred trope. In fact, I tend to avoid it, if possible. I've been scarred by my own past and this particular theme can often come across as toxic. Rather than that being the case in this book, the rivals-to-lovers element was not only understandable (due to Pike's distaste for witches and Iris wanting to defend herself and her loved ones), but it was playful (the banter reminded me of an old married couple) and dare I even say meaningful (the breakthrough and communication these two have is really wonderfully written)? It made me appreciate the trope rather than resent it.
I loved the way the magic was written. From the start, it was very well-explained. I never found myself confused by how Iris's abilities worked. This reminded me a lot of The Nature of Witches and how easy it was to understand the elemental powers in that book. Huge props to Rachel for creating systems that make sense! In fact, the magic was so beautiful that the quotes about it were the ones I highlighted the most. It definitely solidified my love for the beautifully witchy. I don't prefer spooky books, but I could read stories like Wild is the Witch forever.
While the romance is a massive part of the plot, it didn't take front-and-center for me. Obviously, I already raved about the magic, which is what stood out the most. But I also loved the focus on the animals and Iris's huge heart for taking care of all wild things. There was also a subtle-yet-meaningful undercurrent regarding justice and not lumping people together in stereotypical categories unnecessarily. In addition to all of that, there was a beautiful spotlight on finding yourself - for both Iris and Pike. Despite the majority of the story only taking place over a couple of days, the growth was really beautiful.
I truly can't recommend this book enough. You won't want to miss out on it.
While this book is relatively short, it is certainly not lacking in poignancy and incredible storytelling. I wasn't expecting to highlight so many quotes in my ebook, but here I am, scrolling through my notes and seeing one gorgeous passage after another. It honestly makes me want to read it all over again (so, I sure am glad that I pre-ordered a copy)!
I consider myself lucky that I was able to read the ARC of this novel during a really difficult time in my life. While the rest of the world felt as though it was being turned on its head around me, I was able to truly escape into Wild is the Witch. I've struggled with getting into a lot of fantasy books lately, especially low fantasy. However, that was definitely not a problem I faced with this. It wasn't confusing, cyclical, or lacking ingenuity. Instead, it was creative, relatable, and absolutely magical.
Enemies-to-lovers isn't my preferred trope. In fact, I tend to avoid it, if possible. I've been scarred by my own past and this particular theme can often come across as toxic. Rather than that being the case in this book, the rivals-to-lovers element was not only understandable (due to Pike's distaste for witches and Iris wanting to defend herself and her loved ones), but it was playful (the banter reminded me of an old married couple) and dare I even say meaningful (the breakthrough and communication these two have is really wonderfully written)? It made me appreciate the trope rather than resent it.
I loved the way the magic was written. From the start, it was very well-explained. I never found myself confused by how Iris's abilities worked. This reminded me a lot of The Nature of Witches and how easy it was to understand the elemental powers in that book. Huge props to Rachel for creating systems that make sense! In fact, the magic was so beautiful that the quotes about it were the ones I highlighted the most. It definitely solidified my love for the beautifully witchy. I don't prefer spooky books, but I could read stories like Wild is the Witch forever.
While the romance is a massive part of the plot, it didn't take front-and-center for me. Obviously, I already raved about the magic, which is what stood out the most. But I also loved the focus on the animals and Iris's huge heart for taking care of all wild things. There was also a subtle-yet-meaningful undercurrent regarding justice and not lumping people together in stereotypical categories unnecessarily. In addition to all of that, there was a beautiful spotlight on finding yourself - for both Iris and Pike. Despite the majority of the story only taking place over a couple of days, the growth was really beautiful.
I truly can't recommend this book enough. You won't want to miss out on it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Animal death
Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Grief, and Terminal illness
Minor: Cursing
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