A review by shelfofpages
The Grace of Wild Things by Heather Fawcett

5.0

"If you had too little imagination, you’d spend your life finding fault with everything, like Mrs. Spencer does, instead of noticing that there are beautiful things in the world alongside the horrible ones.”
-Heather Fawcett, The Grace of Wild Things

This book was initially described to me as “Anne of Green Gables but with witches and magic.” And that’s a top-notch sales pitch if I’ve ever heard one! I read Anne of Green Gables last October and utterly adored it, so I jumped right on this retelling as soon as I heard of it. I’m here to tell you that The Grace of Wild Things easily lives up to the classic tale from which it pulls inspiration, all while maintaining its own, unique identity as a stand-alone novel.

Looking back on this story, its lovable cast of characters is what stands out the most. Many of them form parallels with the characters we know and love from Anne of Green Gables, but Fawcett adds plenty of her own twists and quirks to make them entirely her own. Our protagonist Grace Greene has all the verbosity, imagination, and grit of Anne Shirley, with new aspects of her personality coming to life as she traverses her magical escapades. And the witch, reminiscent of Marilla Cuthbert, maintains a complexity and livability that weaves its way into readers’ hearts.

While many of the most iconic Anne of Green Gables scenes are represented in The Grace of Wild Things, this novel reinvents them in a way that is both fresh and imaginative. Because of Fawcett’s addition of magic, witches, and fairies to this story, it becomes a journey entirely of its own without being a one-for-one rip-off of Anne of Green Gables. The plot is new, the stakes are high, and every twist leaves the reader wondering “How in the world will Grace get through this?”

As for all the witchy stuff itself: this is exactly the sort of book I’ve been searching for. The vibes are immaculate. I adored following Grace along her journey as she reads the witch’s grimoire, collects ingredients, and casts spells. And for an extra touch of magic, several of the spells Grace casts are fully written out, and I can absolutely imagine young readers having great fun “casting these spells” for themselves.

"Plenty of talented people in this world are useless,’ the witch said. ‘It’s what you do with your talent that matters.”
-Heather Fawcett, The Grace of Wild Things

These magical elements combine beautifully with descriptions of the natural landscape on Prince Edward Island. Grace’s world fully comes to life as she finds her place in her new home, adding to the unforgettable atmosphere of the novel. Teeming with life and color, readers will fall in love with both the forest and the nearby town that Grace gets to explore. The vibrancy of this location greatly adds to the suspense as Grace works to develop her magic in time to keep from losing it forever.

Woven throughout this novel’s classic charm and imaginative magic are several deeply emotional subplots. Exploring themes of home, family, and regret, The Grace of Wild Things will pull at readers’ hearts from multiple angles. We feel all the ups and downs with Grace through all her struggles and triumphs as she tries to cast 101.5 spells before time runs out. All the while, we get a heartwarming tale of Grace finding her place in the community and falling in love with her first-ever home.

The Grace of Wild Things is one of those rare novels I would recommend to people of all ages and interests. You don’t have to be at all familiar with Anne of Green Gables to enjoy this story to its fullest, and there are extra goodies thrown in for those who are.; this novel is reminiscent of the classic story without being a carbon copy.

Whether you’re looking for the witchy/cottagecore vibes, a fun adventure, or a deeply moving tale of belonging, this novel is the one for you. I highly recommend this to lovers of fantasy and literary fiction alike, and to those of all ages. The Grace of Wild Things is a novel I will love for a long time, and you’ll be hearing me rave about it again and again.

"May it be, by sun and stars.”
-Heather Fawcett, The Grace of Wild Things

Full review on my blog.