Rachel Griffin: Wild is the Witch

Rachel Griffin is a magical writer and I love to escape in the worlds she has created! „The Nature of Witches“ was my favourite book of 2021, so I had high hopes for „Wild is the Witch“. It did not disappoint!

„Wild“ is a beautiful book about finding your place, accepting yourself, overcoming prejudices and most of all, loving nature! I loved to read it. Rachel writes in such a unique way, you simply cannot escape the beauty of her words. She creates atmosphere like no other and I would love to live in a Rachel Griffin book.

Iris Gray is a wonderful protagonist. She is a Witch and has a special connection to animals, from which she can profit working at her mother’s wildlife refuge. Magic is her second skin and she loves it deeply. Iris never sees magic as normal – it is a gift to her, that she cherishes and loves. But the world is cruel and Iris has made some bad experiences, so that she grew to trust nobody and hides the fact that she is a Witch.

Working in the refuge with Pike Alder makes her life complicated, because Pike really doesn’t like Witches. He is a student and wants to become an ornithologist, so working in the refuge helps him to get the experience he needs. Iris and Pike together are a burning mixture, because they can’t stand each other. There is a lot of teasing and you can quickly tell that beneath all the comments, Pike really likes Iris.

When Iris makes a mistake and and owl steals a ure that was meant for Pike (not really for him but more for herself to release some of her anger), Iris must find this owl to prevent the worst from happening. Pike joins her on this adventure and together they have to spent several days in the woods, trying to find the owl.

This journey was so lovely! You culd grasp the deep love for nature that not only Iris but the author as well feel on every single page. I was as if I was there beside Iris and Pike, seeing the woods through their eyes! I really loved the main characters and I could totally understand Iris‘ worries for Pike. He is such a sweet person – the little things he does for Iris and the way he beahves made my heart jump! He ist just adorable. And Iris is a very self-reflective caracter that I loved a lot. She does not want to depend on anybody, she really wants to do everything herself. It was awesome to see her character growth! To achieve her goel she learns that trusting other people is important and that you simply cannot control everything.

Rachels writing style is so beauiful, I could’t put the book down! I devoured it within a day. It ist he little things she captures brilliantly, the silent moments in the wood, the beauty of a smile or the breeze that carries a scent. Honestly, I can’t really put into words how much I loved this book! I connected with Iris from the beginning, because her struggles (even if they have a magical component) are everyday struggles! And the relationship between her and Pike was so sweet! I loved to see it unfurl. There was no haste, just two young people falling for each other.

There aren’t a lot of characters in this book but that is exactly what makes it so special: every character is unique and you can feel the thought Rachel put into everyone. I loved Iris‘ mother Isobel so much! She is such a cool mom and the way she loves the ones surrounding her just made me smile a lot! I also loved the setting, not only in the woods but especially the wildlife refuge! That was absolutely fascinating.

All in all, let me tell you something real: „Wild ist he Witch“ is definitely a new favourite book of mine! I loved everything about it and cannot wait to see what the future holds for Rachel Griffin!