A review by multicoloredbookreviews
Wild Is the Witch by Rachel Griffin
4.0
This book was so much better than I ever could have expected.
I don’t typically choose to read books with witches. I just think after the paranormal craze of the 2010’s, them along with shifters and vampires are tired and overused paranormal creatures at this point, but with Wild is the Witch, Rachel may have just come up with my favorite take on witches and magical powers ever!
I’m a scientist at heart, and have a scientifically inclined brain to match, so I was highly interested when mentions of this world’s magic being rooted in realism and tied to the rules of the universe were introduced. Magic was not superpowers in this fictional world, it was another intrinsic part of it, much like subatomic particles, that only a certain part of the world’s population had access to and could interact with. It was meant to be used in conjunction with science, medicine and other fields of study.
"[...]being a witch isn't just casting an occasional spell. It's seeing the world differently than the way others see it. It's living in the same space but experiencing it in a totally singular way."
And I just loved this take on magic so much because even though it was still fantasy, it managed to make the story feel very realistic and very much rooted in reality. Of course, this was tremendously helped by the fact that the novel was set in the Pacific Northwest, a location all of us former Twi-hards will be very familiar with.
The book was remarkably rich in its descriptions. So detailed and illustrative, that I had no problem picturing the mountainous landscapes and pine forests shrouded in fog in my mind’s eye. I loved the moodiness and atmosphere Rachel managed to create through her words. Grey, cloudy skies making everything feel mysterious and magical, wind rustling through ancient trees… this was the backdrop I pictured the story taking place against, and it singularly managed to add a solid, wonderful layer of splendor and spookiness the novel.
I really liked the characters, as well. Granted, it took me a little bit to warm up to Pike; experiencing the story from Iris’ point of view decidedly made me empathize with her and wonder well into the book why this boy insisted on being an aggravating jerk to her all the time. But that’s the epitome of what makes enemies to lovers such a beloved trope. That transition from animosity, to attraction, to love. The metamorphosis that happens when both former enemies get a glimpse behind the other’s façade and realize they may have more in common than they ever thought.
"[...] sometimes it feels as if all his jokes and all my silence are really just shields meant to keep the other out."
But the detail that many authors sometimes forget is that characters need to have a good reason to justify their early nasty attitudes if they want readers to ultimately root for the couple, as I mentioned in my review for One Wild Weekend With Ryder. Guys, or girls, being assholes just for the sake of the trope never ends up working well. I love my enemies to lovers trope to be built on a solid foundation of emotionally justified, relatable assholery, because that way, when motives are finally brought into the light, it makes the whole thing so much sweeter.
"And when I say something that annoys you, you give me an expression I've never seen you give anyone else. So I keep annoying you, just so you'll make the face you only make for me."
And that was precisely what Wild is the Witch delivered, two young people carrying a lot of emotional baggage, falling in love despite their differences and previous hang-ups.
What made this not a 5 star read for me, despite how much I enjoyed the book, was that at times, it could get a little repetitive, since when you stripped everything down to its bones, this wasn’t much more than Iris constantly being terrified and wrecked with guilt over what she’d done and the tale of two kids going into the wilderness in search of a cursed owl. Which, by the way, loved the self-awareness of naming the owl “MacGuffin”. That was a chef’s kiss decision.
This was a much more intense and emotional book than I had expected and one I had a great time reading. I look forward to reading more from Rachel Griffin.
**I received an e-copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own**