The Nature of Witches

Hello again!!! I am beyond excited to share this review and novel with you. I think it is quite possibly one of the most anticipated YA releases this summer. That being said, when I went in to pick my copy up...I had ZERO idea or expectation that it was a YA novel until I couldn't find it anywhere (we can also blame that on the fact I was so excited to get it that it hadn't even been pulled out of the shipping boxes yet...whoops). I finished it almost two weeks ago, but wanted to let it simmer in my brain for just a little while before I wrote a review. Also, HELLO. Have you ever seen such a beautiful book cover?!

The Nature of Witches is by Rachel Griffin and this is her first novel. Go check out @timesnewrachel on Instagram because her whole feed is so aesthetic and representative of what this book is. She is also super engaged with you if you post something and tag her, which I LOVE!

For your Goodreads official synopsis:

For centuries, witches have maintained the climate, their power from the sun peaking in the season of their birth. But now their control is faltering as the atmosphere becomes more erratic. All hope lies with Clara, an Everwitch whose rare magic is tied to every season.

In Autumn, Clara wants nothing to do with her power. It's wild and volatile, and the price of her magic―losing the ones she loves―is too high, despite the need to control the increasingly dangerous weather.

In Winter, the world is on the precipice of disaster. Fires burn, storms rage, and Clara accepts that she's the only one who can make a difference.

In Spring, she falls for Sang, the witch training her. As her magic grows, so do her feelings, until she's terrified Sang will be the next one she loses.

In Summer, Clara must choose between her power and her happiness, her duty and the people she loves... before she loses Sang, her magic, and thrusts the world into chaos.

Practical Magic meets Twister in this debut contemporary fantasy standalone about heartbreaking power, the terror of our collapsing atmosphere, and the ways we unknowingly change our fate.

What did I think?:

There was just something about the way this story was written that kept you captivated the whole time. I finished it in a whopping three and a half hours. The pacing is pretty fast up until a Tornado that changes everything for the leading lady of this story, Clara. It begins to even out just a little bit after that. The setting of the story, in my head, was very Harry Potter-feeling. The school these Witches are at is in a sort of secluded area that has beautiful buildings and architecture filling their campus (I honestly don't remember if there were details that made me think this specifically or if it was just my imagination). Basically, I'd love to walk around their world!

Clara struggles immensely with her identity as an Everwitch. No teenager or young adult wants to be the "weird" or "odd" one out, even if you are more well equipped to handle your world. Once she meets and starts training with Sang, her identity is much more free and solid. I love how each season you go through in this book, you see her identity as an Everwitch transform and mold into who she is by the end of the story. It is incredibly real and relatable.

A few other elements that I loved about this story...

• The terms and wording weren't too crazy

• There is a mild global warming theme

• It isn't too sexy

Other recent novels that I have read where they were set in a fictitious world got a little carried away with terminology. I think it was a lot of the reason I couldn't enjoy Legendborn as much as I was hoping to. Griffin did an excellent job in this one at creating some of her own terms, but keeping it simple and relevant enough to still comprehend it easily.

Since this book is all about the different seasons, there are many times where a global warming theme is introduced and kind of brought to awareness. It was not overbearing, but showed how our world around us is changing through global warming and what could happen if we don't attempt to alter our course.

The romance was not too sexy and was kept to a very tasteful level. So many books (even YA) I have read recently are getting pretty carried away with the romance and descriptiveness of relationships. It adds importance to some stories, but not always. I thought Griffin did an excellent job at not letting it distract from her main points.

I highly recommend grabbing this one to add to your collection. Everybody NEEDS that gorgeous cover in their book collection, if nothing else. I was actually pretty surprised...it's only $17.99 for a BEAUTIFUL, hardcover book. As always, I recommend you check out your local indie bookstore to find it (or have them order it in! They almost always can!) I think Target even has it and does their usual 20% off of that. Absolutely worth every penny.

Thank you Rachel Griffin for blessing us with this beautiful world you created! There is another one in the works, too ;)

Let me know what you thought about this one or want to chat further by leaving me your info below! Thanks for reading!