Rachel Griffin Books In Order
Publication Order of RachelGriffin Standalone Novels
The Nature of Witches (2021) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
Wild is the Witch (2022) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
Publication Order of Picture Books
Twelve Days of Christmas (2002) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
Rachel Griffin is an American author of young adult books best known for Wild Is the Witch and The Nature of Witches. Her book The Nature of Witches is a New York Times Bestseller. Her second novel Wild is the Witch, was released in the summer of 2022 by Sourcebooks Fire.
Rachel was born and spent her childhood in Pacific Northwest. She's had a deep connection with nature, from the ocean to the mountains. Rachel graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Seattle University. She worked in the healthcare industry for half a decade and taught ultrasound before quitting to start a small startup.
She's been a mentor in the Pitch Wars since 2017 and a full-time writer working from her home in the Seattle area. When Rachel isn't writing, you can find her reading by the fire, wandering the PNW, or with a mug of coffee and tea. She lives with her husband and their dog.
The Nature of Witches
In her debut novel, Rachel Griffin crafted a riveting young adult fantasy tale that will have you hooked on the right from the first page to the last. The story is set in an Eastern school of witches in the United States, and it features an alternate reality where the witches born on the solstices and equinoxes control the weather.
Their respective birthdates determine which season they will be, and this also determines their type of magic and their resultant personality. For example, summer witches can control the summer heat. They are also intense with emotions and full of passion. However, in the off-season, their powers remain dormant, and their personalities become shadowed.
We meet Clara, a witch different from everyone else- she's a rare "breed" of Witch with the last one like her existing 200 years before her. She's an Ever or Everwitch, and her powers remain strong throughout all seasons. She's capable of changing with each season, too, assuming each season's magic and personalities. Clara has strong powers, and she's the witches only hope of saving them from climate change that seems to drain the witches of their powers, resulting in high mortality rates.
On the other hand, the non-magic folks known as the shaders are listening to the witches and making any necessary amends where possible. However, the out-of-control weather could destroy them before they can get a chance to amend things.
Clara is a woman living a solitary life, as her magic poses a danger to the people closest to her. She's shut herself off and disconnected from the rest of the world, wishing that she had no magic in the first place. When Sang, a young man, joins the Western school to major in Botany and is assigned to help Clara master her magic, she's hesitant at first, but she truly understands that the training could be the only thing to protect the only she loves the most and everyone across the globe.
Rachel Griffin debut book is quite a fantastic read. The writing is lyrical and will slowly pull you into Clara's world, a world not so different from our own. The author masterfully draws you into Clara's fears and thoughts, allowing you to bond with her character and view the world from her own perspective.
Clara has spent her life emotionally segregated as she fears what her magic can do- she's also under the heavy weight of expectations from those around her. Even though there are people who see her for the kind person she is, there are others who view her as a tool that would help them save the world. Navigating her magical powers, who she wants to be in life, and how everyone reacts to her are genuinely complex.
For the Young Adult audience, Clara's life highly resonates with every young person's life as they search to find themselves and the meaning of their own life.
Rachel Griffin is a master when it comes to characterization. Her main character, Rachel, has immense power and is flawed. Her emotions often get in her way, and fears soon overtake her. As she changes, Clara's fears and feelings evolves into something else beautiful.
Her relationship and those around her, including students, teachers, and former romantic partners, are exciting and compelling. While the central theme in The Nature of Witches is climate change, there are other minor themes Rachel Griffin touches on, including the themes of complex relationships, self-acceptance, coping with fears and emotions.
In an online interview, Rachel Griffin describes her book as a "Love Letter to Earth." She uniquely blends the idea of magic weather with climate change, allowing the reader to understand how greed has wreaked havoc on our beloved planet where nature is pushed to its limits forcing it to fight back.
The Nature of Witches is a highly recommended book for Blake's Frost Blood, Stiefvater's Shiver, and the television series Motherland: Fort Salem.
Wild is the Witch
In her second book, Rachel Griffin introduces us to Iris Gray, a witch who decides to place a curse on the boy she hates. She never thought that her curse would get out as that type of magic is not allowed by the Witches' Council and for, she has been on trial once before, if she got caught again, it would mean an end to her.
Iris undertakes the ritual and writes a brutal torment for Pike, the boy she loathes. Unfortunately for her and fortunately for Pike, a powerful owl manages to steal the curse before she can unleash it. This forces Iris to wander into the wilderness alongside Pike, searching for the owl that would cost the young boy his life.
But Pike does not know the truth, and the more they venture into the woods, the more things are at stake. If the Witch can't stop the curse she created before time runs out, everyone will suffer, including the young boy-Pike. Wild is the Witch is a perfect read on a fall day with a cozy cup of coffee or tea while it's storming outside.
Book Series In Order » Authors » Rachel Griffin