The Nature of Witches

by Rachel Griffin

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Thought-provoking and magical, The Nature of Witches follows 17-year-old Clara, an Everwitch whose magic evolves with each season. With storms growing stronger, the fate of the world is hanging in the balance and Clara must learn to control her power to help save it. With vivid world-building, a compelling cast of characters, and a swoon-worthy romance, this enchanting tale will pull you in from the very first page.

An Instant New York Times Bestseller

In a world where witches control the climate and are losing control, only one witch can save earth from destruction. But as her power grows, it hurts those closest to her, and when she falls in love with her training partner she's forced to choose between her power, her love, and saving the earth.

For centuries, witches have maintained the climate, but now their control is faltering as the atmosphere becomes more erratic; the storms, more destructive. All hope lies with Clara, a once-in-a-generation Everwitch whose 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.

"Perfect for fans of Shea Ernshaw and Taylor Swift's Folklore."—Rosiee Thor, author of Tarnished Are the Stars

"A bright, fresh read from a glowing new voice, THE NATURE OF WITCHES is both timely and stirring. Griffin's emotional writing that cuts to the heart will make her a new YA favorite."—Adrienne Young, New York Times bestselling author of Fable

"The forces of nature and magic blend perfectly in this masterfully told story... I couldn't love this book more."—Shea Ernshaw, NYT bestselling author of The Wicked Deep and Winterwood

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728229423
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	06/01/2021
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	27,396
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.40(d)
Lexile:	HL780L (what's this?)
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Rachel Griffin is the New York Times bestselling author of The Nature of Witches and the upcoming Wild is the Witch. When she isn't writing, you can find her wandering the Pacific Northwest, reading by the fire, or drinking copious amounts of coffee and tea. She lives in the Seattle area with her husband, dog, and growing collection of houseplants. Visit her online at rachelgriffinbooks.com or say hi on Instagram @TimesNewRachel.

Editorial Reviews

05/24/2021

An earnest, intimate slice-of-life senior year at a school for climate witches delicately maps a journey into self-acceptance. Until greed unbalanced the climate, weather witches regulated the Earth’s atmosphere, strengthening and weakening as their assigned seasons turned. Redheaded, blue-eyed orphan Clara Densmore, 17, is the first Everwitch—or wielder of all four seasons—in a century, and her northern Pennsylvania school’s hope for overcoming the climate crisis. But Clara’s uncontrolled magic has already killed her parents and her best friend, leaving her isolated, self-hating, and yearning for a life where her personality doesn’t change with the seasons. Her plans to destroy her magic go awry, however, when she meets her new tutor, Korean American botany student Sang Park. Finding an attraction that’s enduring and real, Clara searches for a way to grow into her magic on her own terms. Though plot logic and development take a backseat in this tropey, character-driven debut, Griffin’s emotional forthrightness makes this narrative accessible to younger YA readers, who will relish the sweet, supportive relationships tenderly interlacing with nature’s rhythms. Ages 14–up. Agent: Elana Roth Parker, Laura Dail Literary. (June)

Publishers Weekly

"The Nature of Witches is unlike anything I've read before. With its wholly original take on witches, thought-provoking commentary on climate change, and a swoony romance I would die for, Griffin has crafted a magnificent debut that will have readers on the edge of their seats. To put it simply—I'm obsessed with this book" — Adalyn Grace, NYT bestselling author of All the Stars and Teeth

"The Nature of Witches is a timely, thoughtful tale of the responsibilities we have to our planet and to one another. Griffin's well-developed world building and complex main character make for a read that will resonate deeply." — Christine Lynn Herman, author of The Devouring Gray duology

"Readers will happily dive into Clara's magical realm." — The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"I could have stayed lost in the pages and magic of The Nature of Witches forever. Griffin's lush prose and evocative imagery adorns and compliments the thoughtfully designed world, and the well-drawn characters triumphantly carry the story from beginning to end. A stunning and timely debut" — Isabel Ibañez, author of Woven in Moonlight and Written in Starlight

"Seasonal magic abounds in this addictively thought-provoking tale of love, loss and self-identity" — Dawn Kurtagich, award-winning author of The Dead House

"In her debut, Griffin ties the story of a witch learning her strength to the raw power of nature and places it in a world decimated by climate change. It's new, different, and well worth a read. " — Booklist

"A fascinating blend of climate fiction, fantasy, boarding school novel and romance... Exciting and immersive." — BookPage

"Vibrant and magical, THE NATURE OF WITCHES is an achingly beautiful exploration of love and hope perfect for fans of Shea Ernshaw and Taylor Swift's Folklore. This book is a ray of sunshine." — Rosiee Thor, author of Tarnished Are the Stars

"Fresh and original... This standalone novel ties fantastical elements, LGBTQIA themes, and climate change together into one neat package that will leave readers ­satisfied" — School Library Journal

"A refreshing take on witches...imaginative, romantic and inspiring." — Shelf Awareness

"The Nature of Witches is a love letter to the earth. This lush, atmospheric book charmed me with its magic system, captured my heart with its swoony romance, and stole my breath with its gorgeous words. I want to wallpaper my home with Rachel Griffin's sentences" — Rachel Lynn Solomon, author of Today Tonight Tomorrow

"Griffin's emotional forthrightness makes this narrative accessible to younger YA readers, who will relish the sweet, supportive relationships tenderly interlacing with nature's rhythms." — Publishers Weekly

"The forces of nature and magic blend perfectly in this masterfully told story. I couldn't love this book more." — Shea Ernshaw, New York TImes bestselling author of THE WICKED DEEP and WINTERWOOD

From the Publisher

02/01/2021

Gr 8 Up—Clara is the first Everwitch in more than a century. With a drastically changing climate, the world relies on witches to correct extreme weather events wreaking havoc on the Earth. With more witches becoming depleted from having to use their magic during their off-seasons, everyone is relying on Clara, who is the only witch with the power of all four seasons. Much to her teachers' chagrin, she is afraid to fully tap into her power because of three separate accidents where her uncontrolled powers killed her parents, best friend, and teacher. With the stakes higher than ever, the school where she trains assigns Sang, a spring witch with a calming power, to train Clara to control her powers and help save the world. The intriguing premise is fresh and original, and the worldbuilding is vivid and charming. Each of the characters is flawed, well-defined, and at times predictable. The climax is somewhat bogged down by a romantic conflict that feels unnecessary, but overall offers a satisfying journey for readers. Clara's ethnicity isn't stated and Sang is Asian. VERDICT This standalone novel ties fantastical elements, LGBTQIA themes, and climate change together into one neat package that will leave readers satisfied.—Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, formerly at Sno-Isle Libraries, Marysville, WA

School Library Journal

2021-04-08
Weather witches confront climate change in this fantasy.

Clara Densmore is her generation’s sole Everwitch and is unwilling to embrace her powers. Unlike the male and female autumn, winter, spring, and summer witches, whose powers peak during their respective seasons, Clara thrives year-round. At the Eastern School of Solar Magic in Pennsylvania, 17-year-old Clara shuns friendships and only does short-term flings, as her love can be lethal and has already killed her parents and best friend. Losing her powers seems like the selfless solution, but nonmagical shaders have pushed the planet too far with their environmental destruction. Seasonal witches are starting to die amid accelerated natural disasters—and only Clara can save the world. A budding romance with magical mentor/visiting botany student 18-year-old Sang Park from California helps Clara bloom. Redheaded, blue-eyed Clara is cued as White, and Sang is Korean American—but race, class, and other identity-related concerns are rarely a factor in this world. Debut author Griffin unfortunately fails to breathe new life into chosen one fantasy tropes—the obligatory villain, the unavoidable romance, the overly dramatic sacrifice—but excels at lush and lovely descriptions of nature and the weather and delivers a stern, if heavy-handed, message about environmental consequences of modern living.

A slo-mo environmental disaster story. (Fantasy. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews