A review by honeycupreads
Witch of Wild Things by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

emotional mysterious sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

But I’m afraid she’ll get mad at me. I can’t have another person who I love hate me—I’ve already got three. And one of them is dead.

Raquel Vasquez Gilliland writes guilt and grief in a way that is unbelievably heartbreaking. I went into this book expecting a cozy fantasy romance, but I came out with tears streaming down my face over the family dynamics and the weight of guilt portrayed in the story. My heart broke for Sage repeatedly throughout the book. Everything she has been carrying—not just over the last eight years, but for her entire life—is absolutely tragic.

Now Teal, Sky, and I will never be all together again. I take a shuddering breath as this reality sweeps over me for the millionth time in eight years, like the garnet-sharp winds of a tornado. There and gone in a moment, but leaving behind painful, devastating destruction. That’s how grief works.

I think this book had the potential to be a five-star read, but a few aspects brought my rating down. If the story had focused solely on the family dynamics, it might have become one of my favorite books of all time—that's truly the heart of this novel and what carries it. As much as I loved Tennessee and Sage, I found the romance to be subpar compared to everything else. Don't get me wrong, their relationship was adorable, and I enjoyed it, but in the end, it felt just okay. I also didn't care much for the humor; some of Sage's inner monologue and parts of the dialogue came across as a bit cringy to me.

Overall, this book had a deep emotional impact on me, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for beautifully written family dynamics paired with a fun, magical second-chance romance. I’ll leave you with one of my favorite passages—which might be a bit of a spoiler.

I do not have the gift of ghosts, so when I look up with tears falling over my cheeks and see Sky there, sitting right in front of me, her legs curled over the hardwood attic floor, pictures of the past dropped between us like autumn leaves, I want to tear open the floorboards. I want to rip apart this house, I want to destroy every connection I have to whatever it is that has punished me with this particular trait: tears that pay for the sight of my dead sister.
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