Grace has never been good at anything except magic—not that anyone believes her.
While other children are adopted from the orphanage, nobody wants Grace. So she decides to make a home for herself by running away and offering herself as an apprentice to the witch in the nearby woods. After all, who better to teach Grace to use her magic? Surely the witch can’t be that bad.
But the witch is that bad—she steals souls for spells and gobbles up hearts. So Grace offers a deal: If she can learn all 100½ spells in the witch’s grimoire, the witch will make Grace her apprentice. But if Grace fails, the witch can take her magic. The witch agrees, and soon an unexpected bond develops between them.
But the spells are much harder than Grace expected, and when a monster from the witch’s past threatens the home Grace has built, she may have to sacrifice more than her magic to save it.
Intrigued? Read On:
What if Anne of Green Gables went to live with a witch?
What if Anne of Green Gables was a witch?
In this retelling, Heather Fawcett twists together the sweet tale of Anne of Green Gables and darker stories like Hansel and Gretel to create an unforgettable tale of family and finding your place.
Unexpectedly and hauntingly beautiful, The Grace of Wild Things quickly swept me off my feet and into an enchanted wood.
What I Love:
Fawcett wove the foreshadowing together very well. Just enough for the pieces to fall into place by the end, but little enough to keep the reader guessing.
The characters glow with such real and vibrantly expressed traits. Each one is their own unique person with flaws and strengths.
The tale unabashedly draws inspiration from Anne of Green Gables and Hansel and Gretel, yet The Grace of Wild Things is a story in its own right.
All of this makes for a delightfully charming tale of a girl just trying to make a home for herself and shine a little light in the darkness.
What I Don’t Love:
One thing that I believe is necessary in all good books is the line between good and evil. The good must be recognized as good and the evil must be recognized as evil. No excuses.
In The Grace of Wild Things, these lines are a little blurred. The witch is clearly evil, but the narrator seems to be trying to convince us otherwise.
One of the antagonists also felt a little sudden. She didn’t appear until near the end of the book.
Also, the characters are extremely rude to each other.
Content Warnings:
Death and dark magic.
Death and mentions of people dying or having a close shave with death.
The witch in The Grace of Wild Things uses magic that could be described as dark. The more powerful spells she uses demand things like bones or souls or toenails.
Ratings:
Appropriate content: 4/5
Writing skill: 4/5
Story construction: 4/5
Ethics: 3.8/5
Other Information:
Christian: No
Point of view: Third person limited
Tense: Past tense
Romance: Limited
Series: No
Age suggestion: 8-14
Conclusion:
The Grace of Wild Things is equal parts charming and haunting. In the end, it’s a sweet story about a lonely girl looking for family. Lovers of Anne of Green Gables and cozy fantasy will enjoy this tale. 4 out of 5 pumpkin pasties.
–Astor
P.S. Comment on this review with any thoughts or questions. I’m happy to answer and seeing you interact with my post lets me know that you enjoyed it! Don’t forget to subscribe below to receive a free short story.
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