Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

by Grady Hendrix

There’s power in a book…

They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to the Wellwood Home in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened.

Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. Under the watchful eye of the stern Miss Wellwood, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. There’s Rose, a hippie who insists she’s going to find a way to keep her baby and escape to a commune. And Zinnia, a budding musician who knows she’s going to go home and marry her baby’s father. And Holly, a wisp of a girl, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one-knows-who.

Everything the girls eat, every moment of their waking day, and everything they’re allowed to talk about is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know what’s best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and it’s never given freely. There’s always a price to be paid…and it’s usually paid in blood.

In Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, the author of How to Sell a Haunted House and The Final Girl Support Group delivers another searing, completely original novel and further cements his status as a “horror master” (NPR).

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Witches, Thriller

482 pages, Hardcover

First published January 14, 2025

About the author

Grady Hendrix is the author of the novels Horrorstör, about a haunted IKEA, and My Best Friend's Exorcism, which is like Beaches meets The Exorcist, only it's set in the Eighties. He's also the author of We Sold Our Souls, The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, and the upcoming (July 13!) Final Girl Support Group!

He's also the jerk behind the Stoker award-winning Paperbacks from Hell, a history of the 70's and 80's horror paperback boom, which contains more information about Nazi leprechauns, killer babies, and evil cats than you probably need.

And he's the screenwriter behind Mohawk, which is probably the only horror movie about the War of 1812 and Satanic Panic.

You can listen to free, amazing, and did I mention free podcasts of his fiction on Pseudopod. He also does a podcast called Super Scary Haunted Homeschool.

If you're not already sick of him, you can learn all his secrets at his website.

Reviews

[Esta · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a gutsy move for a privileged male author to dive headfirst into a story about unwed teen pregnancies and the systemic oppression of women, a topic as charged as it is deeply gendered. But Hendrix handles Witchcraft for Wayward Girls with an allyship that feels genuine, even if you side-eye him going in.

Firstly, let’s get one thing straight: this book doesn’t just scare you with witchcraft, gore and graphic body horror—TW: Graphic pregnancy, labour and childbirth scenes (I am SO relieved and delighted to be childfree!)—it infuriates.

Depicting unwed teen mothers being shipped off to “homes,” stripped of their rights and autonomy, and treated like criminals by creepy doctors and Nurse Ratched types is hard to stomach and not just in a historical sense. It feels even heavier when you realise these institutions weren’t just relics of a backward past. Their echoes are loud and clear in today’s world, from debates about bodily autonomy to the overturning of Roe vs. Wade to the underlying causes of the #MeToo movement, plus the ongoing intersectionality in current wars and crimes against humanity, not to mention homelessness and abuse. Same song, different decade.

Hendrix writing this as a dude is risky, sure. But he gets it. He centres the trauma, the injustice, and the rage of women throughout history and no doubt, of today. Because it is set in 1970 in a pre-Roe vs. Wade era, Hendrix bypasses the pro-choice vs. pro-life minefield and instead forces us to face the raw, unfiltered horror of denying women agency. And as we connect the dots, the unsettling truth emerges: it has come full circle. He’s not preachy about it, so don’t worry, if that is a concern of yours.

This book won’t be for everyone. It’s going to ruffle feathers, trigger a few incels and misogynists, and will probably land on some banned-book lists, faster than you can say The Handmaid’s Tale/The Color Purple (and yes, the irony that it’s a privileged male). But hey, that’s the kind of résumé you want as an author tackling these topics.

Additionally, I've seen a few criticisms that there isn't enough witchcraft in this book and I agree. It does read more like historical fiction with visceral pregnancy & birth-related body horror elements and splashes of witchcraft, so adjust your expectations if you're looking for tonnes of supernatural horror right from the get-go. It takes a while to get going. However, the real horror isn’t otherworldly. It’s what we’ve permitted and continue to permit to happen in plain sight.

Be that as it may, this story is also a reckoning. Beneath the witchy vibes lies a defiant reminder: women have always been powerful, even when systems tried to dismiss, control or snuff them out. Hendrix doesn’t just ask us to rage, he reminds us to rise.

A more fleshed-out and nuanced character arc for Hagar and Miriam could’ve earned this a full five stars. However, 4.5 stars, happy to round up.

Oh, and if you wanted a plot summary, read the blurb. Or better yet... the book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Pan Macmillan | Tor Nightfire for the arc in exchange for an honest review—this was one of my most anticipated for 2025 and it delivered!

This book includes sensitive content and trigger warnings, including off-page child SA. Please read with care. You can find a more extensive list of content warnings here.

♦️♦️♦️

When Grady Hendrix offers to help me rage against the patriarchy with a witchy horror book, I say yes!

[Emily May · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You can’t beg the world to do what you want. You can’t ask it nicely. You must force the world. You must bend it to your will.”

Finally a Hendrix book I enjoyed almost as much as The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires!

I do think pacing-wise it could have been tighter. There were definitely some slow spells (pun intended, of course) but, overall, what a wonderful and empowering read. As in Southern Book Club, the real strength of this story is in the fantastic cast of characters and the dialogue between them. They absolutely drive the book, carrying it through any slower periods and making it necessary for me to find out what happens to them.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is set in 1970 and is a fabulous indictment of slut-shaming, religious hypocrisy and the homes for unwed mothers that used to be commonplace-- what Fern calls "a machine that took in wayward girls and put out adoptable babies". These were horrific places, with high rates of abuse, where young women and girls were bullied into repenting their sins and handing over their babies to wealthy couples.

(I should probably say at this point that the book contains grisly and gruesome depictions of pregnancy and labour and is not one I’d recommend for those currently pregnant.)

What I especially loved (and hated with a blinding fury) about Southern Book Club that I think this book also captures is what it feels like to be dismissed, to be powerless and have more powerful figures talk over you and make decisions without your input. Fern, Rose, Zinnia and Holly have been let down. By their families, by their church, by the whole stupid system. When dabbling in witchcraft offers them the chance to reclaim some control over their lives... well, wouldn't you take it?

While Hendrix doesn’t explicitly mention the recent attack on reproductive rights in the US, he throws in a mention of how these horrific homes disappeared after Roe. Ultimately, the true villain of this book is any person, church or government that believes they have a right to make decisions about women's bodies.

After everything she’d been through, after she’d created life, after they had taken her child, did they really think she was scared of something as small as God?

So I thought this was a great book. Very emotional and empathetic, often funny, occasionally scary, with villains almost as complex as the heroines.

[Sydney Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5* I love love LOVED IT. New favorite Grady Hendrix book

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

2025 just started and I feel like I might have just finished my favorite book of the year. Grady Hendrix CRUSHED IT. Here is my non-spoiler review.

Title/Author: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

Page Count: 496

Publisher: Berkley

Format: NetGalley ebook

Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: All of them.

Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978059354...

Release Date: January 14th, 2025

General Genre: Paranormal Horror, Suspense/Thriller, Historical

Sub-Genre/Themes: Feminist, coming-of-age, witches & witchcraft, crisis pregnancies, home for "unwed teen mothers", childbirth, motherhood, pregnancy, child SA (off-page and mentioned, no real-time violence)

Writing Style: STRONG character-driven storytelling, young protagonist POV, short chapters, some interludes, urgent/compelling, HORROR + HUMOR + HEART, high stakes/high investment

What You Need to Know: A story about a home in Florida in the 1970s, that accepts teen girls in a crisis pregnancy to facilitate their prenatal care, room, and board, assist in childbirth, and help find an adoptive family for the baby

My Reading Experience: I'm so overcome with love for this book and enjoyed my reading experience so much, that it's difficult to know where to start. I began reading on Friday the 3rd and here I am Sunday morning already finished with a 500-page novel. The investment in the main protagonist, "Fern", is immediate. This book is not even out yet so I'm not going to get into the details of the storyline but Hendrix draws the reader in with high stakes, emotional investment right there in chapter one. Then, once Fern arrives at her destination where she will live during her pregnancy, she meets a cast of girls who are in a similar situation plus the woman who owns the house for "wayward girls" and her staff, Hagar (who is a new all-time favorite character) and Hagar's sister.
Getting to know these girls is my favorite aspect of coming-of-age stories. The dialog is perfect and of course, Grady knows how to develop personalities through his impeccable cleverness and humor. I fell in love with everyone.
I am in awe of the way he filled this book up with vibrant, full-of-life, women and girls of all ages. He navigated an entire cast of young moms in various stages of pregnancy in detail. Childbirth, in detail. The way adults look at girls who are pregnant, if they even choose to see them at all.
I just honestly can't believe he managed to capture the essence of so many different kinds of women and girls in various stages of life so realistically.
Again, I don't want to go too far with plot details but there are some truly magical aspects to this story. I HAVE TOO MANY THOUGHTS!! TOO MANY!
It was so sweet and endearing, and tragic...these girls who either made a wrong choice or had someone else's wrong choices inflicted upon them wind up bearing all the consequences. And then they are treated like they deserve all the pain, all the suffering, all the penalties, and judgment, and physical trauma, psychological trauma...and now they are faced with more hard choices with no support, nobody to hold their hand and tell them it will be OK, that they can do this, I just...there were times where I was reading this through tears, my heart breaking for the injustice of it all. So much happens in this book.
The character arcs are incredibly intense.
Fern, Holly, Rose, Zinnia, and Hagar will be in my Reader's heart FOREVER. I love them and I loved going on this journey with them.
Hagar is a new personal favorite. What a fucking rock star. I love her. And the ENDING OH MY GOD

Final Recommendation: This is now my favorite Grady book. It used to be My Best Friend's Exorcism, then it was How to Sell A Haunted House, and now it's the one. Anyhoo, this is a gold-standard book for me. This is how you win a million hearts.

Comps: The Ghost Woods by C. J. Cooke (for a similar scenario of a home for unwed, young mothers but no other similarities) there's nothing else like this

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

They were girls. That's what they called them in their articles and their speeches and their files: bad girls, neurotic girls, needy girls, wayward girls, selfish girls, girls with Electra complexes, girls trying to fill a void, girls who needed attention, girls with pasts, girls from broken homes, girls who needed discipline, girls desperate to fit in, girls in trouble, girls who couldn't say no.

They’d been thought the devil was the worst thing in the world, but they were to young to understand there were worst things than the devil. For girls like them, down there at the Home, the devil turned out to be their only friend.
This is the tragic, heart-wrenching, epic, bleak, angsty story of Wayward Girls who decide to try witchcraft as a means to save themselves from a life where they have no choice, where everything is taken from them without being asked, and where they're only shunned, outcasted, and humiliated for the choices they've made without getting any support from their loved ones. They carry not only a child but a years-long traumatic burden throughout their lifetimes.

There is a house for underage pregnant girls called Wellwood House in St. Augustine, Florida, where they are driven by their families, left there like dirty laundry to be cleaned. After the birth process resolves, they're reloaded into the car to drive back home, expected to move on with their lives as if nothing happened - as if birthing a baby and giving them to strangers, erasing the identity they created during their stay at Wellwood House, forgetting the other young mothers they connected with, were insignificant events.

Everything they consume is strictly controlled by doctors. Salt is forbidden, which pushes them to steal snacks. Smoking, on the other hand, is not forbidden, which helps the girls socialize during breaks.

We're introduced to Neva, only fifteen, who gets dropped off at the house by her father who fails to say goodbye. She meets the straight-laced, disciplined, mid-fifties Ms. Wellwood (probably never married), Nurse Kent (a slightly more approachable person watching the girls' every move), and Dr. Vincent, who puts the girls on harsh diets "for their own good" and advises them that when they feel pain, it's all in their heads.
Neva is advised not to share her real life, changing her name to Fern and concealing her hometown, pretending she's someone else to ease forgetting the time she'll spend in this house. She's told she'll never see her baby or the girls she shares the place with again.
She meets eccentric, rebellious, hippie Rose who is not even eighteen, sold out by her lover she'd planned to travel the world with for a high amount check. Zinnia, a colored, fifteen-year-old piano prodigy, plans to marry her baby's father. Holly, who prefers not to talk, bathe, or style her hair, is only fourteen, looking even younger than her age, and might have been raped at age 8 by their congregation's reverend, who is also the father of the child she's carrying.

These girls are trapped in this house by circumstances adults forced upon them. When they meet an eccentric librarian who shares a book about witchcraft, they see this as a solution for salvation and start planning to run away, live as a commune, and raise their children without being forced to build a family. They only want freedom, but everything comes with a price and punishment. The librarian lady, Ms. Parcae, is adamant about collecting their debts, starting with Fern. Nowhere is safe now!

Overall: This book is a slow-burn, thought-provoking young adult fiction with horror and supernatural elements, but compared to the author's previous works, this one is less scary and creepy. It's mostly about the journey of young mothers, the emotional and physical aspects they deal with, and the social boundaries they face in 1970s America, where the political climate changes during the Vietnam War, protests, house invasions, and crimes in LA, in the aftermath of the Nixon administration.

I loved the engaging storytelling about the misery of these young girls and their powerful stories. I think the most horrifying part of the book was the descriptions of birth, more so than the witch attacks. The birth is told realistically; the description of the pain the young women endure makes you shiver, reminding you of your own birth experiences. It's really shaking you to the core.
I enjoyed reading Fern, Holly, Rose, and Zinnia's stories. But I'm deducting one star because when I read about witchcraft, I was expecting more horrifying paranormal chapters that make you scream, but those parts are a little soft for my taste. Still, I enjoyed being part of the journey of these young mothers and the sentimental conclusion. I give it four stars, believing in the freedom of women who should decide what to do with their own bodies!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this epic novel's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

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[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heck yeah! Grady Hendrix always has these books with fabulous titles and super intriguing blurbs, and every single time I give in and pick one up I end up disappointed. This one, though … this one is absolutely fantastic. I've read some of the other reviews and everyone keeps on commenting about how very un-Grady Hendrix-y this particular book is, so maybe it's a fluke but I'll take it. It's feminist and witchy and heartwarming and heartbreaking and unputdownable and did I mention witchy?

I mean, there's a witch that moonlights as a librarian. Or a librarian that moonlights as a witch, I dunno. Probably the first one. But there's a librarian and a bookmobile and a witchy spell book and I am all about books that are about books. Not that this one is just about a book, mind you – it's also about patriarchy and helplessness and power and feminine rage. I was only alive for approximately 6.5 months of the 70s so I have no idea how accurate of a portrayal this book is of how unwed pregnant girls were treated in 1970, but it's absolutely enraging.

Be forewarned that this book includes some very graphic childbirth scenes. Sweet baby kittens on a cracker, I have never been so happy that my son was adopted in all my life. But if you've ever wanted to learn how many layers of muscle a doctor cuts through during an episiotomy, this is your book.

There's not much outright horror to be found here (well, other than the childbirth scenes mentioned above, ha), but there are a few delightfully creepy bits. Most of the “horror” has less to do with anything supernatural and more to do with how the young girls in this book are treated by the people in their lives and by society as a whole.

So, yeah. Great book. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is a little creepy and a lot enraging and kind of makes me want to go out and fight the patriarchy. Grady Hendrix might just make a fan out of me yet. 4.5 stars, rounded up.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is January 14, 2025.

[Simone James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read an early copy of this and I loved it.

[Claudia Lomelí · Rating 4 out of 5]

Con este libro, ya leí todas las novelas de Grady Hendrix (me falta su libro de no ficción y sus historias cortas). Debo decidir cuál es mi favorita de todas, pero por ahora mi ranking va algo así:

6. Vendimos nuestras almas
5. Horrorstör
4. Grupo de apoyo para final girls
3. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls
2. El exorcismo de mi mejor amiga
1. La guía del club de lectura para matar vampiros / Cómo vender una casa embrujada

[Maxwell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Neva Craven is a 15 year old unwed pregnant girl in 1970 in Alabama. At the start of the novel she's being taken by her father to 'stay with her aunt for the summer' a.k.a. shipped off to Wellwood House, a home for 'wayward girls' to wait out their pregnancies, give the babies up for adoption, and then return home as if nothing ever happened. When Neva arrives she is renamed 'Fern' (all the girls must adopt floral monikers) and told to keep personal details to herself. Under the questionable care of Miss Wellwood, a rule-following nurse, a creepy male doctor, and a social worker, the girls bide their time by smoking cigarettes (it's 1970 after all), watching television, doing chores, and never leaving the property. But when a chance encounter with a library on wheels provides Fern and her friends with a spell book, they are ready to take fate into their own hands and fix the power imbalance they've suffered under for too long.

As Fern and the other girls experiment with spells, the line between innocent mischief and real danger begins to blur. Strange occurrences start to rattle the staff, and secrets about Wellwood House's dark history come to light. Will Fern and her friends be able to harness this newfound power to break free? Or will the forces they've awakened prove too unpredictable—and too dangerous—to control? What is the true nature of Wellwood House, and how far will Fern go to reclaim her own story?

Similar to Grady Hendrix's other novels, there is a definite campy quality to this horror story. It's both evocative of the times and yet takes a modern critical lens to it as well in a way that is both harrowing and hilarious. The fate of these young girls, many of whom did not ask to be in these positions, is terrifying and their helplessness at the hands of both well-meaning and more sinister adults is palpable.

Of course, when Hendrix writes a disturbing scene, it does its job and disturbs. There are some truly gruesome and uncomfortable moments in this book that he wrote excellently, but be warned: if you are sensitive to anything pregnancy-related, horror-fied or not, this book may not be for you. Even natural birth scenes were depicted in a way that felt like horror scenes, and there are a couple of more amplified moments surrounding childbirth that definitely were upsetting. Whether that is received well by readers or not will depend on their threshold for the imagery and message its trying to convey.

However, I took quite a few issues with this story, namely the pacing and character development (or lack thereof). The first 20-30% of this novel is quite slow; it reads more like a historical coming of age and spends A LOT of time on the set-up, introducing you to nearly a dozen primary characters in this pages. Many of these characters were girls at the home and from the start were nearly indistinguishable from one another. Over time you do get a sense of who is more important to the story and focusing on those makes it easier to follow; but I think the book could've seriously cut out a significant number of pages and minor characters in the opening act to push the story forward at a more engaging pace, similar to his other books.

Fern herself was also a fairly vanilla main character. She had no real personality from the start that endeared me to her; and her growth over the story was almost completely lacking until the last 10% or so. Rose, one of her friends, was far more interesting and I think shifting perspectives or making a different character the main one we follow, someone with more interesting qualities would have made this more enjoyable for me. I can see the concept of using someone like Fern as a stand-in for the reader--someone not divisive, someone who serves as a canvas on which the other characters could paint their perspectives, someone who simply narrates--but I prefer his characters that have a bit more personality to them.

Another major issue I had with this book was how he wrote about Black characters. Another reviewer called out his 'use of token black characters and the Magical Negro Trope' and I couldn't agree more. From his first description of a Black character (a maid who only pops up to solve problems and has no other identifiable characteristics) I was uncomfortable with how he continually utilized Black characters in service of the white character's story. The problem comes especially when the campy, silly tone and attitude he has over the story as a whole began to overlap with his portrayal of characters who become nothing more than stereotypes.

I really wanted to love this one, and while reading it I thought it was fine and never felt like giving up on it, by about the 60% mark I knew this was not going to be a hit for me, and sadly the ending (other than the prologue which was very moving!) did nothing to save this book for me.

[Rowan · Rating 1 out of 5]

teenage pregnant girls suffering for 500 pages—that’s it. that’s the whole book.

i never dnf books. no matter how bad a book is, I push through and finish. But this one? I kept wanting to put it down. Over and over again, I’d think, “Why am I even reading this?” It was such a frustrating and underwhelming experience that I’m genuinely annoyed I even finished it.
We are at the first month of the year yet this will definitely be in my worst top 5 books this year. if not all time..

— the story kicks off with a 15-year-old girl who gets pregnant out of wedlock. Of course, this being set in a time where that’s considered a huge scandal, she’s abandoned and sent to a home for other girls in the same situation. That’s basically the premise: a group of pregnant, ostracized girls suffering together in a bleak, hopeless setting.

From the cover and title, I seriously thought this was going to be a book about witches. like a dark, atmospheric tale of witchcraft and horror. I didn’t even read the blurb, but honestly, can you blame me? The marketing screamed witchy vibes. But nope. The “witchcraft” part was Maybe 5% of the book. And even that felt like it was just thrown in there for no reason.

➸ now, let’s talk about the whole pregnancy thing. Personally, I’m fine with brief mentions of pregnancy in stories, but this book DIVES into it. Full-on, graphic, unpleasant details about every ugly part of it. morning sickness, the emotional weight, even giving birth. And let me tell you, the birthing scenes made me so uncomfortable I had to put the book down multiple times. and this is coming from someone who nearly never gets triggered by dark fiction. Like, I can read some seriously messed-up stuff and be fine. But this? It was just too much.

The characters were another huge letdown. Not one of them felt compelling or interesting. I didn’t care about their happiness or their suffering. They just… existed on the page, and I couldn’t connect with any of them. There’s also this subplot about astrology that starts off intriguing—I thought, “Oh, maybe this is going to tie into the witchcraft element!” Nope. It’s just one girl who’s obsessed with zodiac signs, to the point where I half expected her to start asking random inanimate objects, “What’s your sign?”

— and then there’s the ending. Oh my god. The ending was just the worst. Holly, the girl who arguably suffers the most throughout the book, is basically handed over to the witches (yes, NOW the witches show up, right at the end) to uphold some weird, vague tradition of theirs. So now she’s being physically and mentally abused even further. What was the point of all that suffering if there’s no resolution, no justice, no silver lining?

➸ Overall, the entire book feels pointless. There’s no plot to really pull you in, no characters to root for, and no satisfying payoff at the end. And the fact that it was written by a man? Oh, that part had me laughing. Of course!! only a man would write a 500-page book about nothing but women suffering, with no purpose or takeaway. I kept asking myself, “What is this book trying to say? What’s the message here?” And even now, as I’m writing this review, I still have no idea.

Save yourself the frustration and skip this one.



— ARC provided by the publisher berkley publishing group.

[megs_bookrack ((struggling to catch up)) · Rating 3 out of 5]

**3.5-stars**

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls was easily one of my most anticipated releases of 2025. In fact, I was so excited for it, I started it a month early; not my normal process.

Unfortunately, it didn't quite hit the way I thought it would.



This story, set in the Summer of 1970, follows a group of unwed teen mothers-to-be residing at the Wellwood Home for Girls in St. Augustine, Florida. It's there that the girls will live throughout the full-term of their pregnancy.

Once their babies are born, in the majority of cases, they're adopted out, and the girls can return back to their regular lives like nothing ever happened.



For those of you thinking it's probably not as simple as all that, you'd be right.

We meet 15-year old, Fern (not her real name), on her long and silent ride to the Wellwood Home. We follow her as she settles in, makes friends and tries to navigate all going on with her body and her life; neither any longer in her control.

As Fern is struggling in these new depths of despair, she meets a traveling librarian with a special occult book about witchcraft, that offers a chance for Fern, and the other girls, to reclaim their power and autonomy.



As we all know, nothing comes for free, but these girls are about to learn that lesson the hard way. Before they know it, they're in the greatest battle of their lives, not just with familial and societal expectations, but with powers much darker and more dangerous than any they've known before.

Y'all, I get it. I do and I'm in the minority opinion here, but I found this so incredibly boring. Around the 65%-point, we started to have some moments where I was fully-engaged, but even those ultimately felt too drawn out.

This took me 7-weeks to finish. I read like 30-other books in that same time period. Once I would set it down, there was nothing drawing me back again. It hurts to say this because of how much I love Grady Hendrix, but it's true.



As mentioned above, it did pick up for me in the second-half, when things started to get more dangerous and gruesome, but overall, I just feel like it wasn't the right story for my tastes.

The writing itself is fluid and easy to read. Additionally, there is some strong body horror, and the antagonists are disturbing and well-developed, which we love to see.

I also enjoyed the time period and setting that Hendrix chose for this one. I feel like that did add to the overall tone of the story. I also enjoyed the found family elements amongst the girls in the home.



Clearly, there were aspects I appreciated, I just couldn't help but walk away feeling disappointed. Maybe it's my own fault for building this one up in my head for so long, IDK.

Regardless, I'm still huge Hendrix fan and will continue to pick up every story he writes. Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

[Brittany’sBoundByBloodBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book cast a spell on me from the very first page, witch is exactly what I was hoping for! Grady Hendrix has conjured an absolute masterpiece with Witchcraft for Wayward Girls: a bewitching blend of feminist fire, dark humor, and heart-wrenching storytelling that I simply couldn’t put a hex on, I mean, down.

Set in the oppressive heat of 1970s St. Augustine, Florida, the story follows Fern, a fifteen-year-old pregnant girl sent to the Wellwood Home, where society’s so called “wayward girls” are meant to be forgotten. But forget this book? No witching way. From the moment Fern meets Rose, the free-spirited hippie; Zinnia, the hopeful musician; and Holly, the quiet enigma, I was fully spellbound. Each character is layered with depth, pain, and power, girls' society tried to silence but who find their voices through friendship, rebellion, and magic.

And let’s talk about the impeccable dialogue. Every conversation crackles like a cauldron over an open flame, witty, sharp, and so authentic it bewitched my heart. Hendrix’s humor is devilishly clever, offering levity in all the right places without ever detracting from the gut-punching emotional moments. It’s feminist, witchy, heartwarming, and heartbreaking all at once, a perfect potion of horror and humanity.

But the real magic begins when Fern stumbles upon a book of witchcraft, unlocking a power that has long been denied to her and the other girls. It’s a power that uplifts, but also demands a price. Hendrix’s exploration of power, who has it, who is denied it, and what it costs, is nothing short of spellbinding. The balance between creation and destruction, freedom and consequence, is handled with unholy brilliance.

This novel is a cauldron full of everything I love: feminist rage, found family, deliciously dark twists, and moments so tender they’ll break your heart into pieces small enough for a ritual circle. It’s a page-turner, a soul-tugger, and an absolute triumph. The misery of these young women is woven into a story that is both devastating and empowering, a reminder that there’s power in stories, and sometimes, power in blood.

Grady Hendrix has once again proven himself a witch doctor of words, crafting a narrative so engaging, so bewitchingly good, that I am utterly hexed with love for it. If you’re looking for a book that’s sharp, smart, and absolutely magical, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is the spell you didn’t know you needed.

Warning: Reading this book may result in late-night obsession, emotional devastation, and an overwhelming desire to join a coven.

🧹🧹🧹🧹🧹-5 out of 5 broomsticks!

[MagretFume · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely gut wrenching.
The story follows a group of pregnant teenage girls before abortion was an option.
The fantastic writing really makes you feel what it is like to be in this situation, rejected by society and your family.
To be only allowed to feel shame, to be alone, scared and denied any voice or choice.

The horror aspects are great, both the very graphic body horror and the more psychological interaction with the witches. I loved that the plot was the direct consequence of the characters being deprived of any support or help from the adults who should protect them.

This is a very powerful story, and it will stay with me for some time.

[LTJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Witchcraft for Wayward Girls” by Grady Hendrix is a novel I couldn’t wait to read. I’ve always enjoyed reading books about witches, and knowing this would be Hendrix’s first book about them made me even more excited to read this. Needless to say, it’s another solid book where Hendrix shines as a horror author.

Before I begin my review, here are all the trigger warnings I found while reading…

- Underage pregnancy
- Smoking while pregnant
- Inappropriate sexual behavior
- Rape
- Predatory behavior
- Sexual assault
- Miscarriage
- Physical abuse
- Mental abuse

If any of these trigger you, please don’t read this novel. Moving along, this was a fun book to read, especially for those who also love anything about witches and witchcraft. Hendrix once again wrote another horror gem with incredible character building. I truly felt what all the girls in this novel went through, especially Fern.

Underage pregnancy is a sensitive topic, and Hendrix made you feel exactly what they went through, given the circumstances they were in. There is also a lot of story-building here, which makes it have a very slow start before the eventual horror hits. It’s worth the slow burn for the most part.

While reading this, the only setback was that the dialogue was too heavy. I don’t mind conversations between characters, but in “Witchcraft for Wayward Girls,” there was a bit too much talking happening where nothing was going on except dialogue.

Once I hit the 20% mark, things started to pick up. The body horror throughout this novel was fantastic and some of the best I’ve ever read. I made many weird faces while reading these parts, but I wish this novel had more horror scenes. Still, regardless, Hendrix has a brilliant writing style that mixes story, engaging characters, crazy horror, funny moments, and a lot of emotion. That’s one of the many reasons why he’s one of my favorite horror authors today.

I also love when Hendrix mentions his usual fun references while reading. Seeing him mention Led Zeppelin, Rosemary’s Baby, and even Gilligan’s Island was fantastic. Heading into a novel like this, I expected a lot more horror around witchcraft, and there was some, but not enough. I did enjoy having a deeper understanding of witchcraft and spells, which added a creepier element to what all the girls went through. Everything from covens and spellbooks added to the immersion. I just wish there was a lot more of that and less dialogue.

I would never spoil anything for anyone, but I was expecting a lot more when I reached the end. There was an interesting plot twist and some fun witch vs. witch madness, but it didn’t blow me away. It was decent, to say the least. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t extraordinary either.

I give “Witchcraft for Wayward Girls” by Grady Hendrix a 4/5. I enjoyed the body horror, learning about the history of witchcraft, the characters, and the story. The few witchcraft spells used in this novel were great but left me wanting more. If it had a bit more horror, especially with witchcraft and not so much the body horror around pregnancies and giving birth, this would have been a perfect 5/5 in my book. Either way, it’s still a very good horror novel, and once again, as is the case in every Hendrix book he delivers. You won’t be disappointed, but keep in mind it’s a slow-burn kind of book that, if you’re patient enough with, you’ll enjoy.

Just remember, a real witch is never alone.

IEO VEO VEO VEOV OROV OV OVOVO

[Court Zierk · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️s

I love Grady Hendrix. I don’t love witch stuff. The marriage of the two landed about where I thought it might, in the middling recesses of my literary preferences.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC, and the opportunity to provide an honest review.

I thought this book was boring. It wasn’t for me. It has many of the archetypal Grady Hendrix imprints, but lacked the charm of his other books I love. I do appreciate the care with which he handled a difficult set of issues. I think he demonstrated a willingness that most male authors wouldn’t to take on an empathetic and authentically female perspective. This is to be commended.

But, this book was not fun in any way, and that’s what I come to Grady Hendrix books for. I want to feel that indescribable, campy, preposterous, funkiness that his stories exude…

The good…
I mean the man can write. There’s no doubt about his mastery of the craft. He somehow manages to put an elegant shape to a story that’s told in an unassuming form. He rarely delves into the interiority of any character, yet you somehow come to know them. He knows how to wrap a B-movie story into blockbuster packaging.

The less good…

I was frustrated by all the indecisiveness by this “coven”. Either witch or get off the pot. I also didn’t need to spend so many pages detailing the spells themselves. Eaaaaowooow wooodooo bollygog. Not necessary for me. This book was 100 pages too long. Way too much time spent on non-propulsive plot events.

And hail. So much hail.

To read, or not to read…
I think this book will hit different for most than it did for me. You should read anything this man puts out. I’m just being grumpy about witches… and hail apparently.

[Fairuz ᥫ᭡. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whew, this book was a ride, and not in the way I hoped. Let me just preface this by saying this was my first book by Grady Hendrix, so I didn’t know what to expect, but Witchcraft for Wayward Girls left me more confused than amazed.

First things first—this isn’t your usual witchy chaos. I went in expecting some camp, dark humor, and magical mayhem. Instead, what I got was a heavy, bleak tale of pregnant teens in a suffocating, oppressive system. No fun, no funk, just endless suffering with a sprinkle of magic that took way too long to show up. 🧙‍♀️✨

Let’s talk about the good stuff because it wasn’t all bad. Grady can WRITE. His ability to paint a vivid scene and create layered characters is undeniable. Fern, Rose, and Zinnia felt so real, and I was rooting for them even when the story dragged. The witchcraft moments—when they finally appeared—were eerie and compelling, and the commentary on power dynamics? Chef’s kiss. 👏 But here’s the thing: I didn’t pick this up for a grim social critique. I wanted witches wreaking havoc, and instead, I got…hail? So much hail.

The pacing was a slog for me. It takes forever for the witchy elements to kick in, and even then, they’re buried under pages of overly detailed spells and endless suffering. By the time things picked up, I was already exhausted from all the misery and trauma. And don’t get me started on the birthing scenes. THREE of them, all horrifically graphic and drawn-out. Why, Grady? WHY? 😩

The ending tried to pull everything together, but I left feeling unsure about its message. Are we fully rooting for the witches? Condemning them? One thing’s clear—the book leans pro-choice, which I appreciated, but the stance on witchcraft feels a bit muddled. It celebrates their power but also highlights their darker sides, leaving room for interpretation. 🤔

In conclusion, if you’re okay with a slow burn and a heavy, despair-laden narrative, this might work for you. But if you’re here for fun witchy vibes, you might want to look elsewhere. For me, this was a 2.5-star read. Not terrible, but not the magical experience I was hoping for. 🪄

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Daughter, student, whore — they change you into whatever they need you to be. Choose for yourself. For once in your life.”

Grady Hendrix has served us horror with heart and history, wrapped in teen angst, occult vibes, and just enough blood to make you cringe with satisfaction.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls drops us in sunny 1970s Florida, where girls who “have gotten themselves into trouble” are locked away in a maternity home with no names, no rights, and absolutely no voice. It’s a fictional setting, but make no mistake, this really happened. Thousands of real young women were hidden away like family secrets, forced to give birth and surrender their babies to keep up appearances. It’s chilling because it’s true.

Enter Fern (Neva), a girl who’s smart, sharp, and furious. She and a group of other “wayward” girls discover a book on witchcraft and not the fluffy crystals and tea kind. This is the gritty, “I’ll hex your bones” kind of magic, and it works. At first it’s a lifeline, a way to push back against their cruel captors. But as you’d expect, every spell comes with a steep price and not everyone makes it out unscathed.

What makes this book sing is how it threads real life injustice, forced adoptions, the erasure of unwed mothers, institutional cruelty into the kind of visceral, pulpy horror that Hendrix is known for. You’ll feel angry, vindicated, and maybe a little creeped out by just how satisfying it is when the girls fight back.

This isn’t just witchcraft, it’s rage alchemy and it’s done brilliantly.

If you like your horror soaked in historical truth, powered by female fury, and spiked with the occasional demonic consequence, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls casts one hell of a spell!

I Highly Recommend

4.5

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: A historical horror fantasy – mostly historical, occasionally (body) horror, slightly fantasy. Interesting character development, great themes, plenty of chills and thrills and triggers. Slowburn most of the way. Not sure if this will satisfy hardcore horror fans, but it worked quite well for this historical-fiction-loving scaredy-cat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Plot Preview:

1970. Florida. When the parents of fifteen-year-old Fern discover her pregnancy, they drop her off against her will to Wellwood House, a place for unwed girls to be hidden away from their families, have their babies in secrets, give them up for adoption, and then return to the world as if nothing has changed. Fern is petrified of being alone and pregnant, but she soon discovers that she isn’t the only one in this predicament. She soon becomes close to some of the other girls, even though each of them are different from each other in background and ideals. Their daily routine is strictly monitored by the staff of Wellwood, but when Fern gets an unsanctioned book from the visiting mobile librarian, she discovers a hidden power she didn’t guess possible. But is it really that easy to play with dark magic? Does this kind of power come with a penalty?
The story comes to us in Fern’s third-person perspective.

I have never read Grady Hendrix before. And to be perfectly honest, I never thought I would! Nothing against him, but he specialises in horror, and I have a very low threshold for contemporary horror, which is often dominated by gore. However, when my dear Goodreads friend Esta showered her praises on this book, I took a closer look at the blurb and discovered its central theme of unwed pregnant girls getting back at the world, which appealed to the historical fiction fan in me. Thus I took a tentative step towards this author’s work, and the result has been mostly satisfying.


Bookish Yays:
💐 The quotes at the start of the book, taken from actual magazines - wow! Unbelievable that such ignorance lasted even till 2005! (And probably continues even today in many places.)

💐 The first-person prologue by a then-unknown narrator makes for a strong start. (PSA: Read it once again after you complete the book. You’ll appreciate it even more.)

💐 An intriguing cast of pregnant youngsters, all of whom are youngsters forced into adult situations and making the best that they can. It was interesting to see how each of them coped with their traumatic situation differently: some withering inwards and some exploding with feminine rage. My heart broke several times, especially for Holly, but unlike in historical fiction where my feelings often veer more towards the emotional, this time I actually felt the rage of these girls.

💐 Some well-crafted older characters as well. Though not all of them are explored in detail and most are definitely not likeable, their presence and actions lend the required darkness to the plot.

💐 The details about Wellwood house and how it was run – quite realistic. I liked the idea of using floral monikers for each of the young inmates.

💐 The focus on social attitudes towards unwed pregnancies and how “it’s always the girl’s fault“. I don’t need to reveal any historical facts about the heinous laws that deny women control over their own bodies. The book is set before Roe vs. Wade, but so many of the situations and reactions faced by the girls in this story are still present today.

💐 While there are several books with witchy elements, this was among the few that actually makes good use of those elements. The witchy stuff was actually witchy! (Reminder: I haven’t read much horror and am writing this point from a historical fiction reader’s perspective.)

💐 The core “horror” in this book to me was not the witchy content but the scenes with labour and child delivery – yikes! They were so brutally realistic to read that I felt like I myself was going through labour yet again. Fair warning: those scenes might scare you off (natural) childbirth for life! I’m so glad I was done with all that before reading this book! 😆 The only reason I am writing this under Yays is that I am stunned at the level of accuracy in the detailing of labour and delivery. That is to say, I can’t believe the author is a man! 🤭


Bookish Mixed Bags:
🌹 The book is much of a slowburn. In fact, the first 30-35% is just regular historical fiction. (Which was fine for me but will bug horror fans.) Just as I began wondering if I had got the genre wrong, the creepy stuff started making an appearance, but this was more continual than continuous. Basically, when things get creepy, they get reaaallllllyyyyy creeeeepppyyyyyy; you just need to have a good amount of patience during the rest of the story. Most of the horror is body horror, with minor elements of the supernatural.

🌹 The epilogue left me with mixed feelings. It's a good ending in the sense that it offers a much-deserved closure to the arcs. However, it just doesn’t read like a horror novel’s culmination, giving more women's fiction vibes.


Bookish Nays:
🌵 Fern’s character development is a bit ad hoc. I couldn’t get a handle on her personality because her decisions seemed to swing randomly.

🌵 The generalisations. Everyone who is connected to religion is vehemently evil. Every parent is a stonehearted jerk who feels no pain dumping their pregnant daughters in a home. Every white adult is self-centred and every Black adult is knowledgeable and helpful. Plus, the Black characters use some kind of voodoo-style beliefs. I am not fond of such cliched one-note portrayals.


All in all, despite my issues with a part of the content and characterisations, I am mostly satisfied with my first Grady Hendrix work. I obviously have nothing to compare it with as I have no idea about his general plots or writing style. But I strongly feel that this book will be better suited for historical fiction fans with a penchant for horror than for horror fiction lovers with a liking for historical fiction.

Recommended to those who can handle it, AND have a fondness for feminist themes, AND don’t mind slowburn stories, AND preferably already have kids or don’t ever want to have kids! There are plenty of triggers, but mainly beware if you are wary of gore or child abuse content.

4 stars.


My thanks to Pan Macmillan and Tor Nightfire for providing the DRC of “Witchcraft for Wayward Girls” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

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[Krysta ꕤ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ☆

my first Grady Hendrix book was a bit of a fail and i think it’s half my fault cause i didn’t read the synopsis. i’m not someone who enjoys reading about pregnancy in general, so the focus on teen pregnancy didn’t hold my interest in any shape or form. i think if the witchy/horror elements were more prevalent in the story, then i might’ve had a better chance of liking this book but who knows. the characters were very one dimensional and the pace was too slow, it just felt like it was missing something for me. there were some choices made by the author that felt off and by the end of the story, i was completely out of patience and just wanted to finish it. i’m still looking forward to trying his other works, but this one just wasn’t for me at all unfortunately.

↝ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Berkley Publishing Group for the arc, all opinions are my own.

[Melissa]

THE WAY I SCREAMED AT THIS TITLE FROM *GRADY HENDRIX*

[Mel]

DNF @ 26%

who knows— maybe i’ll pick this up again at some point, but i’m choosing peace in 2025, and that sadly means to DNF this…

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read a few Grady Hendrix books, this is definitely my favourite. It's more emotional than I've come to expect from him. 1970, a bunch of pregnant teenage girls, sent away to give birth and give up their babies. The story is less about witchcraft and more about the girls circumstances, the vulnerability and lack of autonomy, and the friendships that form.

[Jan Agaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

no one is more shocked than me. this was chock-full of pregnancy, births, umbilical cords, placenta, etc. and yet...😱 link to spoiler-filled vlog: https://youtu.be/ZoE_c0rO0qM

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly remarkable. It's rare for a book to leave me speechless but that's what Grady Hendrix did here. It took me a while to even gather my thoughts enough after finishing it to write a review. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is different from his prior works. It is not any less good but it has more of a serious tone than his prior works that contain dark humor.

This story made me grateful to be alive in this day and time. To be a girl cast out from all of your family while you're in such a vulnerable state and not to be allowed to make any decisions is just unthinkable. Grady Hendrix gives these girls a voice with his remarkable storytelling talent. I enjoyed getting to know all of the ‘wayward’ girls, especially our main character Fern. Even though the book is 496 pages long, I flew through it in no time.

As far as the horror, it's there. The witch element added a chilling side but there is a birthing scene that im sure will terrify most male readers. However, the most terrifying part of the story is the fact that it is based on history and pregnant teenage girls were sent away to have their babies only to have them ripped away from them.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix will be available on January 14, 2025. A massive thanks to Berkley Pub and NetGalley for the gifted copy!

[Ghoul Von Horror · Rating 4 out of 5]

TW/CW: Language, teenage pregnancy, use of slut, toxic family relationships, abortion (attempt), physical abuse, child sexual abuse, abusive family, gaslighting, grooming, cancer, depression, anxiety, racism, sexism, misogamy

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. Under the watchful eye of the stern Miss Wellwood, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. There’s Rose, a hippie who insists she’s going to find a way to keep her baby and escape to a commune. And Zinnia, a budding musician who knows she’s going to go home and marry her baby’s father. And Holly, a wisp of a girl, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one-knows-who.

Everything the girls eat, every moment of their waking day, and everything they’re allowed to talk about is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know what’s best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and it’s never given freely. There’s always a price to be paid…and it’s usually paid in blood.
Release Date: January 14th, 2025
Genre: Horror
Pages: 496
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
1. Loved the writing
2. The story was so good
3. Characters were so flushed out
4. Reads fast

What I Didn't Like:
1. Book feels too long
2. Two graphic birthing scenes
3. Some parts were disturbing

Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}

Since absolutely comical that all the parents have told everybody that the girls are away with an aunt. All an aunt.

"Kids in Ohio were getting shot by the National Guard. Kids in Los Angeles were breaking into houses and killing everybody they found."
How are they mentioning these two different events that took place so far from one another? August 1969 was the Charlies Manson deaths and May 1970 is the Kent State shootings. Some of the girls were already so far along pregnancy that they would have had their kids well before May 1970, but it's not mentioned.

Miss. Parcre is smart. She gives them a taste of the magic and shows up to say that she'll help the girls understand more of the book if they pledge their obedience to her.

Wow Holly actually said something. Turns out Holly's been molested by the Reverend Jerry since she was 8 years old and no one has believed her despite telling her mother, her father, and her sister. Then the Reverend lied and said somebody else in her choir class got her pregnant. And everyone believed him because they love him. Oh my God and his wife Helen would help prepare Holly for Reverend Jerry before he would sexually assault her. Plus now Reverend Jerry wants to adopt the baby and Holly is worried when the baby turns eight that help continue the cycle of abuse to her child. What a real piece of work.

“You’ll look like this one day,” she said. “They hate us enough . Don’t let them make you hate yourselves, too.”
What a great line. And it's so true. Why judge somebody because they've just gotten older and their body has changed everything is inevitable.

Trying to understand why now Zinnia is now against the book just because a glossary is there, but wasn't bothered standing around a fire naked and doing a blood oath denouncing God.

I found the section of Fern thinking about Holly being sexually assaulted by the Reverend and thinking about her bleeding very uncomfortable. Sometimes I wonder about why the author writes these things. Honestly I don't think a girl would wonder these things about a girl being sexually assaulted. It's not like Holly chose to have sex at 8 years old so it would be weird that Fern would be thinking about it in that way.

Thought it was great that Rose put up a fight about not giving birth to Blossom just because the doctor wanted her to get it over with. This is how a lot of hospitals run things. The doctors always want to have the baby early they say it's to protect the baby but for thousands of years women have been giving birth up to the point of when the baby's ready to come out. Suddenly in the last 100 years babies have to be told when to come out just because it's convenient for the doctor. It did make me sad though that Rose's water broke in the middle of that argument because she had such a valid point. It's hard to say though if roses point was more about that she didn't want to have the baby right now because she was scared she wasn't going to get to keep Blossom or if it was more about the principle of it.

We all knew that Rose wasn't going to get to keep her baby but the fact that they said she was incompetent and unable to think logically because she wanted to keep the baby is like such a witchcraft way of thinking. How like back in the days if you sunk you weren't a witch but if you floated you were a witch so it's a no win situation. Of course if you sunk you died but you were proven not a witch. Poor Rose all she wanted was the baby.

Miss. Wellwood is cursed with pregnancy at 50 plus years old but we also find out that she had previously been pregnant once before. When she was 28 she was pregnant to a man named Charles who she was swindled into believing was a traveling salesman but was actually a man who fixed the pipes at the church. She decides to not keep the baby so she goes to Columbia and never thinks about the baby again. I just confused cuz it says that they were going to get married but her father said he wouldn't honor the marriage so that's why she decided to not keep the baby and get married. I mean she was almost 30 it's not like she was destitute. I know it was a different time so it was weird to get pregnant outside of being married, but I found her life a little odd. If she was going to get married what did it matter if she was pregnant? She wouldn't have baby outside of wedlock.

I wish it was more explained why Hager knows magic...spells and stuff. She says that she grew up in the area and just knows. I grew up in an area with tractors but do you think I can just turn one on and off I go baling hay - nope. There's a part of me that was disturbed by this because I started wondering if because she's Black that's why she knows magic but then that felt wrong for the author to include. Like there's this stereotype (The Magical Negro) that all Black people know magic and help save the day. I'm hoping the author isn't implying that here but feels odd that the two Black characters are the ones that know magic and aren't merely here in this book to save the white people.

The knocking on the door - does Nurse Kent think that both phones are on a different lines? Why would she think if the phone downstairs doesn't work the one in the office would?

Okay okay there is a very graphic birthing section for Fern. I don't want nor need to read about her 15 year old vagina being exposed and cut. Also also reading about the episiotomy made me hurt so badly. Ferns whole birthing section just felt weird to me knowing this man wrote about a young girls body in a way at times that felt kind of sexual. The doctor then gives Fern two extra stitches so her "husband" won't know she gave birth. Ew.

Well now we know that Fern is an unfit parent - keeping the name Charlie Brown for her daughter. What a bad name. Seriously, I mean Charlie is a cute girls name but Charlie Brown. No.

Fern is suddenly having a change of mind in wanting to keep Charlie. I'm kind of hoping that Miss. Parcae will show up and Fern decides to go with her to keep the baby and then they get Holly too.
No Fern turned into this stone faced person that did sign her daughter away and didn't want to help anyone.

Another birthing scene only this time with Holly that's 20 pages long. That's insane! Not all of the births need to be graphic. I guess the author was trying to show the differences in birthing that Fern and Holly had; Fern's was very sterile and clinical while Holly's was raw and animalistic. In any case it was way too long and honestly boring to me. We don't need 20 pages of someone giving birth, we know what birth entails.

In the end though it was nice because Holly actually got to go away with the coven and keep your baby. I'm happy she got the happy ending she needed. Plus we find out that with her powers she was able to get Jerry to admit to what he did to her and other girls.

Final Thoughts:
When I say I was hooked on this book I am not lying. I hung onto every word that was written. I was enthralled by the story and drawn in with the characters. This has to be my favorite Grady Hendrix's book written.

There is so much commentary in this book and heavy subjects that happen within it. The author talks about how women are the ones that pay the debt when pregnancy happens but the men continue to have the same life with no disruptions. And this is so true. Who pays the price when a woman gets pregnant? Certainly not the man they can just take off with no ties. I can't even imagine being pregnant at that time when men could deny paternity and just label you as some kind of slut who's trying to lie about who the father of her child is. It made me sad though when the author pointed out that things had changed with these houses because Roe had come into play and now we don't even have that anymore so are we doomed to repeat our mistakes and have these houses returned for women who have nowhere to go and cannot take care of a child, but are forced to give birth?

My heart broke for the characters. I felt for them with each chapter that happened and everything that happened to them I felt so terrible for them. Not only are they forced to give birth to these children they may or may not want but then they're also forced to work in this house up to two weeks of giving birth. Then rushed to the hospital to give birth in the most unhumane way possible.

Would have loved to found out what happened to Zinnia. For some reason she doesn't get an update and we don't learn what happened to her. She have the baby? Did she get to keep the baby? How did she handle all this while being a Black girl? Author never really dives into how she handles things. She just plays a supporting role to all the white people. It kind of felt like a lot of the Black people in this book were just here to save some white people honestly.

So I will say that there was some things that did bother me about this book.
• The book is way too long. There was just too much filler that I felt could have been removed. The book felt like it went on and on for no real purpose.
• Reading about these young girls 14, 15, 17 being exposed so many times and naked kind of got on my nerves. Like we get it one time you can just say they're naked two times but when we're up to like the 20th mark of reading about them being naked it felt disturbing.
• The birthing scenes kind of bother me in ways they were described. Sometimes they were drawn out too long and sometimes they were so graphic to the point where they felt almost pornographic to the young characters. I wasn't comfortable with this in moments because it was a male writing about these young girls. I just feel like some of it could have been cut. I didn't need to read about a 15 year olds vulva being exposed to a crowd of people - it felt very wrong. And yes I know she was giving birth and this is the clinical term for a woman's anatomy, but the way it was written seemed off and not clinical feeling, almost like a why would the author write that in kind of feeling.

IG | Blog

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[len ❀ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like a book is extra disappointing when you had a strong feeling that you were going to love it.

I personally think it’s cool that Grady Hendrix wrote a story like this one. Considering his other titles and works and how he takes some important concepts like this become eye-opening and entertaining to many, it brings some sort of awareness to the topic. In this case, pregnancy, unwed mothers, maternity homes, and abortion relations. Taking place two years before Roe v. Wade was decided, the topic can be tricky, but Grandy brings it into view with more than just contemporary and political issues, which I found to be fascinating. Unfortunately, there’s not much else of this I found fascinating.

Maybe if I had known the author would focus a lot more on the politics and maternity homes aspect more than the witchcraft, then maybe I would have enjoyed this more, but sadly I was looking forward to the witches part of it quite a lot. Unfortunately, I found the witchcraft and paranormal aspect of it quite lazily done.

Most of the story is focused on the negative side effects of pregnancy, as well as talk on power. Not having read any of this author’s previous works before aside, it’s easy to admit that he takes this topic with a lot of consideration and doesn’t hold back on the gory side of pregnancy. As a woman who does not want to have children, this pretty much reaffirmed my decision on that. And while a lot has changed since then, everything these girls experience is not something I want to go through but know happens. I’ve seen a lot of people comment on the fact that the author is a man but, unpopular opinion, I think him being a man and writing this the way he did actually shows Grady is on our side. I never felt this too be “preachy,” and I never felt like the author write this stereotypically. Everything felt so real and vivid, and I think this portrayal of pregnancy but also power is simply necessary. But while we see the girls suffering in every way, left and right, it felt like that is all this is? The book almost clocks 500 pages and all we really see is the girls suffering their pregnancies, suffering pains, being on forced restrictions, not having a say on what they want or who, etc,. Once again, this could have been the point the author was trying to make, but at what point did it become too much? And I’m not talking about the suffering and gore. Me personally, it didn’t bother me at all. However, with a story ending at 482 pages, the story spends most of its time focused on nothing but watching the girls lose any power they had left until the end. The way I thought this would be would be that witchcraft would actually be something the girls used to gain power. With what setting and time this takes place in, and the heavy themes of teen pregnancies and such, I was expecting to root for these girls to have a resource they could hold for themselves to use against all those who have abused them in any sort of way.

But you know what happens? Not that! We see the girls use witchcraft only two times. Yup, two!! Once on Dr. Vincent, and another on Miss Wellwood. Perhaps I missed another spell? Wouldn’t believe it. For the rest of the story, we see everything we had seen from the beginning.

There is absolutely no character development on none of the girls, but especially our main character, Fern (Neva). Feeling sympathy for them was easy, but rooting for them until the end became draining. I kept reading to find out if there was going to be a change in their personality, but nothing happens between the girls that makes them stand out. Fern remains the same throughout the entire story. Even when she is at her most crucial, intimate, and scary moment of her life (giving birth to her daughter at the age of 15), there is no power in any of the words the author writes. This isn’t to say I don’t feel bad for any of these girls and that my heart doesn’t break for them, but there was nothing I could see in Fern, or any of the other girls, but especially Fern, that made me root for her and made me believe and think she was going to save herself, and I blame the author for this. He never once really gives any justice and power to Fern even if that was the point. All these girls suffered in different ways, yet we never see them fight or resist.

Once again, maybe that’s the point the author is trying to make? That these girls don’t have any power in the end? Well sue me because that’s not what the book is being marketed as. Even with a title like that, and how the blurb makes us believe that the girls will be witches, makes me think that there would be more involvement of this paranormal aspect. Even in the end, Fern says they’re witches, and I’m over here like….Could’ve fooled me! Justice was not served, in my opinion.

Overall, not impressed at all and just disappointed. I will be checking out more of this author but this was a huge let down.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls
By Grady Hendrix
OMG! I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this amazing book! It touched on so many emotions, and all are relevant today in this political atmosphere. The year in the book was 1969 to 1970.
Wayward girls, girls made to feel shamed because they become pregnant out of wedlock. They are not allowed to get an abortion back then but sent out of state, deep in the country, and hidden until they give birth. Then, the baby is taken from them. No choice.
The only person they see is the librarian and her book mobile every two weeks. One day, the librarian has a special book for Fern, our main character. It's a book of witchcraft. Things begin to change.
Exceptional book! Loved it from the beginning to the very end!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

Read for my Patreon book club

[Katie Colson · Rating 4 out of 5]

WARNING: I woke up this morning to find I'd written the following review at 4am. I don't remember going this wild with it. But I stand by everything I said. Even though only a small amount of this review is actually about the book 🤦🏻‍♀️

This beats out every other opening line...

'She didn't think things could get any worse, then she saw the sign.
Welcome to Florida it read. The Sunshine State.'

Grady Hendrix finds a way to call me out in every single one of his books. Not the the Sunshine State. My embarrassing roots continue to show themselves. The roots I try each day to pluck from the story of ✨Me✨.

Grady Hendrix, John Wiswell and Nat Cassidy are an island unto themselves. An island of author’s who've written books that...
1. Are from the perspective of women.
2. Deal heavily with life experiences only had by women.
3. Speak on feminism, misogyny, and societies dismissal of women.
And do all of that with nuance and emotional depth. I don't know what women's-studies workshop they're taking, but I'm begging for them to share with the class. Please give these other male authors an idiot's how-to on writing a female character without infantilizing, diminishing, or demeaning them. The bar is well and truly in hell, your Honor.

I will say that Holly's character is the one I don't think was written correctly. In my opinion. She's 14. Where our main character, Neva is 15. But Neva is constantly, and I mean cooooonstantly, calling her little girl and how she's a baby and so tiny and frail and innocent. All of the girls look at her that way. She reads as an 8 year old. I understand her back story and how that surely lead to stunted maturity but still... I just feel as though the story would have made far more sense and been more emotionally impactful if she's been 12. But that's the only thing I have to harp on.

I love that this is more about how powerful women are when they come together than it is about the absurdity of tradition or the sins of the flesh.

If you read this and think that these circumstances are outlandish, I want you to keep in mind that these 'homes for unwed mothers' were very much real and were common practice across the country. What the girls in this book go through are experiences told to Grady Hendrix by women who went to these homes themselves.

Even more harrowing is that they weren’t largely dismantled until 1973 when Roe v Wade was passed in order to protect a woman’s rights to an abortion.
That was 50 years ago.
50 years is nothing. You're own mother, aunt, grandmother, cousin, friend, lover, or teacher could have gone to one of these homes. Even more than you would ever know because some women are too traumatized to speak on it.

That really highlights how fundamentally fucked up the world's fetishization of a girl or woman's "innocence" is. Where the loss of virginity is seen as a prize to win for a boy but leprosy to a girl.

In 2022, the Supreme Court overruled Roe v Wade on the grounds that the right to abortion was not "deeply rooted in this Nation's history or tradition". The word 'tradition' has become abhorrent to me. In almost every case, it’s in reference to masculine dictatorship, white dictatorship, conservative dictatorship. It’s a crutch of a word that’s used to excuse decades, if not centuries, of wrong behavior. I don’t care if you’re mother’s brother’s girlfriend’s ex-best friend’s grand uncle always said that "Men make the money and women stay in the kitchen". I. Don’t. Care! We know that’s wrong now.
And, I don’t know if you’ve seen a calendar recently, but ‘now’ is where we’re at. If you can’t adapt to the way a generation of people have evolutionized their empathy, then that’s on you babes.
You can remain in the past. Be my guest. But don’t expect new flowers to grow from your withered roots. They’ll find sun and water and nourishment from a patch of grass that accepts them for who and what they are.

[Jillian B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pregnant in a pre-Roe vs. Wade era, 15-year-old Fern is sent to a home that basically warehouses pregnant teenagers. They’re kept out of sight, far from the judgement of their hometowns, until their babies are born and adopted out to more “worthy” parents. Fern feels both hopeless and bored, until a librarian gives her a mysterious book on witchcraft. And when Fern learns that one of her fellow teen moms needs help escaping a desperate situation, she thinks casting a spell just might be the only way to save her new friend. But magic—and freedom—come at a great price…

You know when you finish a book and it’s so good that you just need to sit and bask in the satisfaction for a moment? And you can’t start another book right away because you know it won’t live up to the last one? That was my experience with Witchcraft for Wayward Girls.

The 1970s vibes were absolutely flawless, and I could vividly picture each scene. It felt like watching a horror film, but one directed by Sofia Coppola. The characters were complex, dynamic and morally grey. The plot was quick paced with a taut sense of tension. But the absolute best part of this book was its strong feminist message. My heart broke for these young mothers who had to battle societal judgement and oppression at every turn.

This was my favourite Grady Hendrix book yet. I’m calling it now: this one is going to be huge!