First I want to thank NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for this ARC.

This novel covers a very sensitive topic that absolutely needs to be addressed. We have heard snippets of the conversation in the media, but it hasn’t been exposed nearly as much as it should. Parents, at their wits end, send their children away to “schools” for their supposedly out of control youth. The book started well. I enjoyed how we got to see the world building for Loretta’s life. The fear she has of Poppa, her weak mother, and the friendship she tries to cultivate for the other girls living with her. It was great to see through the two timelines how Loretta started, and where she ended up as an advocate for children like her.

The topic is what sold this story for me. I really wanted to love it. It was a good book for me. Some things threw it off for me like the dialogue. It didn’t feel like it solidly based on the 1990’s. I am a 90’s baby and the way the characters talked seemed to be a bit older. I don’t ever mind switching timelines. Sometimes I felt it was very abrupt, especially for the very first time when we are suddenly in New York with no explanation.

Overall I enjoyed the book and I will look for the author in the future.

This book was more than meets the eyes. The wayward girls aren't "bad" instead they are young girls who need help. But there is hope at the end.

This was an engaging story and Loretta was a likeable character. It is unfortunate that places similar to ther anch seem to continue to exist.

I really thought the premise of this book was really interesting but it was hard for me to connect,. The back and forth was a little difficult for me sometimes mid page a flash back without a lot of transition. overall ok,

This is my first book by this author. It was an interesting read. My only complaint was the skipping from past to present.

Loretta’s parents run the Home for Wayward Girls on a remote ranch. Due to the location and her upbringing, Loretta can’t wait to escape to a new life one day.

Loretta befriends the girls at the ranch, against the wishes of her parents. She sees the horrible abuses they suffer at the hand of her father. She knows firsthand how cruel he can be.

Loretta eventually escapes and starts a new life. She spends it helping other girls who have suffered. Finally she tells her story and that of the girls at the Home for Wayward girls.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Was a very interesting book …. It’s such a sad topic , but certainly one that exists, probably more than we know
But. I did almost stop reading , I do not like bad language,…. And it was almost to much for me , but I had said that I would do a review , and I did want to know what happened ..
other than the bag language, it was well written, and the story line was interesting, heartbreaking..
don’t use the Lords name , and not the F word ….
I did not review on social media…. Just hopefully back to the author..
it’s just something I don’t like to read or hear .. that is just me ..
I guess this goes to the author and to the goodreads ..

The Home for Wayward Girls is a heart-wrenching, captivating story of survival. As an opinion ‘book’ about the cruelty of homes to “rehabilitate” and change teens, it highlights the potential for cruelty amidst the desire for change. And yet as a story of survival, the book also underscores the power of human kindness, of friendship and personal willpower. A captivating and intriguing read with great insight into the nature of humans to be both good and evil and also to survive. Set in the 1990’s, the story is based on the reality of programs to “change” young people and the opportunity that provided for misuse. You will be surprised, horrified and also uplifted with the ways that the protagonist survives and uplifts others. A worthy read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Paperbacks for the Advanced Review Copy.

In deft, vivid prose, Bradley has written a tour de force about one young woman's struggle to free herself from a system of subjugation and help others in a similar plight. I was riveted by all the characters in The Home for Wayward Girls, especially Loretta who inspired me to think about courage and leadership. This novel does what fiction does best-- move us to understand ourselves and our institutions, and do better for each other. I wanted to talk to Loretta after I finished the last page, so alive she was for me.

Loretta lives at the Home For Wayward Girls in the Rocky Mountains, run by her mother and "papa" William. The farm has goats, chickens, and dozens of girls sent for rehabilitation from such sins as wearing sexy clothes, having sex, or kissing other girls. The girls are forced to wear t-shirts proclaiming them sinners, and are homeschooled by the wildly abusive couple whose actions almost strain credulity.

Like other reviewers, I loved some aspects this book. It's a fascinating premise and what the girls go through is intriguing in a can't-look-away manner. But I came of age in the 1990s and the dialogue didn't feel real, particularly where the "wayward girls" came from regular homes and the protagonist attended public high school and the writing seemed to move between scenes and thoughts without significant transition.

This is an admirable debut by a promising new writer. Thank you #netgalley for a free prepublication copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

The Home for Wayward Girls is a chilling, captivating and mesmerizing story of loss and hope all intertwined in one incredible novel. Loretta has grown up in the plains of Colorado, raised by Mama and William, who run a home for “problem teen girls.” Loretta has watched as girls are dropped off to correct their misguided attempts at typical teen behavior. She observes the horrific abuse by William that encompasses mental, physical and sexual abuse all in the name of treatment. Through small chunks of time, stollen from the sight of her parents, Loretta learns to befriend these girls and teaches them how to survive; all while planning her own escape at eighteen. The Home for Wayward Girls tells the story of how Loretta survived, escaped and flourished across the country in New York City. I was totally engrossed in Loretta and the story of her upbringing and adulthood, often in awe of how she uses her own pain to pave the way for future girls to avoid it. Author Marcia Bradley has written a novel that shouldn’t be missed by book clubs across the nation and her own connection to the story is haunting and honest. I look forward to discussing The Home for Wayward Girls when it is released in May 2023!

My heart just wasn’t in this one, so my review could be biased.
I didn’t care for the style of writing. The story was decent, but in my opinion, it didn’t flow well. One event would be taking place, and in the next sentence, something completely different would be happening with no transition. I found myself having to reread quite frequently during much of the story to try to figure out what was going on.
I didn’t care for the language or vocabulary, either. To me it seemed like the story took place more in the 50’s instead of the 90’s just based on language alone. I’m unfamiliar with Rocky Mountain dialect, but the dialect didn’t seem to fit either. It seemed more like it took place in the South somewhere just based on dialect.
The main character was decent, and I was pulling for her the whole story.
What happened to William was sort of anticlimactic. I was hoping for more of an explanation of what happened to Mama as well.

*Thank you to HarperCollins, Marica Bradley, and Netgalley for providing me with a E-ARC of "The Home For Wayward Girls" in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very powerful book, and one I think everyone needs to read.

Tense, heartfelt and ultimately hopeful. The Home for Wayward Girls is a recommended purchase for most collections.