This was a rollercoaster for me. Fern gets sent to a home for pregnant teens in 1970, cut off from the world until she gives birth, the baby is adopted out and she can return to her normal life. These girl’s life stories are heartbreaking and tragic, and you want them to succeed somehow. A librarian offers them a spell book one afternoon from her bookmobile, and things go haywire from there. It was frustrating, heartwarming, and worth the read

Whoa! This book destroyed me. It has churned up every emotion in my body. It made me feel what these young girls were made to go through. Without any support, guidance, or love. I shed tears at thinking many girls in today's world may go through this emotional struggle yet again, due to the abolishment of Roe vs. Wade. How...how...how...did we end up here again? Women do not get pregnant on their own. It takes two people, yet women are the ones who are made to feel like dirt, told that they are loose, told that they are nothing. When anyone, literally anyone, at any age can find themselves in this situation. Unwed, pregnant, nowhere to turn, the best their family can do is drop them at a home and hide them for months. This book will sit at the forefront of my thoughts for time to come.

Fern is fifteen and finds herself with child. Her father is driving her to Florida to dump her off at a home for unwed mothers. Fern is lost beyond words, needs her father to speak to her, not to be ashamed. When in reality he sneaks out without saying goodbye. The girls at the home come from every walk of life. Extremely religious, rich beyond your imagination, and just girls that found themselves caught up in love. When the girls talk more about their lives, even though it is strictly forbidden. Shocking secrets are told, and one girl needs to be saved and not sent back to her home. The girls turn to the librarian at the traveling bookmobile. She gave them a book on witchcraft. Could this book be their hope, the one beacon of light that they need to follow?

I loved this book. The characters are phenomenal, the touch of horror adds to their already growing nightmares. I found myself tearing up and wanting to scream in anguish for these girls. Fern is one year older than my son, I cannot even imagine leaving him to deal with any of this on his own. To force him into giving up his baby, told to forget about it and to move on. I am in awe of this book! Thank you to Grady Hendrix and Berkley Publishing for my gifted copy.

This book… was an emotional rollercoaster filled with a supernatural element. Out of all the books I’ve read by Grady Hendrix, this has to be one of my favorites.

There were a few humorous moments but this one was more on the emotional and serious side which I loved. This book left me utterly heartbroken for the characters, their positions, and their circumstances. It’s hard to believe that this was a reality for many women (teens) not so long ago.

It deals with some heavy truths and traumas. Young girls sent off to homes for their “sins” with lack of love and support.

Grady Hendrix, as always, writes a lovely, meaningful story. His words seeming to flow effortlessly onto the pages. His writing is captivating and doesn’t lack heart or emotion.

Great Hendrix is one of my favorite authors and this book hasn’t changed my mind.

This book hits the shelves January 14th so mark your calendars or get your preorders in 👏🏻

This felt like a book that screamed “I’m an ally let me show you what an ally I am by writing this book!” Instead of feeling like a genuine understanding of pregnancy and pregnancy in horror.

I fully recognize that this is a book commenting on a post roe world, and I think I would’ve appreciated it more had Hendrix stayed away from problematic tropes.

Don’t get me wrong — the horror in this book is there, and visceral, but it is pregnancy horror. The horror lies in what these young girls go through and experience as a result of their pregnancy. It isn’t necessarily witchcraft, which is a tangential aside despite it being in the title.

I also think Hendrix was trying to do something with making the librarian the witch who gives the girls the spellbook, but I don’t think the commentary worked, nor did I find it effective.

Overall, not Hendrix’s greatest work and I’m quite disappointed.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is a little different than the previous Grady Hendrix novels I have read; however, I thoroughly enjoyed it. This book we will be purchasing for our library book club. This book discusses sensitive topics such as teen pregnancy, rape, and molestation. Many of the young girls who were residents at these types of facilities were abused, both sexually and emotionally. This shed light on a problem as old as time, but what surprised me the most was how recently these atrocities occurred.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this arc.

I really enjoyed this fast paced story. The characters were well developed and it kept me interested the entire time. If you, like horror, mystery novels this is a must read. Thanks for my gifted copy.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this arc!

5/5 stars

This was such a fast read! This was exciting, infuriating, devastating, and absolutely heartbreaking. My heart hurt for all the girls at this home, and the ones who endured this same scenario (except probably less witchcraft lol). Particularly Holly, I just wanted to take her home and keep her safe :( I love how well Grady Hendrix writes women, and how he tackled this incredibly important women's rights issue. This didn't have his usual offbeat slightly goofy aspect I come to expect from him, but thinking about it more I'm glad he didn't as it would've cheapened the message and story. Easy 5 stars from me!

This one was a little too slow for me that I had to DNF it. It's not like his usual novels, and it's definitely a different kind of "horror," I would say it's more realistic horror. It's got a great message though.

I’ll have no problem rounding to a 4 on Goodreads. I would have loved to see a little more sarcasm and humor in this horror novel- it started off strong reminding me of The Witches of Eastwick- and I loved the librarian being the devil. The supernatural aspects & setting reminded me of The Reformatory. I would have liked the FMCs to revel a little more in their revenge, but overall a satisfying & fast read.

Grady Hendrix is a master of atmospheric suspense. The setting of this one is very much a part of the story. Both the physical setting of an isolated house in the woods and the social setting of a home for unwed teen mothers added to the feelings of helplessness and frustration for the main characters.

The main character, Fern, struggled to decide whether to stand up for herself or just go along with the plan set up for her. She alternates between wanting to use witchcraft and not being willing to pay the price. Despite her indecision she is a very likable and relatable character.

I liked the supporting characters as well. The interaction between the girls in the home kept me reading. Their day to day experiences were well written and detailed. The villains were nuanced and memorable as well.

The story itself was very interesting and paced well. It delved into interesting ethical questions about consent and how much agency underage mothers should have. And the ending was intense but satisfying. I really enjoyed this book even though the subject matter was so frustrating. I have tickets to see this author in January and I can’t wait.

Thank you to @Netgalley and @berkleypub for the chance to review this ARC.

This wasn’t the usual Grady Hendrix mix of horror, comedy and gore I expected. It read more like historical fiction, with some witchcraft thrown in. Set in early 1970, it is more of a story about how society treated unwed pregnant young women.

The Wellwood Home in Florida is a temporary home for pregnant teens. The setting is atmospheric, isolated from society, the young girls have no concept of the changes in their bodies or childbirth itself. They are dropped off, forced to work for their room and board, give birth, and give away their babies.

The main character Fern, and her new found friends Rose, Zinnia, and Holly, are feeling frustrated and helpless and have to decide if Witchcraft will give them the power they need to take control of their lives, and if they are willing to pay the price for that power.

This book is a slow burn, but I was immersed in the story, it was well researched, and left me feeling frustrated at the injustices these young girls suffered at the hands of a society that deemed them wayward and unfit.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I don't think this is my favorite book by Grady Hendrix. I've read several of them, and some have been awesome, some have been adequate. This one was… eh, it was okay. I do feel it was weird about how much he focused on naked, pregnant teenagers, though. I liked how very historical it felt (I’m guessing as I wasn’t alive when this book took place, but it seemed pretty accurate), but I didn’t like the paranormal element as much as I have in other of his books. Also, I really hate his depiction of the librarian. Listen, Grady, we librarians already get a bad rap in this country for trying to “groom” teenagers (as does the librarian in this story, although it was for witchcraft), so this depiction doesn’t help any (although, to be fair, all those who are accusing librarians are grooming are probably not reading Grady Hendrix books, and please take that for the compliment that it is). The book was fine and I got through it pretty quick, but far from awesome.

“Witchcraft For Wayward Girls” is a spellbinding masterpiece from the incredible mind of Grady Hendrix!

Travel back to a time where pregnant, unwed teenagers were sent away to “care for a sick aunt” to hide their pregnancy. In the “home”, a group of girls find themselves banding together to fight for their beliefs. With the help of a maybe-crazy librarian, the girls face the unknown full of hope that they can change their future and “fight the patriarchy”.

The amount of detail pored into every aspect of each page is nothing short of brilliant. This absolutely needs to be formatted for the big screen ASAP! Grady Hendrix has outdone himself with this one- I felt every labor pain described as only someone who has experienced it could. He hit every mark and checked every box and yet lost nothing in the details! An absolute MUST READ!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this ARC!

Neva finds herself in a family way. It’s the 70s, in a world before Roe v Wade. Neva finds herself at Mrs Wellwords’ home for wayward girls. She’s not Fern to protect her identity, and in a mix of other girls in similar situations. Fern befriends the bookmobile librarian and out of a desire to help her friend, Zinnia, accepts a mysterious book on witchcraft. Zinnia’s extreme nausea is cured with a spell, however, the girls don’t stop there. Witchcraft finds a way and soon things get out of hand. What started as an extremely slow build, I found unable to put this book down as the plot heated up. I found the girls, their friendship, and the strong will to help each other to be endearing. Some of the scenes were very graphic as only Grady Hendrix can do. This book, by the end, did not disappoint. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for the advanced copy!

4 stars. First off thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC. It was different from Grady's other books I've read but I enjoyed the storyline. I felt for these girls and wanted to help them too. Glad it's not like this anymore. I loved the little added bonus of magic, Witches and revenge. The characters were all great and Hendrix really makes you feel for them. I would recommend this if you enjoy a good witchy vibes book with a twist. Also had some found family/forever friendships vibes in there too.

WOW! 4.5 stars.

I have really enjoyed Grady Hendrix and his writing style with every book so far. Going into this book I was expecting some unsettling scenes, witchcraft and keeping me on my toes and I got exactly what I was hoping for. From a librarian moonlighting as a witch to tackling gender inequality this hits on a lot of levels for me.

This was simultaneously Grady working at a high level while sometimes it felt very un-"Grady-like." Even though there's not much outright horror, there's gore and creepy bits throughout and scenes that are suspenseful - it was tastefully done! Most of the horr has less to do with ghosts or ghouls and more about young women and how they were historically treated - especially during pregnancy.

So, really good book. Witchcraft for Wayward girls is creepy, thought-provoking and challenges how we view women.

Can't wait to see what he does next!

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix is a story set in the 1970's Florida where four young girls (Fern, Rose, Zinnia, and Holly) find themselves pregnant and sent to Wellwood House by their families to have their babies in secret and give them up for adoption along with many other girls. Their diets are controlled as are all of their activities by the people running the home. They meet a librarian that gives them a book on witchcraft as they try to figure out how to keep Holly from having to go back to her home where her pastor raped and impregnated her. Can they save Holly or will the price be too high?

I was astounded at how well a male could tell this story. The book kept me on the edge of my seat and the characters were very relatable. I highly recommend it! Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley.

This one had all the makings of a really good women working in solidarity story, but it never quite got to where I hoped it would. It took ages and ages - more than 1/3 of the book - to get to the witchcraft. Even then, this was such a slowwww burn and the ending was overwhelming. By the time we got to the solidarity, it was almost too little too late - especially when it followed a women failing other women moment. I enjoyed very end of the story, but it wasn't enough to make up for the earlier disappointments. I was expecting this one to make me ragey, but in the end too much of the rage was at other women sadly.

Once again I find myself wondering when I'll learn to stop picking up these kinds of stories when they're written by men...


A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Wow, just wow! If I was given this book without the author’s name, I would have thought a woman wrote Witchcraft for Wayward Girls and not Grady Hendrix. The abuse these girls face from emotional to physical (limited food) to sexual (examination by the doctor) is heart wrenching. The description of the childbirth when Fern gives birth when she is knocked out for the actual delivery and Holly’s who is not under anesthesia is very detailed. Hendrix does a great job with character development.

Although there really is not a lot of witchcraft, the book is horrifying by the treatment of the pregnant girls. Grady Hendrix does it again, another great book. Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the advance copy of the book.

#WitchcraftforWaywardGirls #NetGalley.

Grady Hendrix knows how to do spooky books with funny elements. I enjoy this, especially around Halloween, and I really enjoyed My Best Friend's Exorcism and The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires. I was told Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is more serious than his other books and that is correct. He tackles teen pregnancy and the struggles that come with that, as well as sexism and other social commentary. I enjoyed those parts. Unfortunately, the rest fell a bit flat for me. The pacing was slower than I would have liked and the witchcraft element took a long time to materialize. I'm sad this didn't work for me, but I think most of his other fans will love it. I'm excited to see what he does next. His story ideas are fascinating!