This was just what I needed. Women full of rage against the patriarchal society? Yes please. I’ve read multiple Grady Hendrix books and they have all been fantastic. This is no exception. It is set in 1970s, so the time period is a lot different than now. There are some uncomfortable and gruesome moments in the book, so be prepared. I do think the pacing could have been better and sometimes I felt lost while reading, but it’s an uncorrected proof, so hopefully stuff like that will be fixed up.

Fern’s dad drops her off at the home in the summer of 1970. She is pregnant and feels completely alone. The home is for unwed mothers. They can stay in the home and work for room and board, as long as they sign away their rights to their baby once it’s born. And let’s be real, if they don’t sign away their rights, they will find a way to force them to. When someone comes into he life that can give her a say in her own life, it is super enticing. However, there is always a price to be paid…

Ok so the first quarter of this book I was like…hmmm this was written by Grady Hendrix? It didn’t seem like his type of book, and it sort of just felt like several other books I have read about homes for young pregnant girls in the 1970’s where they are forced to give away their babies. And then. Then this book took a hard core turn, and I was like ahhhh yes, now this is Grady Hendrix! I was so rooting for these young girls as I read, and I just wanted to scream at all the horrible things they were put through. It was so insane but I don’t want to say much more than that and spoil anything!

Thank you to @berkleypub for my gifted copy of this book!

This book is slow, this book has shiver-inducing gore and imagery, and this book is unlike anything Grady Hendrix has written before.

It’s hard to even categorize this as horror. It’s horror in the way that Mike Flannagan does horror... with love. He gives the reader a slice of life of pre-Roe limitations faced by young mothers, the complex emotions surrounding adoption, and a heavy dose of magic gone wrong.

This book wrenched my heart. It honestly left me speechless.

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!

This book is so important for the times we are currently living in! Women always have to pay the price of patriarchy and this story is no different. This is a beautiful story of loss, friendship, and witchcraft.

Thank you so much to the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Wow, I don't know where to begin. This is the best Grady book I have read (I have enjoyed a few of his). Wow, wow, wow. This is also a very important time for this book to be released give the crisis of women losing their rights and autonomy to their body all around the world. I said throughout this book, Grady much have consulted with many women while writing this, if you read it you will understand why. He is able to describe childbirth and pregnancy in an in-depth and nuanced why. There is a lot of commentary on unmarried pregnant women being hidden from and useless in, society.

This is a tough review to write because I feel like there is so much to say and I really want you to read it. I actually didn't know what it was about when I picked it up, and I couldn't put it down. We meet a cast of very strong, intelligent, and resilient young women. This book can be gut wrenching at times and tackles a lot dated (though still occurring) ideas and stereotypes about young pregnant women. This story takes place in Florida in 1970. It has a very strong sense of place and also a historical feel to it. As I write this, I'm just bumping up against not knowing how to really portray this story and how it made me feel... plz read it.

There is also a magical book, a traveling library on a bus and witchcraft. If you're looking for a fast paced story this isn't it. This is a slow burn, character study about young people banning together when the rest of the world won't take care of them. At times, there is a Lord of Flies feeling because these young women are in survival mode trying to care for one another. We get a diverse and vast cast of characters from one who is determined to overturn the system and fight for justice to another who is almost non-verbal and in a very scary situation.

If you are going in just for the witchcraft you may be disappointed. Grady takes time to build up to those aspects but once we get there, they are very strong. I can see some feeling frustrated that it's not really until the last half of the book. However, to understand the importance of the magic and witchcraft you must first honor and respect the situation these young women are in and the desperation that drives them.

This was just an all around amazing story, I hope you will give it a chance.

Good and interesting themes, and I particularly enjoyed the natural processes of pregnancy and childbirth feeling so supernatural; however, the characters felt a lot flatter than I'm used to with this author. I love Grady Hendrix but this story was less dark and the characters had a lot less depth than I'd like, so I think the story lost a lot of it's power

“For girls like us, down there at the Home, the devil turned out to be our only friend. “

This cover absolutely drew me in first. I mean, look how awesome it is!?
Set in the 1970’s at a home for unwed mothers. It was absolutely horrific to read about how terrible these pregnant teens were treated. They had no choices in any matter. After they give birth, they are expected to give the baby away, go home and act like nothing happened.
We are introduced to young teens under alias, Fern, Rose, Holly and Zinnia. Who are tired of it all. Until they meet a librarian who gives a book on witchcraft. They are desperate and think casting spells is the only way to help. But magic always comes with a price.

Unfortunately this was a DNF at 40% for me. This far in, things should be happening and the things that were fell flat for me. The characters and their personal experiences were horrific, but their story in the book was boring and the conflict was taking too long to get going. I've tried to read several other books by Grady Hendrix and felt similarly, so if you like his other books this might still be a good fit for you.

I've read a few of Hendrix's novels, but this has to be one of my favorites. It's a complex story about a group of "loose" girls who are powerless due to society's view of how girls SHOULD act and be, trapped in a house for unwed mothers, regaining their power and realizing that power comes at a cost.
This was an exceptional read and though the pacing could have been better during some sequences of the book, the plot was tight and the characters were so well-written that I either detested them or was rooting for them all the way through. This book will surely delight horror readers and those interested in feminist fiction.

Grady Hendrix is always quite good, though this one wasn't quite as much of a gut punch to me as his earlier novels. It's a very sharp indictment of reproductive violence in the 1970s, and portrays a strong picture of that time.

WITCHCRAFT FOR WAYWARD GIRLS may be my new favorite Grady Hendrix book. Grady is a go-to, auto buy author for me - his writing is impeccable and smart. Grady’s ability to write horror with both heart and humor is unparalleled. The amount of care and research Grady put into WITCHCRAFT is reflected on every page. WITCHCRAFT is both heartbreaking and empowering. Releasing on January 14, 2025 this is a must read for every kind of reader.

Thank you to Berkley for the advance copy.

"Witchcraft for Wayward Girls" is perhaps my favorite Grady Hendrix book so far. Which unfortunately, is not much of a compliment coming from me. I really want to like Hendrix, if I had to actually pick a favorite title of theirs it would be "Paperbacks from Hell". He clearly has a lot of passion for classic horror and creep out stories. However similar to "My Best Friend's Exorcism" I find his attempt at writing in the POV of a teenage girl to be annoying at best and problematic at worst. While there is nothing inherently wrong or poorly written with the main character or the accompanying band of pregnant girls in this particular title (besides the smallest, quietest character with a tragic backstory) they do not inspire a lot of connection or empathy. Each girl is stripped of their names when entering the home which again, is a common trope and not one I immediately dislike, but combined with their lack of development or the pattern of falling into stereotypes it's impossible to gain a real sense of who these characters are. "Wayward Girls" does have some of the creepier imagery when compared to other Hendrix books. Plus there are some real moments of tension and revulsion mostly centering around these characters giving birth (yikes). It takes the story too long to reach the emotional climax and while some of the revelations are interesting on paper, this particular story takes too long to get there and doesn't leave enough of a trace or a lasting impression to matter to the reader. If you enjoyed other Hendrix books I would warn you that this one takes itself more seriously than most of the other titles, which could be a downside for loyal fans. I will say this book has still not turned me off enough from Grady Hendrix and I cross my fingers that his next title will finally resonate with me,

This is my third Hendrix book, and I think I’m just not a fan. There’s nothing wrong with this story, but there’s also nothing remarkable about it. I’ll buy it for my library, but I prob won’t be highlighting it.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

| Thank you @berkleypub @gradyhendrix for the early #Gifted e-copy! | 📱

𝚆𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚋𝚢: 𝙶𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚢 𝙷𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚛𝚒𝚡
𝙿𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙹𝚊𝚗𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝟷𝟺, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟻

ˀqotd: do you believe in magic? 🪄

Ｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ

📖:
𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙙 • 𝙖𝙩𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙥𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘 • 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙤𝙗𝙞𝙘 • 𝙢𝙤𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 • 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 • 𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 • 𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙨 • 𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 • 𝙡𝙖𝙫𝙖 𝙡𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙨 • 𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙢 • 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙠𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙚 • 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙧 • 𝙨𝙪𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚 • 𝙢𝙞𝙭𝙚𝙙 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚 • 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 •

💭:
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it did not disappoint. 👏

Reading this book only proves that I need to get started on his backlist asap, thankfully I already own most of them!

📖:
There was a time when if a young woman becomes pregnant out of wedlock she is sent away. Usually the young woman is sent to live with another family member or a school for unwed mothers.

Once the child is born the baby is given up for adoption and the young lady returns home. All this to avoid embarrassment for the family.

Society in those times is obviously different from today but I couldn’t help but feel my heart breaking 💔 reading about the “wayward” girls in Hendrix’s book.

💭:
This story has it all - horror, suspense, drama, and lots of layers to unpack. The writing was great, the plot thick and uniquely crafted! Oh and did I mention magic?

We don’t get much of a backstory except for how a few of the girl’s ended up there. However, what lacks in character development at the start is made up for throughout.

📝:
𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘐 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥/𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘢 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦. 🤣

𝘿𝙪𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙-𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜.

#️⃣: #bookreview #bookrecommendations

There's a slow build to this story about pregnant teenage girls quarantined away from society, not for their own well-being but to conceal their disgrace from the rest of the world. A houseful of female teen outcasts leads us naturally to witchcraft. (As does librarianship.) The stakes are real as the girls swear complete obedience and commitment to their burgeoning witchy powers, such that the reader wants to tell them not to do it but is also very curious as to what will happen with all of this. I never quite knew what direction we were going in with this particular plot, and while I sometimes liked having to make or revise those judgements along the way, there was also a bit of muddiness in the message. Hendrix doesn't say just one thing about witchcraft, about living as an outsider, about adoption or innately loving mothers. These are all complicated choices and while I don't need an answer, I might've liked some clarity.

He revels in the time period and setting details, capturing the spirit of what teenage girls in 1970 might concern themselves with: the specific products, the celebrity lore, their dreams for the future which are in some ways limited by what society allows, and in other ways push against the restrictions that oppress them. His mention of the Ohio shootings brought me back to that classic protest song and made me wish that there was more room today for music that asks us to make a difference.

Images that stick with me will be a particular birthing scene and all the skyclad women in the trees.

This was my first time properly reading Hendrix, who has been on my radar for quite a long time, so I can't say how it lands in comparison with his other works, but I think other new readers would be able to contentedly start here.

What a concept! Unmarried “mothers”, Deep South, witches, and the need to be seen. Grady’s writing style and emotions displayed drew me along until the finish. Historical facts brought to life with magical realism.

This is the fourth Grady Hendrix I have read, with various ratings, and I loved this story. While I’ve read different reviews so far, this one worked for me. I’m okay with slower burns & immersing myself in the journey. Thank you so much Berkley & NetGalley for the ARC. Please give this book a read when it publishes January 14, 2025.

I have been highly anticipating the release of Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by New York Times bestselling author Grady Hendrix with an outstanding premise and cover art. However, in the end I feel like this novel just wasn't for me.

They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to Wellwood House in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, to 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 plans to 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.

Grady Hendrix crafts a unique premise set against the backdrop of Wellwood House in St. Augustine, Florida—a place shrouded in secrecy and societal judgment. Additionally, he weaves in acts of witchcraft. This, plus the name Grady Hendrix, was enough to pull me into reading Witchcraft for Wayward Girls. However, Hendrix left me wanting more from this much anticipated book.

While I didn't hate the book, I was hoping for a different book than I was presented with and that is typically the fault of the reader and not the author. So, as in any review this is coming from my place in society and such and not the ability for Hendrix to craft a story. Hendrix is known for telling tales with unique plots and characters and this is no different here.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is classified as a horror novel and while the horrors within are not what typically is expected, they are horrors indeed. Hendrix was able to mix slight supernatural horror (a dab of witchcraft) with the real life horrors of child birth and what women (especially unwed pregnant women) have to deal with in the 1970s. This balance brings a different feel to the book. While I would've preferred more of the witchcraft horror, it didn't take away from the overall story at hand.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls' strength lies within the exploration of real-life terrors—those encountered by unwed mothers navigating shame-inflicted societies and grappling with impending childbirth's physicality and emotional weight. Despite my expectations set by its title and initial premise, this novel successfully shines light on these more personal experiences rather than indulging heavily in fantastical elements.

Hendrix succeeds at establishing a strong sense of time and place; immersing us into the constricting realities faced by these women during the 1970s—a time when autonomy over one's body was still fervently contested. This is a typical strength for the author as his locations tend to take on a role of almost being another character in his stories.

While location and setting were tremendously written, Hendrix seems to have stumbled at character development with the slow burn of this book. What does emerge is the authentic depiction of camaraderie amongst these young women who initially find themselves isolated both physically within Wellwood House's confines—and emotionally due to society's judgment on them.

With a unique premise and Grady Hendrix's signature writing style, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls holds a mirror to the past while echoing themes relevant even today. While not without criticism, this latest outing for Hendrix gives us a blend of history, power dynamics, sisterhood, and a dash of witchcraft. In the end, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls was just not for me (and I might be in the minority on this one).

hendrix continues to be one of the best in the biz.

i always have a great time reading a grady hendrix book, and this one is no different. following a group of “wayward girls” in the home they’ve been hidden in as they await giving birth? plus witchcraft? and set in the 70s? i mean come on now.

i loved each of the main girls we got to know. the tension and the things they experience are palpable. i found myself cringing or gasping multiple times and i never wanted to put the book down.

hendrix really knows how to captivate you and make you root for his characters and this was just such a joy to read.

please check content warnings before reading as there are some visceral scenes depicting pregnancy and birth.