I am absolutely shocked that this iconic feminist manifesto was written by a MAN!! This was visceral and puts you right in the main character's body and brain immediately. The horror is slow to come, but once it comes it is very horrific - major trigger warning for child loss, adoption, traumatic birth, etc!!

The way that the girls banded together against the patriarchy almost brought me to tears and this was truly delightful.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the pre-release copy of Witchcraft for Wayward Girls. Below you'll find my honest review.

A witchy book was a perfect "get in the Halloween mood" read! Hendrix is one of my go-to authors for great horror books, and this one was absolutely one of his best ones yet.

The characters developed really well, and the witchy bits were so much fun (for us, the reader, but not always for the MCs!)

I think the best part for me was the setting. He really built up the world perfectly - from the Home, to the staff, to the witchy lady, to the other girls, to the atmosphere of the time - it just all felt so immersive and on point.

And just as importantly, he nailed the connection from actual horror elements with the horrors of reality, per usual, this time in how women, especially girls, are treated in the real world and in the case of pregnancy outside of marriage.

Top notch read, highly HIGHLY recommended.

Grady Hendrix is such a unique, delightful storyteller. This one wasn't quite as humorous or shockingly frightful as some of his other novels, but I still loved it all the same! The witchcraft aspect of the story was interesting, but I was actually way more into the experience and treatment of the "wayward" girls. My only warning is maybe don't read this if you're pregnant...those labor/delivery scenes were horrifying!

This book was good but I felt that sometimes it lacked depth and plot, it was pretty slow and the plot twists could have been harder to figure out.

I haven’t read a Grady Hendrix book that I didn’t at least really enjoy. This one definitely landed in the “love” column. He does such a good job of weaving together accurate portrayals of everyday (but not necessarily typical) life with something super off the wall, and the combination is addicting. And I always love that there’s a strong female protagonist in a frustrating situation, that might stumble, but never quits.

I loved this book and all of Hendrix’s books I’ve read. I loved the setting taking place in a home for pregnant girls in the 60’s. The cast was full of quirky characters and the epilogue tied everything together nicely!

This might be my favorite Grady Hendrix so far. This wasn’t a horror book like I’m used to from him but this was paranormal. The ending was also surprisingly a good ending and I’m still not sure if that’s what I would’ve expected for Grady’s writing. Overall decent book

Thank you, NetGalley, for an ARC of this book!
This book is one of those where I kept reading but the pages never seemed to turn. The first half goes at a snails pace, and it isn’t until everyone is locked into their character arc that it gets good. This was my first Grady Hendrix book and once I got halfway through, I was pretty dialed in. I thought the book was solid, the characters were good, and the ending was all wrapped up. I loved Rose - and was so happy to see her again at the end. I wouldn’t say this is a page-turner, but coming out in January, it may be the perfect winter read for someone that likes the witchy novels!

Set in 1970, the year I was about the age of the teenage characters, so that was interesting. Also set in the rural area around St. Augustine and the St. John‘s River, an area I am fond of. Wellwood House is a home for young girls who are pregnant are sent, dominated by mostly uncaring adults, have their babies, and then are forced to give the baby away. Never said, it is assumed the Home subsists on selling the babies because one of the means of coercion is the young girl has to pay for her stay, care, and birth IF she does not give up her child. The witchcraft comes in the form of the visiting librarian (I have know a couple that are witches), who is looking for new body to carry on her lineage. I like Hendrix’s writing, this one was 3 ⭐️for the first two thirds and then kicked up to 4 ⭐️s. Funny at times, horrific at times, and reminiscent of the pre-Roe times of patriarchal control of young women - even when that comes from women.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, particularly the characters. I kept reading because I cared for them. I did have some issues with the pacing of the novel and certain scenes seeming superfluous to the story.

I'm quickly becoming a Grady Hendrix fan! I see why our patrons love his books so much and will be buying this for our collection. We may even use it for a bookclub read.

I am a huge Grady Hendrix fan already but Witchcraft for Wayward Girls may be one of my top two favorites by him. I adored the characters in this book, Hagar was one of my favorites. There were times I laughed, wanted to cry, was horrified and at one point even scared. This book had it all and I will definitely be purchasing a copy for myself along with some for my store.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is rooted in real - not supernatural - evil. It explores the villains and wrongdoings of 1970s homes for pregnant teens - the predatory adoptions, lack of bodily autonomy, the unscathed the young (and old) men who impregnated them, the societal norms that forced shame on young girls without the information to protect themselves. Of course, wayward girls like Fern, Holly, Rose and Zinnia would turn to a mysterious book about witchcraft for solace. And since this is a Grady Hendrix book, of course the witchcraft is real. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is another solid horror book from Hendrix, who is an expert at weaving horror tropes with social commentary. Lots of body horror throughout - though strangely the most nauseating descriptions were of natural things such as a very, very, very long section detailing a complicated birth. While I appreciated this title, it didn't keep me as captivated as his other works.

I’m a big fan of Grady Hendrix’s books so I was very excited about this one and really didn’t even read the description first and went in blind. It tells the story of a teenage girl who gets pregnant and is sent to a home for “wayward” girls in 1970. Fern and the girls she meets have differing stories of how they got into this situation and some are worse than others. But they meet a Bookmobile librarian that gives them a book that might change their situations.

I was honestly expecting more horror and paranormal. As a woman who's had a child, this unfortunately is more real life horror. Unmarried pregnant women were treated like crap in this time frame and there were and are still really awful ways young girls find themselves pregnant. The witch aspect wasn’t as much of the villain as the adults and society these girls lived in. Overall it was an interesting read but not my favorite of Hendrix’s books.

This author deserves all the praise they get. Every book is different but maintains the humor and heart. Will buy upon release. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read early and let people know it’s coming.

I usually end up waiting until closer to pub date to get around to ARCs, but as soon as I was approved for this one, I dove right in.

When fifteen year-old Neva finds herself pregnant, her family takes her to the Wellwood Home in St. Augustine, Florida. Renamed for anonymity and prohibited from sharing her name and other details of her life with the other girls, Fern makes friends and settles into the daily life at this home for wayward girls. When a librarian offers her a book on witchcraft and spells, the girls initially just want to take morning sickness away and give it to an unsympathetic doctor, but when it actually works, they’ll find themselves deep into something they don’t understand.

Though this isn’t my favorite Grady Hendrix book, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I appreciated the backdrop and story of this often forgotten part of American History, when young girls were sent away, convinced to give up their babies, and then plopped back down into their lives like nothing ever happened. There is a fair amount of body horror, particularly related to childbirth, which is one of the things that skeeves me out the most, but it’s appropriate and adds to the horror story of these young women. Sometimes, the real stuff is more horrifying than the paranormal stuff, and I love it when horror touches on that.

It’s out in January, the perfect start to your 2025 year of reading!

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is a captivating book set in the suffocating heat of St. Augustine, Florida in 1970. Unwed mothers sent to the Wellwood Home are concealed from society to give birth, compelled to use fake names, pressured into giving up their babies for adoption, and then expected to move on as if nothing happened. After striking up a conversation with the bookmobile librarian, one of the young women is given a book about witchcraft. The young women, who have been deprived of all of their autonomy, decide to reclaim some of their power not realizing that there is a price to pay. The tension in the story is expertly crafted, keeping you on the edge of your seat.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Fern a young pregnant girl in the 1970s sent to a home for wayward girls in Florida . She plans to have her baby and go back home and everything will be normal again . Until the day she checks out a book about witchcraft from the book mobile . Things start to change . Full of thrills, horror , suspense , horror and emotion this book is absolutely Unputdownable ! you will love and empathize with the fully realized characters . . 10s across the board

This book hooked me in from the very beginning and kept me hooked the entire time! This was my first by this author, I really, really enjoyed it!

Definitely a book for library purchase. Thanks to #netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC.