Supernatural forces are the least of your worries when you are a pregnant, unwed, teenage girl in Florida in the 70's. The true horrors in this book come a place of realism- young women kept in the dark about their own bodies and how pregnancy works, treated as commodities, and subjected to systemic mistreatment that has been perpetrated on women of all ages throughout history. Hendrix delivers another solid book, veering into completely new territory, and creating a classic witch tale that is also a feminist manifesto, a domestic history and and an expose of sanctioned abuse. Highly recommended, and an excellent book club pick full of discussion starters.

GOOD GOOD GOOD. I expected a lot from this, as Hendrix's last horror novel was my favorite of the year (How to Sell a Haunted House) and the plot here sounded like something I would love. It did not disappoint, this is fantastic.

This book was absolutely spooky. I was so intrigued by all of these characters. They had such dark stories. I loved reading about them discovering witchcraft. They used their powers for what they believed to be good, even if it was not always the case. My biggest issue was how long and graphic the birth scenes were. It felt weird to have something involving children described in such graphic detail. I know that seems weird for a book involving teen pregnancy, but I just felt like the births went a little too far. Overall, this was an enjoyable book.

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.

Grady Hendrix has such a big fan base, and they will likely eat this book up. Witches, a home for pregnant young women, a desire to escape the trappings of powerlessness, the discovery of a coven in the woods … these make for a very interesting story, indeed. I must say that this is not a horror book as his previous titles are categorized, but the characters and Home setting are well crafted. The story fell flat for me, however, as the story itself seemed to wander about and not land with any satisfaction. It lacked the scary, gory scenes that Hendrix is known for, although there is one unnecessary labor and delivery scene with a surprising amount of detail. This one did not hit the mark for me.

DNF @ 60%

I usually LOVE Grady Hendrix (especially Final Girl Support Group and How to Sell a Haunted House) and had high hopes for this one because I thought the synopsis sounded brilliant, but after a promising start it started to read more like a sloggy retelling of The Craft and less like the witchy feminist dream I thought it would be, so I gave up.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is a captivating story about pregnant teenage girls sent to a home to have their babies hidden away from society’s eye. I found the characters to be well developed and the story compelling. The witchcraft elements blend well with the overarching themes of bodily autonomy and women’s rights. This is probably my favorite Grady Hendrix book so far. Very fun and recommended

Thank you to NetGalley for an opportunity to read the ARC

Thank you so much to Grady Hendrix and Berkley Publishing for my copy of this book. It was about Fern, a fifteen year old girl who is unceremoniously dropped off at a home for unwed mothers where they are expected to work for room and board until they give birth. She makes friends with the other girls sharing her journey, and tries to make it through her days being controlled by Miss Wellwood. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her a book on witchcraft, and she realizes she may have more access to power than she thought. But Fern is about to find out that actions have consequences, and sometimes you can’t escape your fate.

Thoughts: Grady Hendrix is one of my favorite authors but this was one of his slowest books. Nothing much happened, and it felt more like a commentary on the politics in the 1970s than a thriller or horror book. I will say this book was very realistic about the time and it made me so thankful to be a woman now. Women were treated terribly and this book put a spotlight on the horrible conditions women had to have children in, and the way the history of witches plays into men’s fear of women.

This book was a slow burn for sure, and I actually think this book was mislabeled, because though there were horrifying elements, especially the birth scene, it read like historical fiction. I wish there were more of a mystery to this book, or an element of surprise, instead of the book essentially telling the story. It was a good book for what it was, but my expectations were much different and ultimately that made it a letdown for me. 3.5 stars.

A HUGE thank you to Netgalley & Berkley for approving me for this ARC. Grady Hendrix is easily a favorite author of mine, and this is one of my most anticipated books of 2025. If you have read any of Hendrix's other novels, and think this book is going to be like those, take that thought, and throw it out the window. This is different than anything he has written before. It's not a sitting on the edge of your seat novel, but more of a realistic horror novel. It's feministic, full of female rage, powerful, and the patriarchy of the 1970s.

The book's POV is from Fern, who is fifteen and pregnant, and is being forced into a home by her father where she will have her baby, have it put up for adoption, and forget it ever happened, but the book also follows a group of girls going through the same thing. Everything they do, down to what they eat and what they are allowed to speak about is controlled by the adults of the house. The girls meet a librarian who gives them an occult book about witchcraft. The girls, at first, don't believe anything in this book is going to work, until they start playing around with it, and realizes this librarian is truly a witch. It puts true power into their hands for the first time in their lives.

This book starts off slow, and doesn't turn "witchy" until you're well over 100 pages in. This book may not be an edge of your seat horror, but it will leave you feeling squeamish. There are some graphic scenes of childbirth throughout the book and the spells that the girls put on the adults of the house will leave you having to put the book down for a few minutes until you are ready to start reading again. It left me feeling uncomfortable, which I believe is what Grady was going for throughout the book. The book also made me feel sad, sad for the girls for how they were treated. It is also a little longer than I would have liked, and it took me longer to read than I would have liked, but overall, I truly loved this book. Not my favorite of is, but still a great book.

Set in the oppressive heat of 1970s St. Augustine, Florida, we follow Fern, a fifteen-year-old sent to Wellwood House—a place where society’s “problems” are hidden away: young, unwed mothers forced to give up their babies. Under the suffocating rules of Miss Wellwood, the girls are told what to do, how to think, and what to forget.

But everything changes when Fern discovers a book on witchcraft. 🌑

What begins as a spark of defiance grows into something much darker, as the girls harness forbidden power, their bonds growing stronger—and more dangerous. With unforgettable characters like Rose, the dreamer; Zinnia, the fighter; and Holly, whose silence hides unspeakable secrets, this story plunges into themes of power, trauma, and freedom.

I LOVED this book! Every part from start to finish was incredible and thought provoking. The history of the time when women were not given opportunities to manage their own body and were punished for the same things boys were praised for doing. It was harrowing and painful. The girls' stories were gripping.

What was food for thought at the end of the book was how women can both support each other and also be the greatest enemy. As in real life, punishments aren't equal. The amount of pain you can endure is different than that of another person. The mysticism was a component but it's also endurance.

Highly recommend!

Grady Hendrix is one of the only male authors I've read who can truly write female characters well -- his ladies are complex, complicated, not always entirely likable, and just *real*. He writes lead characters that happen to be female, which is how it SHOULD be (and more male authors really should take note/follow suit). And with this one he tackles a really sensitive real world subject: how society has traditionally treated unwed young mothers. Thankfully, he pulls it off -- and delivers another rousing supernatural-based story where the marginalized take back their agency. Can't wait to put this in everyone's hands!

Loved how raw and real this book was. The detailed writing made you feel like you were a 15 year old unwed mother. The magic intertwined throughout the story was fun. I enjoyed all the characters and loved the girls different personalities. I like how the book came together at the end. I would definitely recommend this book to others.

This was a captivating, chilling, well written read. I really enjoyed the concept of this book and although it is a work of fiction, it gave insight into the lives of girls who became pregnant as teenagers outside of wedlock in the 1970s. The setting of the Home for Wayward Girls was very interesting and I enjoyed the characters, from the other "flower girls" in the home to Ms. Wellwood to Hagar. The character of the librarian was also interesting and I liked the idea that she gives them the "key" to solving their problems (but as I am a librarian, this might be biased haha!). The magic used in the story was also interesting and I have not read a book that framed witchcraft in this interesting way, where the line between right and wrong was often blurred. Lastly, I liked the perspectives that the writer used, switching from Neva to Fern once the protagonist arrived at the home and was given her new name, to the scene we got from Ms. Wellwood and Hagar's perspective, to the scene written in third person. Overall, a great read and one that has made me excited to delve into the author's catalogue!

I would be truly shocked to be disappointed by a Grady Hendrix book. "Witchcraft for Wayward Girls" is phenomenal. It doesn't have the camp he usually writes, and the horrors are all too real instead of supernatural. This book was heartbreaking but hopeful. Hendrix captured female rage and fear so well. I loved it.

Each girl in this has a story to tell, and it would have been nice to see some more of the background characters get fleshed out. We get that near the end when we are shown the silent comraderies and teamwork they exhibit with one another. I understand we can't get to all of the characters (as much as I'd like to), so this was a nice simple way to have that connection felt.

As far as the supernatural elements go, I was impressed by the attention to detail that Hendrix put into the rituals and the text of spells. They were honestly some of my favorite scenes, and while thrilling to read were also chilling, which I'm sure was the point. There are of course the usual horror elements we find in a Grady Hendrix book, but I do wish there had been more horror and less...trauma? Let me explain.

I think it's fair to say that in our current political climate most of us are aware of the fight women and AFABs everywhere are having to fight for reproductive healthcare and bodily autonomy. Take that and amplify it by about one thousand. Most AFABs know how bad it was, how bad it's getting, and how much worse it could get. I understand that this is the crux of the plot, but there were points where I felt it went a little too far. By that I mean that the audience is never really given much of a chance to breathe from one trauma horror to the next regarding AFABs and the treatment they endure.

One might say, "But that's the point, AFABs don't get a break from it,". Yes, that's true, but that toes the line of retraumatizing people that are still suffering through this. Is this meant for AFABs to enjoy, or to educate men? Who is it written for? I do think it's crucial that those ignorant to this treatment of AFABs need to be educated, but at the end of the day this is a novel. One that's going to appeal to a demographic that has likely suffered some of the abuse in this book.

Most of Hendrix's book drag you through an emotional rollercoaster until you feel like you can't take it anymore, and then you are finally given catharsis. I feel like we don't get as much of that in WfWG. From the description, and knowing how well the author writes supernatural horror, I expected there to be way more supernatural elements. I also expected at least a little humor. Grady Hendrix is a master at delivering dark, biting humor, and then on a dime switching to being solemn. Here? We don't really have any light moments. One could argue that seeing a doctor cursed with morning sickness is pretty chuckle worthy, but you really have to dig through to find a kernel of light here. Again, this isn't necessarily bad, but it can come as a surprise to someone (like myself) who is familiar with Hendrix's work.

There were sections of this book where I cried, where I felt hopeless, where I simply wanted to skip ahead to finally find some semblance of something good happening for these girls. We do get that, but I think it's fair to say that it mainly comes at the end. Like, the very end. Aside from that I really wish there had been more supernatural horror, or simply more horror that wasn't grounded in the abuse of young girls when it comes to reproduction. In a way, it felt like the supernatural elements were incidental. Honestly, everything having to do with the witches could have been removed, and the core story would have remained the same aside from one small detail (I don't want to give any spoilers), that could have simply been handled differently.

Now, don't get me wrong, when the horror was there it was amazing, and Hendrix is a masterclass in body horror, so when we get it, we really get it! I think that's more what I wanted out of this book. I'm left feeling similarly to how I did after reading The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires. I knew it obviously wasn't going to be a bunch of vampire hunters running around Mt. Pleasant, SC, but at least we were allowed horror and not just a message of abuse and gentrification. I appreciate the direction that Grady Hendrix appears to be going in with his work these days, but man I miss the fun stuff like Horrorstor sometimes.

All of that being said, I would recommend this book to others, but with a heavy heaping of content warning. If you're coming for Grady Hendrix dark humor mixed with horror and lots of witchy stuff, maybe this isn't the book for you.

An amazing book, and so timely! And I love that he added an epilogue. I just wish his portrayal of the main witch was a bit more generous.

Grady Hendrix is my favorite horror with-humor-author. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is another winner. I cared a lot for the girls and rooted for them. Fun at times, powerful during others, it's a recommended read.

I am a library associate and received an advance copy from #NetGalley.

This was quite the book; I’ll tell you that. A little bit of magic, and a whole lot of trauma was contained within the pages of this book. Fern was an interesting character. I felt for her, and had to remind myself multiple times that she was a young teenager, so might not make fully rational decisions. This book was also a hard read because what the girls went through was quite traumatic. Being forced to have their babies and then the babies being taken, all while having no one to love them. It was so sad in that regard. The witchcraft and magic elements were fairly minimal, I felt this book was more of a character exploration than anything else. It was a lovely story, but I was just expecting more witchcraft. This one is also very vivid, which I feel is just how this author writes. I love it and continue to read them and enjoy. Of all the books by this author, this one is probably my favorite to date. I really enjoyed the topic and just how well done it was.

Be mindful of reading this one if you have any triggers surrounding child birth as there are some very vivid scenes.

I really enjoyed this book. I found it hard to put down. I was more interested in the whole girls in a home then the whole witchcraft thing tho. Don’t get me wrong it was an interesting part of the story but to me it was just a small piece. You really get sucked into each character. I found myself getting mad at some of the girls for their behaviours and actions.
If you want a good story about a group of young girls who face challenges in life this is a story for you. Even if your not totally sold on the witchcraft aspect I do suggest giving this book a try