For a lot of this book it felt like a labor of love to get through. (Just realizing I wrote labor in a book about pregnancy lol) anyway there isn’t a lot of witchcraft in this book if that’s what you’re really looking for. It’s mostly about the baby scoop era before Roe V Wade. Also for an author who cannot have children, he made the childbirth scenes so graphic and gross and disgusting and horrible but in a good way. For the most part the birth scenes were the true horror of the book.

Readers should not go into this story anticipating anything even close to a semester at Hogwarts. This story of teen girls and witches goes much deeper than a casual glance at the cover would suggest. I was deeply moved by Fern's summer. Hendrix, like many greats before him, does an excellent job of hooking the reader with one plot (a witchy librarian and a coven of witches that haunt the woods) before it sinks in that there is a deeper message here (the witch hunt against unwed mothers that does well in an historical fiction setting but that we sees shades of in today's society). This novel is graphic in ways that may shock the reader and is delivered in ways that they may not expect and delivers a punch that transcends Hendrix's past work.

There were two really big selling points to this book. The first was the historical setting. It was set against an environment where the young women the story revolves around have very little voice or power in what happens to them. Therefore, the second part was very satisfying. The second part is that I love me some women's wrongs. Was some of what these young witches did cruel? Absolutely. However, a great deal of their cruelty was paying back what was being done to them. These young women were being victimized and taken advantage of over and over, and when they had some power of their own, it is only natural that they should respond by sharing the rage and pain that they were given. I can't condone all of it, but I liked a lot of it. Women's Wrongs 2025.

There is power in a book... Grady Hendrix works magic with his latest novel filled with witches, spells and of course a librarian! Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is a page turner about teenage girls left without power and the will to find your own strength and tribe. Only Grady can combine the supernatural and the very real horror of teenage wayward girls which brought me to tears more then once.

This is my first Grady Hendrix book and I liked it but not sure I totally loved it.

The novel is set in the 1970s and opens with Fern being dropped off at The Wellwood Home for unwed mothers. Fern and the other girls are subjected to strict household rules, manual labor, excruciatingly uncomfortable visits with the house doctor and generally an air of shame around all their decisions. The only "nice" person in the house is the social worker who is focused on adopting out their babies so the girls can go back to a normal life. Fern makes friends with some of the girls like defiant hippy Rose, silent Holly, and new girl Zinnia. After encountering their local librarian who gives Fern a book on witchcraft the girls begin doing spells. However, this is where things really take a turn for the creepy. After successfully casting their first spell their librarian comes back for payment and she doesn't want money.

I'm not usually a fan of horror - horror adjacent sure but straight up horror no thank you. I was intrigued by the premise of this novel because it didn't sound super scary (and it wasn't) but there were definitely some unsettling moments and the home for unwed mothers itself was part of that. Or to put it another way the real horror were how those girls were treated by their families, by the home, by society in general. We get Fern's point of view when she goes to the hospital to have her baby and it feels like she's being dissected or experimented on. The tension building up with the witches and witchcraft drama just kind of fizzled out at the end.

The novel also really reminded me of The Patron Saint of Liars just with witchcraft.

Overall I liked this book and would probably recommend to patrons.

I loved this book so much. Amazing characters, a propulsive plot, and just a fantastic story. Excited to read other Hendrix books.

Gah, why was this so good??? I have wondered for a long time how I feel about men writing women almost exclusively in their writing careers, but why did this book about injustice against young women, written by a man, hit so hard? Like this had me crying in the end…

Review to come…

Witchcraft for wayward girls. , is the story of unwed young pregnant girls sent to a home to give away there babies. But in the woods are a coven of witches

Set in the 50s and centered around unwed, teenage mothers and witchcraft; themes: pregnancy/childbirth, friendship, resilience, and societal judgements; angsty, bleak, heartbreaking, horrific, gruesome, and tragic, but also beautiful, powerful, and inspiring; amazing character development; Hendrix obviously did his research well; loved all the real world references from the 50s too; a masterfully written, impactful, and engaging story that made me cry at the end.

This is such a dynamic read: an incredible blend of horror, humor, and heart. This is camp at its best, unearthing truth with a nod, a wink, and a shrug. Abandoned at a home for unwed mothers, pregnant in Florida in the summer, Neva is rechristened Fern since all the girls are renamed as flowers to enable them to shrug off their disgrace when their confinement is complete. A Librarian in league with the devil hands Fern a book that will change her summer and her destiny, as well as all of those who come into its orbit. With haunting details, complex characters, and a non-stop plot, Hendrix takes an unswerving look at parallels between power, bodily autonomy, and the bonds of friendship in the 1970s vs. today. I have read several other Hendrix books, and while I enjoyed them all, I felt that something was off just a bit in each one – plot, characters, or pacing. In Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, Hendrix has delivered a book that seems so perfectly wrought that one might question how much was paid in blood.

I love a new Grady Hendrix novel, the read will always be fast and exhilarating. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls was no exception. Many of the hallmarks of what I love about Hendrix's novels are present: period setting (1970's Florida), girls struggling under the weight of the patriarchy (unwed, pregnant teens) and a spooky, supernatural element (Witches!). This novel was not as scary as his previous titles nor did it contain moments of pure terror as I've come to expect, nonetheless I tore through it and enjoyed the ride.

Very few male writers treat their female characters with the nuance and empathy of Grady Hendrix. Every member of this little floral coven embodied women I know and love, and I felt them. Hendrix truly understands the visceral horrors that can come with life as a woman.

Overall it wasn't a bad book but it is one of my least favorite books from Grady Hendrix. He is my favorite author though so I definitely still recommend checking it out! I wish there had been more witchcraft. I wish that if we were going with witchcraft being evil it had been more tied to the Devil than actual goddesses and practices (as a pagan the evil witch trope is a lot easier to read if its all based in Christian views). I also wish that for a book dealing so much with sexism and the patriarchy that we had had a lot more feminine rage. Still an enjoyable read but not the best book Hendrix has put out.

Grady Hendrix is such a unique voice in this space and I love his execution of these very original ideas.
Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

In the summer of 1970, unwed mothers are shunned. They are lead to believe they should be ashamed, and forced to hide from society until their “problem” is taken care of.
Main character Neva is one of those girls - she’s just 15 when she finds out she is pregnant, and forced by her family to move into the secretive Wellwood Home until her baby arrives and can be given to a new family.
At Wellwood Home, Neva meets other girls like her. They are bonded by their shared experience and oppression they face.
When a mysterious librarian that delivers books to the girls gives Neva a book about Witchcraft, it shifts the power into the hands of the girls. But they’ll soon learn that too much power can be dangerous, and gifts often come at a price.
—
I already miss this book. I wish it lasted forever.
This reading experience was so immersive and had me so invested in each and every character. It’s on the longer side but you truly get lost in it.
On top of the unique plot and characters, the book tackles deep and important topics, ultimately telling a heart-wrenching story about the power that women hold and how society is afraid of that power - leading to oppression.
The story is brutal at times - crucial to the storytelling. There are some horror elements and a few scary parts, but I would describe this as more slow burn, psychological horror/fiction and the most graphic elements are scenes around childbirth.
I applaud the way that Grady Hendrix told the story of these powerful girls.

Read if you like:
- Women empowerment
- Sisterhood
- Witches
- Revenge plots
- The Handmaid’s Tale

I am very grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this title. The opinions in this review are my own.

This was my first Grady Hendrix novel, and I was sucked in right away! Hendrix has an experienced and gripping writing style that keeps the plot driving forward but with a great flair for prose at the right moments. I was skeptical going in with a male author writing a book about a bunch of pregnant teenage girls, but he definitely pulled it off. I felt that all the characters were distinct, consistent, and believable as teenagers.

The story also took an unexpected turn regarding the witchcraft, but I really enjoyed it. Also, as someone who personally squirms at the thought of pregnancy and childbirth, several scenes in this book shook me to my core and made for pretty effective horror on both physical and emotional levels.

The ending was bittersweet and I thought it was worthy conclusion to the whole story. I would love a follow-up with Holly, but the tidbit we got at the end with her influence was satisfying on its own.

My only ‘complaint’ is that there is a lava lamp mentioned over and over in the plot and it is specifically red - would’ve liked to see that accurately reflected on the cover, but the cover is already stunning, that’s just me nitpicking!

Can’t wait to read more titles by this author, I think I’m officially a Grady Hendrix fan!

I didn’t read Grady’s last book (Haunted House); it just didn’t sound like my cuppa. However, when I saw he was putting out a witchcraft story, I was READY. Now, reader beware, this story is a *slow burn*. He spends most of the first half of the book doing character building, and the actual magic isn’t introduced until well into that. This isn’t a horror book that jumps out and scares your pants off. This is a thoughtfully calculated story that has something bigger to say, and he uses witchcraft as a means to achieve it. The real horror lies in the powerlessness of the young women, and the monsters don’t wear pointy hats, but instead doctor and nurse uniforms.

Some scenes in the later half of the book ramps up the tension (it reminded me of the attic scene from “Southern Book Club”), and there are parts where you’re biting your nails waiting for the pin to drop. I also think Grady does a really superb job at animating the fear of childbirth in these young women, while also highlighting the blasé attitudes of the people in power when it comes to their concerns and emotions. The birth scenes really were the most horrific in the book, and that is coming from someone who has never gone through those experiences.

The biggest pro of this book is the character work. There are a lot of characters, and he does a good job of creating a spectrum of evilness from those in charge. As far as the girls themselves, you may not go too deeply into all of their backstories, but you’re rooting for each and every one of them. My favorite character in the book is Hagar; her wisdom and curmudgeonly guidance is some the best character work within the book. I like how Hendrix blends stereotypical ideas of witchcraft with those of a different culture more tied to the land.

As far as my critiques, my biggest problem is with the climax of the story. Obviously, I’m not going into any detail pre-release, but I just feel that with all of the buildup, the conflict resolves too quickly to be satisfying, especially considering the means with which it does so. I think others will have some frustration with just how little supernatural/ witchcraft has to do with the story. It really is a background element, so if you wanted to read this just for scary scenes and spells, you should re-adjust expectations.

The ending/ epilogue chapter was beautiful. It’s going to wrench at your heart and bring some tears. After spending so much time with the girls, I’m happy to have gotten a glimpse of how things turned out for them. I really enjoyed this book even though it wasn’t necessarily the story I might’ve expected. It's a beautifully written, timely story that I think deserves a lot of recognition.

If you loved any of Grady Hendrix’s other books then you will love this one as well! It didn’t disappoint!🙌🏽 and it’s definitely perfect for spooky season!
Thank you NetGalley for this gifted e-arc copy

I was genuinely blown away by how powerful this book was. It smashed my heart into a million pieces every chapter. The sad part is that this book isn’t really *horror* themed in the traditional way with spooky scaries hiding in closets and guts and gore, it comes from the horrific reality women had to face before we had the right to choose. I’m incredibly impressed with the fact that a man was able to convey the tragedy, sorrow, pain, and power in these women’s stories in such a painfully honest way.

I didn’t know where it was going for the longest time but when it all finally clicked into place, I sobbed my way through the last chapter and epilogue. This was easily a 6 star read for me and has earned Mr. Hendrix a spot in my favorite authors list.

Man, I was really hoping to love this book. Unfortunately, the plot doesn't pick up until about 25% in, but even then the witchcraft being done is so spread out and sparse that you don't really have time to get excited about when it's performed. S0me of the scenes are creepy and on brand for Grady Hendrix, but the lead up just isn't worth it. The scariest thing about this book was the impending doom of labor and pregnancy as a whole. I felt very bored and on the verger of DNF-ing throughout the entire thing, and I actually had to skim the pages starting at 70% to the finish line because I was just SO disinterested in the plot. I hate having to write a negative review about this, but honestly wouldn't recommend to anyone (even readers into witch stories). Giving this a two for the fact that I liked a couple of the characters.