Hilarious and dark critique of purity culture and what happens when repression explodes into awesome violence

Me. Ooo a new Hendrix must be a wild thriller or horror with witches?!
Ya. No. A SLOWWWW historical fiction with a sprinkle of witches. There's no trigger warnings on the audio and there should be. I've heard the acknowledgements talk about why an older guy decided to write a book about 14+15 year olds getting pregnant in the 70s but again the audio didn't have that.
This book felt 800 pages long. And it's not even close to that. It was nothing like any of his other books I've read.
The witches/magic doesn't even show up to almost 4hours into the audio.

Ugh this just was not for me.
Thank you penguin Random house for the ALC
And netgalley/ Berkley for the e-arc

I loved this book so much. It’s a great addition for anyone that already loves Grady Hendrix or is looking to read for the first time.

I was hoping for more horror and more witches. This book was terrifying, but not in the way I expected. I thought it was too much of the "horror" of childbirth and too little of the supernatural. And if you ARE doing a book of the horror of labor and the aftermath, a little more research could have been on one what actually happens to a woman's body. We missed some basics that pulled me out of the story and left me scratching my head. Not my favorite of his books, not even close.

Quick and Dirty
-unexpected (teen) pregnancy
-boarding school vibes
-“dark” magic
-1970s Southern Florida setting

When I tell you that Hendrix’s last book, How to Sell a Haunted House, blew me away, I’m not exaggerating. That was one of my favorite reading experiences simply because of the unexpected depth and the twisted narrative. So I had high expectations for his latest, especially for the witchcraft. Hendrix is kinda strange, so I expected the book to have some “otherness.” Thankfully, he did not disappoint on that level. I loved meeting this group of characters and following along on their strange and sometimes odd journey. When 15-year-old Fern finds herself in the family way, her well-to-do, and likely well-meaning, father does the only thing he knows to do: brings her to a home for wayward girls in the middle of nowhere Florida. She finds herself amongst a rag-tag group of young girls who, for the most part, have only one thing in common: they all want to GTFO of Wellwood House. The trouble is that their every waking move is monitored. Fern, a lifelong reader, turns to books for some comfort, but the book the traveling librarian recommends does anything but comfort her. Armed with a how-to guide to witchcraft, Fern and her friends decide to fight back. This book was exactly what u wanted it to be: dark, twisted, grotesque, and thought-provoking. Hendrix handles social justice issues deftly, and his use of body horror drives home the depravity of force and coercion faced by women when their choices are no longer theirs. Was there enough witchcraft for my tastes? No. Was it a tad too long? Yes. But overall, it was a terrific novel full of highly #feminist themes that highlight the powerful force of nature that is WOMAN. My only complaint is that the black characters in this book are portrayed in stereotypical ways, something I’ve complained about before when reading Hendrix. But that shouldn’t stop you from reading this one if you want a glimpse of history told through a #horrorstory.

Grady Hendrix's horror novels often employ common horror tropes like vampires and serial killers. But a considerable amount of the horror here comes from the realism. Being a young unwed mother in 1970 was no picnic. This story takes place in the Wellwood Home in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers were sent by their families to have their babies in secret, give them up for adoption, and return to their normal lives as if nothing had happened.

Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. She meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament, including Rose, a hippie who insists she will find a way to keep her baby and escape to a commune; Zinnia, a budding musician (and the only Black girl in the place), knows she’s going to go home and marry her baby’s father. Holly is a tiny girl, barely fourteen, apparently mute and pregnant by a secret lover.

Days in the home are a monotonous cycle of meals, chores, and cigarettes. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, which none of the girls initially accept. It takes a successful spell working to convince them (the hated home doctor is gifted with Zinnia's morning sickness). Things escalate until the librarian tells Fern she must pay the price for the magic, join her coven, and lose her identity.

It all comes to a glorious climax, and had the novel ended there, it would have made a good story, albeit unresolved. But a final chapter set fifty-four years in the future provides full closure.

Thanks to NetGalley for the Advance Reader's Copy.

This is arguably one of Grady's most enraging books as in it triggers the Female Rage so hard. More so than The Southern Bookclub's Guide to Slaying Vampires because these were all girls who were caught in a bad position and made to feel worse for it. Plus the whole baby farm aspect where these adults were reaping the monetary benefits of selling their babies (because we all know that's what they did with these places did) while making the girls feel terrible about it.

Still it was a fairly accurate portrayal of unwed teenagers during that time period. Hell, it's true even now; they would treat them terribly and make them feel horribly while giving the boys a pass not realizing that they didn't get pregnant on their own. It was hard to read in some places because there wasn't a need to exaggerate how they were treated; it was the reality.

I did like how everything turned out for the girls though and that we got to see references to them as adults. I was really happy with Zinnia's outcome especially because after seeing some reviews from Black readers I was worried about her portrayal and while I was a bit miffed she was the one who wanted to bow out of the coven. But as the one Black girl she had the most to lose which is a concern that Hagar had about helping the girls understandably.

This is not one I could reread because it's enraging on so many levels but it is good and I think it should be read especially with the current political climate and the overturning of Roe vs Wade. Because if nothing else it can be a cautionary tale about what we as a society need to not go back to.

Didn’t feel like a proper Grady book. He usually balances humor and dark horror really well and this one just didn’t hit. Liked the history aspect but didn’t feel strongly about any of the characters and it just seemed to drag.

Grady Hendrix is incredible at weaving humor into dark situations. This book definitely reads a lot like historical fiction first and horror second, which is fine but I think it's helpful to know that going in. I loved the discussions in this book, and the aspects of a (disfunctional) found family. These young women are going through such traumatic things with their bodies, their family rejecting them, and they just want things to go their way for once and they are determined to make that happen. I especially appreciated the discussions on how young women are treated in unplanned/young pregnancy versus how men are treated in the same situation. Sadly still a very relevant conversation to be having today. I will continue reading anything Grady Hendrix writes!

I enjoyed my time reading this one but I don’t think I did as much as most other readers I know. The biggest thing is that I found the characters to be a bit flat and wish I cared for them more because the things that were happening to them were horrible 🥲 I wish we got more background on them so I could connect better because with a story such as this, I felt I should have cared more for them.

It also took me weeks to get through this one since it had a lull in the middle part. Though I will note that with this book I have come to realize that I don’t seem to like historical leaning fiction.

I do think that given the themes/importance of this story, Hendrix did well with it. I appreciate that he took time to research and interview others before writing this and I think it is evident he did so when reading.

Overall, didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped but still think it’s a good one!

PS:This is not what I’d describe as a horror forward book. Instead, it has more of a historical feel with a dash of witchy elements and a sprinkle of horror in the form of birthing scenes and descriptive self-harm moments to bring about spells. Just wanted to make this note to those who might go in expecting to be spooked or something

I really love Grady Hendrix but this one fell flat for me. It felt too long and there were a lot of dry bits…. I had to force myself to finish this.

Thank you to Berkley & NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Grady Hendrix has most certainly carved a niche for himself and each book has an iconic vibe to it. When his first book released I remember being curious where his career would take him, what new stories would spring forth and I am always entertained. This book is no exception, but for me it doesn't rank with his best.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this one as it really was not my vibe. I don’t think I’m actually that interested in witches after all, and this one wasn’t even that witchy?

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

I had a hard time with this one. I liked the characters but some of it was just too weird. There were a lot of characters to keep track of. It moved a little slowly. I must say that the ending came together and I liked how it wrapped up.

A wickedly fun, eerie, and wildly entertaining read! Hendrix brings his signature mix of horror and humor to a spellbinding coming-of-age tale.

Just when I thought GH may have peaked with My Best Friend’s Exorcism he bowls me over and wins me over anew with this amazingly, delightful book. Seeing how much research he put into learning the history of witches, “witches”, and witchcraft and crafting the narrative from a personal experience elevated this book to a whole new level. This is easily my new favorite GH and will definitely be a favorite read of 2025.

I've found it odd for a male author to write about the female experience - a thought I've had with each book I read by this author.

Nonetheless, he handles the topic well with all the suspense, horror, and gore we all expect from Hendrix. He doesn't shy away from the gore or the trauma, he embraces it and explores the effects those horrors have on not only the girls in the home, but their caretakers as well.

For a while, I didn't understand why the title had 'witchcraft' in the title. I thought "Is it just a play on title where wayward girls were just thought of witches because of their circumstance?" Then the witchcraft actually happened and it hooked me to where I didn't want to put it down.

Oh, how I loved this story! While it had a definite horror theme, there was the tragedy of the unwed mothers – their sense of shame, loneliness, impending loss, and isolation that just broke my heart! As a teen mom myself – one who was blessed with a loving family around her, I really empathized with these girls and each of their journeys.

Hendrix has a way of writing horror that creeps in and sticks for a while. Every adult character from the innocuous traveling librarian to the staff at Wellwood Home – all wolves in sheep’s clothing – want something from the girls. Loss of control over their lives leads the girls to desperate measures, opening a door to a nightmare they never expected.

The characters, as usual, are exceptionally written and Hendrix’s trademark humor is interwoven throughout and I don’t want to gloss over the hard fought band of sisterhood found.

Another winner for me in the form of a Grady Hendrix book!

Absolutely amazing like everything else Hendrix has written. Often times the detail was so much that you wanted to stop reading but it was just so well written you couldn’t put it down. Not my favorite work of his but definitely in the top 3!

3.5 stars

I like Grady Hendrix a lot and he writes some interesting and unique stories. The premise of the book was really good but the execution wasn’t quite there for me. I didn’t love the focus on how pregnancy affected their bodies and a man writing it made it a little more unpleasant. It also took about 100 pages to get to the witchcraft. I did really enjoy the characters and once they started doing magic and the way the story progressed was super interesting. It focused a lot on the evils within humans but also by the dark magic.

*Thank you so much netgalley and Berkley for an advanced e-arc and Berkley for sending me a finished copy in exchange for an honest review.