The catalog record for this book has horror as a genre category, but I don't think that's correct. Thriller maybe, and paranormal for sure but I wasn't getting horror vibes-- similar to The Final Girl Support Group in that way.

I usually don't read historical fiction from this period, so I don't have much to compare it to. The time setting was pretty vague, as the girls in the facility are intentionally cut off from media; references to social events are pretty limited music and the Vietnam War.

Although all the primary characters are teens-- some as young as 14-- this isn't a YA novel. Teens who find the situations relevant will certainly be able to access and understand the story, but I wouldn't recommend it indiscriminately to high-schoolers.

Magic as a method or analogy for agency, bodily autonomy, and social prejudices give this book plenty of topics for potential conversation-- an unconventional but promising book group selection.

eARC from NetGalley.

Fantastic read! Grady Hendrix’s narrative follows a group of young women residing in a home for unwed pregnant girls during the 1970s. The protagonist, Neva (renamed Fern to keep her anonymity in the home), encounters a mysterious librarian at a visiting bookmobile, and Fern is introduced to a book on witchcraft. Fern, along with the other expectant girls, begins to explore the implications of this discovery and whether they can harness the occult to navigate the challenges leading up to the birth of their babies.

This book masterfully weaves together some of the classic elements of horror, such as the secluded setting, the old house that is almost a character in itself, and the overall sense of discomfort and foreboding. The narrative also heavily focuses on these girls as they grapple with the complexities of their circumstances and the unfairness of their treatment. The story strikes a perfect balance between the eerie allure of witchcraft and the heavy themes of teen pregnancy, forced adoption, sexual assault, and childbirth. A must-read for Grady Hendrix fans, and horror fans in general!

Grady Hendrix’s Witchcraft for Wayward Girls wasn’t quite what I expected. Instead of delving deeply into dark, witchy themes, the story primarily focuses on the lives of “troubled”teenage girls in the 70s, with pregnancy being a central element. Although there are supernatural aspects, the book leans more heavily on the emotional and social challenges these girls face.

The narrative really centers around the difficulties of growing up in a time when having a child out of wedlock was about the most shameful thing to happen to a girl. As a result, readers expecting a horror story may find themselves slightly underwhelmed. The atmosphere reflects the period’s complexities more than it delivers any true chills.

Hendrix’s writing is engaging and keeps the story moving, but at times, the pacing felt slow, and the book seemed to drag. I think if it were more condensed, it might have made a stronger impact on me. The ending of the book was actually the best part for me. Grady really tucked things in quite nicely.

Overall, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls offers an entertaining read with a reflective look at adolescence, but I wouldn’t classify it as horror. It felt more like historical fiction with a supernatural twist, and A LOT of pregnancy content. While enjoyable in parts, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me for such an anticipated release.

Pub day is January 14, 2025

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early!

Grady Hendrix is one author whose description of female characters isn't annoying or inaccurate. The way this book weaved the stories of four young women (kids, really) who were left at a home for Wayward girls until they could deliver their babies was impressive. This slow burn is thought-provoking on how women in the 1970's suffered with the boundaries set upon them at that time. This book is not like Grady's others, in that it is spooky, but not the horror or gruesomeness you get used to. Instead, it discusses the trauma unwed and pregnant teen girls go though, and how women didn't have freedom or anyone looking out for them.

I am giving this book 4 stars, even though it isn't as good as the other books by this author, but the writing was beautiful, thought provoking and a sign of the times. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this highly anticipated ARC.

This is my first time reading this author and is not my usual storyline but decided to give it a try. This follows unwed pregnant teen girls at Wellwood home in Florida. Add some supernatural with witchcraft to this as well as some horror and you get Witchcraft for Wayward Girls.

Book was a bit slow to start - giving it 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Neva didn’t plan on spending the summer before her senior year of high school in Florida. In a home for unwed mothers, no less. But here she is. She thought Guy truly loved her, that he would support her and they would be a family. But when their parents find out, Neva is sent away. When she gets to Wellwood Home for Unwed Mothers, things are… off. They can’t use their real names, they are always on restriction and there are far too many pictures of the former Dr. Wellwood watching them move through the house. Fern (as Neva is renamed) meets the local bookmobile librarian Mrs. Parcae, who gives her a peculiar book. Not just any book, this book of witchcraft is meant to help Fern and her friends get back at those who hurt them, help them change their path and most importantly, keep Holly safe. But what happens as a result of promising their soul to the Coven causes more harm than good.

This book was so different than Hendrix’ typical paranormal thriller. It was a bit heavy at times with the medical terminology. There were so many characters with similar names I definitely got them mixed up at times. And the ending, while unexpected, fell flat compared to his other books. I still feel like there is more to the story. I enjoyed seeing a young girls point of view in a home for unwed mothers set in the 1970s as I’ve heard about. I also really enjoyed the idea of using magic and witchcraft to change their circumstances; I mean who wouldn’t want to transfer their morning sickness to a jerk doctor who has it coming?? There were hilarious and shocking moments throughout the story, but as a whole it felt like the ending wasn’t thought out.

Wowowow. This book is phenomenal and right on time for our current political climate. The story takes place in the Baby Scoop Era. If you’re unfamiliar with that era, I recommend reading the Wikipedia Article about it. This context will make the story richer and more emotional. I’m usually not a fan of historical fiction, but Hendrix develops a strong sense of place with the Wellwood House. All of the characters feel alive. There’s so many different types of horror on display in this book and I cried TWICE. A glimpse into life pre Roe in this present moment when we’re post Roe. Black southern characters who don’t feel like accessories to the story with natural authentic dialogue? I’m sad that this is an advanced copy only because I don’t have the afterword and acknowledgments pages. I can’t say enough good things about this book.

Outlier alert! I am a huge Grady Hendrix fan and usually love his books. I did enjoy this one, but it was not my favorite. The real horror of the story was the girls and how they were treated by their caretakers, family and society as a whole. I didn’t feel much tension building with the story and struggled to get through it. Since I have to rate it, I will give it a neutral three stars. Not bad by any means, but not my favorite.

Absolutely amazing! Coming of age story about girls who a forced to make huge disicions sometimes against their will. When help miraculously comes in the form of witchcraft it seems their prayers will be answered. Unfortunately, their is always a price to pay and it may not be one you will want to agree too.

Grady Hendrix is amazing and I love every book he has written, but this may be my favorite!

Thank you @NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for the Advanced Readers Copy of The Witchcraft Wayward Girls.

This is my first read by @grady Hendrix and it was a perfect introduction to spooky season.

“They were girls—bad girls, neurotic girls, needy girls, wayward girls… girls looking for attention, girls who couldn’t say no.” —G. Hendrix.

Set in the 1970s at the Wellwood House in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers were taken in secret by their families in their last trimester of their pregnancy until they agree to adoption for their child and return home as if nothing happened.

Fern, a 15 year-old girl who is dropped off at the Wellwood House without so much as a good bye from her father, scared and alone, meets a group of other girls in a similar situation.

The girls face strict restrictions and their every move controlled during their stay. All time spent in the house from food, conversations, appointments, and classes etc. are controlled by Mrs. Wellwood and the staff of the Wellwood house. Until Fern meets a Librarian who gives her a book about witchcraft. Powers begin to shift, tables begin to turn. And just when you think you have it all figured out, the unthinkable happens.

What I liked: As a Shriner alumni, I appreciated the Shriners mention. Years ago that was a long kept secret helping children with disabilities and burns.
I am a sucker for teen pregnancy and witchy vibes. The story is an easy, quick page turner.

What could have been improved: The book read similar to a YA.

If you’re trapped by your circumstances, unable to decide anything for yourself, what lengths would you go to to be free?

The girls in Grady Hendrix’s Witchcraft for Wayward Girls grapple with this question, ultimately becoming witches to regain their agency.
Wellwood House, located in rural Florida, houses pregnant, unwed teens, hiding them away from polite society for the duration of their pregnancies. Girls dropped off at Wellwood House are carefully monitored, everything about their lives regulated from the moment they arrive until their baby is delivered. Once their sin has been expelled from their body, the baby is put up for adoption, and the girl can finally go home, like nothing ever happened.

Our narrator, Neva, renamed Fern, finds herself pregnant at fifteen. Her adults in her family can barely stand the sight of her and ship her off to Wellwood House to finish the duration of her pregnancy, unseen. That is, until the friendly neighborhood bookmobile stops by, and the librarian gifts Fern with a very special book. Suddenly, the girls of Wellwood House have a way to make themselves be seen, be taken seriously, and give back the pain and suffering they’ve endured to the adults that made them endure it to begin with.

One thing I always love about a Grady Hendrix book is its ability to ignite my passion and righteous fury for the women in the novel. I cried with Fern when her boyfriend told her their pregnancy would ruin his life, when her father abandoned her at the Home, when she felt powerless, less than, never good enough. The young women in the novel are constantly abandoned or disappointed by the adults in their lives; they’re taught time and time again that everyone lies and to have anything they want, they must take it for themselves.

As far as horror goes, I found Witchcraft for Wayward Girls to be rather tame. It didn’t pack in the ick-factor that I’ve come to expect from a Hendrix book. As someone who’s not particularly into the gore and gross, that definitely didn’t detract from the book for me. I appreciated the horror coming from Wellwood House itself, the isolation, the feeling of being trapped that permeated from every page. Each of the characters are trapped quite literally, unable to go home, but also trapped by their pasts, by expectations, by pacts they’ve made with witches in the woods. None of this is to say that there isn’t blood and gore and this one, there’s plenty of that too, but it felt more natural, organic, not quite as shocking as say, My Best Friend’s Exorcism or Horrorstor.

And honestly, the real horror is that so much of Witchcraft for Wayward Girls could be someone’s real story. I can see Wellwood House posted up in the woods, parents dropping of their girls like they’re just sending them to summer camp, a therapist coercing young mothers to put their babies up for adoption. The real horror is in the truth imbedded into the novel.

A fantastical ride, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is one of Hendrix’s best. I enjoyed every moment of my time with all of the girls in Wellwood House. These characters felt real, relatable. I celebrated with them when they cast their first successful spell and despaired each time a plan to save Holly fell apart. The characters felt like young girls just trying to navigate life and motherhood and making all the appropriate mistakes along the way.

I’d also like my own little storm in a bottle, please and thank you.

Grady Hendrix is without question one of my favorite writers. I could not wait to read this, and I'm beyond grateful to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy.

But... Oh. My. Freaking. God.
I barely made it through this one. It's bad enough that women are under attack in the media every day these days. And I know it was much worse back in the 70's. But this book was almost too much for me. Like, right at the threshold of "too much." I barely made it through the last 15% of the story. I felt so defeated and angry. One of Grady's greatest strengths as a writer is that he uses fictional monsters to point out the human monsters in our society. But as an ex-religious, pro-choice, child-free-by-choice woman myself, I was so drained by this one. I was mad at everything: society, authority, religion, parents.

I'll always love Mr. Hendrix, but I can't bring myself to give it the full five stars I was hoping for. Definitely worth the read, but darlings... brace yourselves.

The humid, insect-filled woodland atmosphere of St. Augustine, FL is the perfect setting for this novel about unwed teenage mothers who are sent to a home to prepare for the birth and adoption of their babies. Set in the 1970s, the story involves a small group of girls who are give assumed names and cared for under the guidance of a nurse, doctor, and head mistress. When the bookmobile librarian gives one girl named Fern a magazine about witchcraft, the girls begin to think about revenge on their caretakers. The girls sneak into the woods at night and find a small transient community of witches and hippies. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is an engaging read that will make for an entertaining TV series or movie.

I was really looking forward to kicking off the spooky season with a good horror book but unfortunately this one was a letdown. The book was still decent, and it was a quick read. I did enjoy the historical fiction aspect of the book, particularly its portrayal of the mistreatment of pregnant, unmarried teens in the early seventies. However, I don't think this book should be classified as horror or thriller. The story lacked anything eerie or truly suspenseful. The idea of witches and a home for unmarried pregnant teenagers had great potential, especially with the addition of Miss Parcae but this book didn't live up to it.

Thank you to NetGallery and to Berkley Publishing Group for giving me a copy.

This feels like a big swing for Hendrix, compared with some of his more recent titles. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is a straightforward horror story, lacking the camp and humor we are used to from the author. The book feels very much like an homage to 1970s era Lois Duncan and similar female peers of her generation. In fact it's almost as if he's channeling Duncan and what might be her reaction to the overturning of Roe V. Wade if she were still alive. There's a lot of meat on the bones here, specifically larger themes of modern feminism to explore. Not my personal favorite of Grady's ouevre but I still enjoyed every minute.

I’m a Grady Hendrix fan and was so excited when I saw Witchcraft for Wayward Girls was announced! This book felt less scary than some of his previous works. Although there were some creepy and gory moments, the horror in this story comes more from the terrible treatment and lack of autonomy the characters had to suffer through before taking matters into their own hands by turning to witchcraft. This is not my favorite by the author, but I had a good time with it. 3.5 stars.

4.25. Well done, one of Hendrix’s better ones. Brace yourself for a lot of outrageously unjust treatment of 1970s unwed teen mothers and for body horror and graphic childbirth scenes. But the witches and their craft are just fantastic.

I was so thrilled for the opportunity to read this book ahead of pub date. Grady Hendrix is one of my favorite go-to authors for off the wall B-rate type horror. (Not knocking his writing I enjoy his stuff!) He's taken me on some wild rides in previous work, so I was expecting all sorts of bat-sh*t crazy, witchery hocus-pocus, shenanigans.
"Witchcraft for wayward girls" was MUCH more subdued than any other Hendrix book I've read. Most of the crazy was focused on the poor treatment of pregnant ,unwed teens in the early seventies. There are witches involved but not to the degree I assumed, based on previous work.
Overall, the novel is an easy read and may perhaps be a nice suggestion for a new reader of Grady Hendrix....sort of easing one into his unique world.
Since it is an easy read and the bond formed with the young girls is makes total sense I give this one a slid 3 stars.

I am a hardcore Grady Hendrix fan and this book didn't disappoint. Not only did it hit a nice horror level but it was the horror of real life that really stuck with you on this one.

In 1970, Fifteen year old Fern is pregnant and abandoned by her dad at an unwed home for mothers in Florida. There everyone is told what to do, what to eat, and every aspect of their lives controlled. . Even the fact that they are not allowed to keep their babies. They are shamed by medical personnel and everyone they meet. Fern and her friends discover 14 year old Holly is pregnant with her pastors baby who has repeatedly raped her, and he is going to keep the baby, and Fern has to return home to him after she gives birth, Holly has tried to tell many authority figures what he’s doing but no one is listening. Nothing happens to any of the men who got the girls pregnant, no stigma, no blame, it’s all the girls fault. The girls anger and feeling of futility rise until they meet a woman who shows them how to become a witch and get back at those who are controlling their lives. As witches they feel powerful, until they learn nothing comes without a price, and this one is steep.
I feel Hendrix has created Fern brilliantly, her thoughts and actions, how she felt as she was going through labor without a kind word, is and not told what’s going on. He exposes the horror and cruelty of how unwed girls were perceived. I loved it.