Thank you NetGalley, Berkley, and Grady Hendrix for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I really enjoyed this one and it’s my favorite Hendrix I’ve read so far. It’s the perfect combination of horror and history while also showcasing the power of female friendships and doing what’s needed to survive.

This book follows fifteen-year old Fern as she arrives at Wellwood House in 1970. It’s a house for unwed mothers and there are many different types of girls there. She becomes close friends with Rose, Zinnia, and Holly, and they rely on each other to get through the days.

One day, they meet a librarian who gives Fern a book about witchcraft, and their lives change drastically. They realize what power they hold and how they can help, and hurt, others. They don’t realize the price that must be paid though until it’s too late…

I’m sad to only be giving this book four stars because the last 75% deserves five stars. The first quarter is what brings it down, as I found it really boring and confusing. I had trouble figuring out all the characters and I actually DNF’d it for a few months.

I’m so glad I picked it back up though because it’s an amazing book once it finds it's footing. There are some truly gruesome scenes that show what women have been through, and continue to go through, but also a theme of resilience and solidarity. Hendrix creates the setting beautifully and I could imagine myself in the home with the girls.

If you dislike body horror, I would suggest maybe skipping this one, but it’s a wonderful story and will be sticking with me for a long time.

This book started off sooooo slow. I read this for bookclub so the community kept reassuring me it would get better. It did but wow so much to get through. It was a dear diary of a young girl in a pre roe vs. wade world trapped by the adults in a home for unwed mothers. It did build up the relationship of the girls who all had fake names and painted an oppressive picture. Holly tugged at your heartstrings the entire book. I still wonder what happened to her but the ending was satisfactory. The witchcraft was not the emphasis rather it was all about your "coven". The sisterhood of it all. I think that girl friendships are amazing and that's what this book is about. But also as we grow older, adulthood can reshape your view. I loved the ending but wow that first 50% was HARD.

I love witch stories & this one was so fun! This takes place at a home for young pregnant teens. They are pretty much abandoned by their families & have no support from anyone. When they come across a book of magic the girls find ways to ease their struggles & seek their revenge. I loved this so much! Some of the girls stories are absolutely heartbreaking but I'm sure was a reality especially during that time.

Grady Hendrix excels at telling stories. No matter how upsetting or gross a topic can become I can't help but be drawn in holding my breath. That is exactly what this book experience was like. It's already a tough topic to read about, but the banter between the girls and the unexpected humorous parts make it a bit easier to read. There are parts that are disturbing to the point where I had to put the book down, not just from the body horror of it all but because of the injustice of how these girls were treated. This is very much a story worth telling, even if it was hard to take at times. There is witchcraft but the supernatural elements of this are not the main horror of the tale.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers copy of Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix!

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls takes place in 1970 at the fictional Wellwood Home in Florida, a home for unwed mothers inspired by similar real-life maternity homes that existed throughout the U.S. and Canada at that time. It opens as fifteen-year-old Neva is dropped off by her father and given a new name, Fern, as all the girls there are, further shrouding the activities of the home in secrecy. As Fern’s father drives away, she is left to face the rest of her pregnancy in a strange place, surrounded by strange faces, with hardly any information about what’s happening to her or who to trust. Eventually, after days of struggling at Wellwood, the bookmobile comes for a visit, and the librarian hands Fern and her roommates “How to Be a Groovy Witch”. Not thinking much of it at first, the girls try a simple spell and quickly discover it might be good for more than just a little fun…

While the first part of the novel is slower, I thought it worked well to build up suspense. Once the girls get their hands on the book, the pace picks up. The plot was fresh and not overly predictable, and even though the story deals with heavier themes, it still has some campy and humorous moments. You can tell you’re reading a Hendrix novel.

As others have noted, there’s a significant amount of body horror (graphic labor scenes, pregnancy and medical related scenes, etc.), and the actual supernatural/witchcraft scenes are not as frequent as the title may imply. The true “horror” in the story is the exploration of how the girls are treated by authority figures at home and at Wellwood. While this book is set in recent “history”, the themes the novel explores of power and control, knowledge and empowerment, resistance, community, bodily autonomy, etc., are all relevant today.

However, my one major criticism is that Hendrix employs the “Magical Negro” trope. I’m honestly still trying to figure out if he wrote the character(s) this way intentionally in an attempt to play against it, but I don’t think it worked even if that was the intent.

There were a few other character choices that didn’t work for me as well, but overall this book was an engaging read. Fans of Grady Hendrix will probably enjoy this one, and those who like blends of historical fiction/horror might be interested as well.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!*

This one, while fiction, reads largely as a real life horror story of what happened if you happened to be unwed and pregnant back before Roe v Wade. I'm not going to lie, this book was hard to get through for how infuriating it made me feel towards Nev's dad and all the awful adults that ran the home for the girls. There's some witchcraft but this reads more as historical fiction that is horrifying more than a traditional horror novel .

I was on the fence about reading a book about teen pregnancy and maternity homes in a pre-Roe v Wade era that was written by a man, but this topic was handled so well, with significant thought and care.

The characters were incredibly well-developed and even though I’m not a horror girlie, I couldn’t put this book down. There were some very graphic scenes—VERY GRAPHIC—that I kind of skipped past because I’m delicate, but they were a necessary part of the story. I didn’t feel like they were graphic for graphic’s sake, but furthered character development and carried weight.

This is my first Grady Hendrix book and while I may not reach for his books more frequently, I’m glad to be acquainted with his writing and genre style so that I can recommend his work to other readers!

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title. It’s a 4/5 for me due to a slow start. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book made me surprisingly emotional. Holly had me almost in tears over her backstory. Rose was the comedic relief that was much needed. I'm so glad that the story came full circle at the end with Charlie Brown as well. I'm not usually a fan of these types of books but I just got sucked into this one from the beginning.

I like Grady Hendrix books. Some are wacky, some are funny and all of them are a little spooky. In this novel, Hendrix tells a tale of unwed pregnant teens forced to live in a baby home prior to their due dates. It’s 1969, and people do not take kindly to unwed mothers. Fern is forced to Wellwood House in Florida to wait out the birth, and makes friends with expectant mothers Rose, Holly & Zinnia. Their babies will all be given away, and the teens sent back home. When the girls find out how Holly happened to be with child, they vow to protect her and her baby. The bookmobile librarian gives Fern a book about witchcraft—setting the story into motion.

I liked this book & also thought it was interesting that a man had written a book where pregnancy and childbirth are center stage. Is is graphic!! I learned things I can never unlearn about childbirth. And I liked the witchcraft, too.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

It's 1970 and young pregnant girls are sent to a home in St. Augustine, Florida to give their babies up for adoption. I found the book infuriating in how everyone treats these young women as if they are nasty, dirty, slutty girls and that they are alone in getting pregnant. The disdain and coldness they are treated with is heartbreaking. Several of the girls are introduced to a book on witchcraft and they try a few spells in order to get a bit of power back in their otherwise powerless situation. I got teenage vibes vs. the menopause vibes of Kristen Miller's The Change. I did like the epilogue which gave some closure.

Grady Hendrix's How to Sell a Haunted House was a master of creepiness! If you haven't read it go check it out.

This author has been hit or miss for me and this one was definitely a hit.

Be prepared for more of a slow burn, character driven plot with this one, but it definitely pays off. I really appreciated the blend of horror with a little bit of humor mixed in.

If you are a fan of stories that deal with witchcraft then I highly suggest you check this one out.

Another fantastic heart punch of a group of characters from Grady Hendrix! I have read and enjoyed all of his work so when hearing that this story was more historical I somewhat paused, but found while reading it that the historical piece of it, if anything, just added to the overall vibes for me rather than getting bogged down in the details. Readers who enjoyed Hendrix's last release I think will find themselves enjoying this one as well.

A very important heads up to Grady Hendrix fans: This book is different from his most recent slayer-fests. It is not nearly as gory or full of horror, at least not in the traditional sense. In the metaphorical sense, there is TONS of horror, especially in the timeline we are currently in.

Once I realized that, I settled into the story of a group of young girls whose fates and futures were being decided for them, with no room for argument. I find that I can't stop thinking about it, and even though it takes place in the 1970s, it could be today. (Also the choice to set it in Florida is A+.) It's an emotional ride that ends in one of Hendrix's trademark climaxes.

“A spell may take a lifetime to show results, but have faith. Believe in what you have done because anything executed with all your will and Craft is something that cannot go wrong.”

I read this one over a couple days -- I couldn’t put it down. I have seen a lot of negative reviews and honestly... they fucking baffle me. This book was beautiful, powerful, impactful, and downright awesome.

This was my 6th Hendrix book and he hasn’t missed. Witchcraft For Wayward Girls wasn’t my favorite (it’s damn close), but I do think it is his most IMPORTANT book.

This book was an absolute force and knowing how much research and dedication Grady poured into crafting this and making sure it was as accurate as could be, especially being a guy writing about pregnant teenagers... man, he wrote a book that will be talked about for decades.

This was a serious undertaking and I applaud the hell out of him for it. Should a man be writing about pregnant teenage girls, sent away, scorned, looked upon as filth, who turn to witchcraft to escape/change their situation? Maybe not, but I think Grady did an excellent job and I think this story is almost more impressive because it IS written by a man.

He took his TIME with this. No “book a year contract” bullshit here, no “straight white men shouldn’t...” here. If you’re gonna talk shit, get your facts straight.

Grady is one of the only male authors (among SGJ, Clay McLeod Chapman, Nat Cassidy and a few others), who could pull this off. Not only did he pull it off; he knocked it out of the park.

Witchcraft For Wayward Girls won’t have your typical constant ration of horror elements and tropes, but honestly if you’ve ever read Grady before, then you know that’s just how his books are. He focuses on the human element first; grounds you in reality and the situation, and then throws the wacky shit at you. His books always take time and they’re absolute gems because of it. How can you be scared for people you don’t know? Grady makes sure you’re living these stories.

This book is fantastic. It’s powerful as hell and absolutely beautiful. I was crying like a baby for multiple scenes throughout, but especially at the end.

Like I said earlier, this book isn’t your typical horror novel and I think it excels because of that. There are a few very gnarly scenes, but overall the scariest aspect is more in the reality of the situation and the absolute horror these girls went through… and this was what happened IN REAL LIFE. I don’t want to hear a goddamn thing about this situation, this book, these events, not being horror. Especially from men who “can’t relate.”

Anyway… sorry I’ve been ranting lol. But seriously, Grady Hendrix is a gem and this book is an incredibly impressive work of art. I strongly encourage each and every one of you to read it. PLEASE READ THE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS TOO. Goddammit why don’t people read those??? THEYRE IMPORTANT!!! Especially here.

Anyway (x2)… Overall, Witchcraft For Wayward Girls was an extremely solid 4.75/5 from me. Please read it.

I was expecting more from this book based on the rave reviews. I loved the setting, I've always been fascinated by the time period in our history where females were shamed when they were unwed and pregnant. The challenges of that time period were well depicted here. I liked the comaraderie between the girls, and would have liked to have felt more connection.

I was also disappointed in the ending, but at risk of spoilers, I'll leave it at that.

This is my favorite Grady Hendrix book so far, though I haven’t read many. It’s well thought out, well paced, and absolutely horrifying. Stories about unwed young mothers are so often ignored, purposefully hidden, and considered controversial even by those claiming to be progressive, but this book humanized its white characters well. The Black characters were all racist tropes, like the angry black woman, the mammy, the magical negro. It was disappointing to see in a book that was going so well and stood up so proudly for one disadvantaged group. Unfortunately the good done by the feminism was undone by the racism.

While I enjoyed the story of Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, it didn't quite live up to the high bar set by Grady Hendrix's other books. The narrative was engaging, but it lacked the perfect blend of humor and horror that I've come to expect from his writing. It needed more of one or the other, and I think more horror would have fit better with the theme.

Another excellent showing by Hendrix, this dive into the sexism of the recent past was emotional, serious, and seriously scary. Every single character was well-rounded and beautiful in all their flaws and determination, and the supernatural elements were executed perfectly. I could have stayed with these girls way beyond the page.

This is yet another fantastic historical horror novel that blends paranormal themes with real-life issues by the great Grady Hendrix!

This is one of the scarier books I’ve read by Grady Hendrix. I’m not sure if it’s because of the paranormal bits and the gore or because of how this historical horror holds a mirror to current political issues. While set in the 1970s, this book deals with themes that resonate with present day readers. These young “wayward” girls have lost their bodily autonomy. This book is a story of overcoming that oppression, with the girls fighting back and finding themselves despite how little control they have over their lives.

While the story has witches and witchcraft, the true horrors come from how these girls were treated–by their families, by the stewards of the house, and by society in general. I wanted to reach into the book and suckerpunch certain side characters on more than one occasion.

While I adored this book, the one thing I wasn’t a huge fan of was the humour in the “How to be a Groovy Witch” book that the girls get from the bookmobile. Humour usually plays a large role in Hendrix’s works. However, in this case, I found it jarring to move from one heartbreaking or tense scene to a humorous, yet frivolous, excerpt from the book.

All in all, this is a fantastic read for fans of Grady Hendrix, while bearing in mind this book is a little heavier than many of his other works.