🌙✨Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix is a bold, unsettling, and deeply moving novel that explores the horrors of history—both supernatural and painfully real. Set in 1970s Florida, it follows Fern, a pregnant teenager sent to a home for unwed mothers, where young women are hidden away under the guise of care. But as Fern and the other girls begin to uncover the house’s dark secrets, it becomes clear that something more sinister is at play.

Hendrix blends historical fiction, body horror, and feminist rage into a story that doesn’t just terrify—it infuriates. The novel shines a light on the cruelty of institutions that stripped young women of their autonomy, making it impossible not to draw parallels to modern-day conversations around bodily rights. The characters—Fern, Holly, Rose, Zinnia, and the unforgettable Hagar—are richly developed, each with a unique arc that adds depth to the narrative.

While some readers may expect more overt witchcraft, the true horror is in the systemic oppression these girls endure. Hendrix approaches this story with surprising sensitivity, crafting a powerful tale of resilience, sisterhood, and quiet rebellion. This book will stay with me for a long time.

today is my tour stop for @gradyhendrix ‘s witchcraft for wayward girls hosted by @panmacmillanindia and its safe to say, this was a fabulous, witchy 5⭐️ read that I absolutely recommend!

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is peak Grady Hendrix—darkly funny, weirdly heartwarming, and just the right amount of unhinged. I went into this expecting witches and chaos, and it delivered. The story follows a group of women bound by magic, secrets, and a messy shared past, and watching them come back together years later was just chef’s kiss.

There’s a mix of humor, horror, and emotional depth here that I really enjoyed. Hendrix always manages to balance creepy vibes with real-life themes like friendship, trauma, and second chances. The witchy elements were super fun (and sometimes genuinely spooky), but it was the characters and their complicated relationships that made the story stick.

Pacing dragged a tiny bit in the middle, and there were a few moments where I wanted just a little more clarity on the magic system—but honestly, I didn’t mind too much because the vibe carried it through.

If you like your witch stories a little twisted but full of heart (with a healthy dose of sass and chaos), definitely check this one out. Hendrix fans won’t be disappointed!

Another brilliant book by Grady Hendrix. This one absolutely broke me! It was horrific, scary, gruesome, emotional and yet so full of hope. I couldn’t put it down.
Many trigger warning for this one so please do your research

Another brilliant, brilliant book from Grady Hendrix. I've been reading his novels for years and he truly does get better and better. I was impressed with seeing a male author handle such a subject matter, but he did manage to deliver on this sensitive subject with plenty of empathy and care while also channeling the anger of these teen girls so well. I felt all the feminine rage while reading this book and I loved that. I do think it got a tad slow in the middle there, but the crescendo of the ending more than made up for the book. I cannot wait to see what Grady writes next.

I love Grady so this was a MUST READ for me regardless of the content.

But my god was this a great read! Young girl finds her self pregnant, is sent to an icky ‘home for wayward girls’ where her name was taken from her and she and other pregnant teens were to remain until they give birth & have their children adopted out.

Some dark themes throughout so if you’re of a more sensitive disposition I’d check out the trigger warnings before heading into this one.

We have witch craft, abuse, teen pregnancy , it’s fab ! A great page turner as expected and very much enjoyable from start to finish 👏🏼

TW; sexual abuse, rape, paedophilia, child abuse, underage pregnancy, medical descriptions / trauma, graphic descriptions of birth and episiotomy, casual racism,

First off, a massive thank you to NetGalley for the ARC—how insane to get an early copy of a Grady Hendrix book?! Life = complete.

When 15-year-old Neva finds herself pregnant, she’s quietly sent away to “spend the summer with her aunt” - read: being shipped off to the imposing Wellwood House, a home for ‘wayward girls’ . Here she will stay until it’s time for her to give birth, hand the baby over for adoption, return home, and pretend none of it ever happened.

At Wellwood House, Neva is stripped of her name and given a new one - Fern - before being introduced to a whole host of girls who share her predicament. Particularly we meet Rose, fierce and determined to keep her baby; Zinnia, hopeful that she’ll marry her baby’s father; and Holly, a silent, mysterious slip of a girl who never speaks. Their days are bleak and regimented - filled with chores, medical checkups, food rations and constant belittling.

But then, a lifeline: the mobile library. Here, Fern meets Mrs. Parcae, the enigmatic librarian who lends her a book on witchcraft. What starts as a small act of rebellion soon turns into something much bigger, as the girls scrabble to regain some power and autonomy over their lives. But, of course, power always comes at a price.

The historical fiction elements were really well done—Grady Hendrix clearly put in the research, and the book avoids that icky ‘historical women’s suffering, written by a white man’ pitfall. And, as expected, it delivers some delightfully gruesome moments (some birth-related, some... not).

For me the pacing was a little pitchy in this - there were a few times where I felt my immediate investment dwindling, but it always managed to bring it back.

‘Witchcraft for Wayward Girls’ has that unsettling, stomach churning, gruesome-yet-compelling flavour of Hendrix’s signature horror and well worth a read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC, and the opportunity to provide an honest review.

I thought this book was boring. It wasn’t for me. It has many of the archetypal Grady Hendrix imprints, but lacked the charm of his other books I love. I do appreciate the care with which he handled a difficult set of issues. I think he demonstrated a willingness that most male authors wouldn’t to take on an empathetic and authentically female perspective. This is to be commended.

But, this book was not fun in any way, and that’s what I come to Grady Hendrix books for. I want to feel that indescribable, campy, preposterous, funkiness that his stories bring to me

I give props to a man who felt the courage to take on pregnancy, birth, and witches. Most of the time it felt authentic although I have some small quibbles about the portrayals of labor. This story shows the emotional turmoil and abuse these girls went through, and I wasn’t expecting the horror-esque turn this took.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this e-ARC!

I may be biased, but Grady Hendrix grew to be my absolute favorite horror author, beating even Stephen King himself. Book after book he proves that the supernatural is not that scary and the real terror lays in people and their relationships. „Witchcraft for Wayward Girls” is definitely not for the faint of heart, but its gory scenes don't hit the regular horror genre undertones - not witches, not monsters, but giving birth is what's the scariest in this book. And not knowing. The level of micro abuses and keeping pregnant girls in the dark in this story gave me chills and serves as a reminder that Hendrix is a genius when it comes to writing believable characters and emotions. I felt for those girls, I cried for them and was repeatedly reminded that there is nothing more anguishing than giving birth in the USA of the 70s when you're an unmarried teenage girl.
I loved that every character stood on their own and how they worked as en ensemble. Superb book, will recommend it to everyone.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is a chilling novel about a group of unmarried pregnant teenage girls who begin to dabble with witchcraft and magic in order to save themselves from their fate. It has elements of horror and gore and is strangely addictive. I really enjoyed the friendship between the girls and the humour they shared with one another even in desperate times. Towards the end, the story did feel drawn out and the pacing could have been better to keep you fully engaged, but the ending was excellent in my opinion and I loved how it tied everything together.

Set in a sticky Florida summer, our main character finds herself in a home for wayward girls to wait out her pregnancy. This is a gripping story of a group of girls finding their way through life-changing times, full of adventure and friendship, with a few twists thrown in along the way.

Thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for my advanced reading copy!

Darkly hilarious, creepy, and full of heart, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is Grady Hendrix at his absolute best. With a perfect mix of nostalgia, occult chills, and razor-sharp wit, this book dives deep into the messy bonds of teenage friendship and the ghosts—both literal and figurative—that haunt us. The story is fast-paced, the horror is chilling without losing its fun, and the characters are so flawed and real that you can’t help but root for them. It’s an eerie, emotional rollercoaster that’s impossible to put down—witchy, weird, and absolutely wonderful!

I absolutely loved this book from the first page I was hooked and I couldn't put it down
if you get the chance to read it you should jump at the chance. Much like Gradys other
Books they are so well written and beautifully imaginative

i've read a few grady hendrix books now and still can't decide how i feel about them. i liked the premise and set up for this but wasn't motivated to finish it

Grady Hendrix books are usually a bit hit or miss for me but when I tell you this was a HIT! I absolutely flew through it and was rooting for those poor girls all the way through. There were some spooky, edge of your seat moments, but mostly I was invested in the plot and the girls in the Home.

I do have to say, I would NOT advise reading this if you’re currently pregnant as it’s quite graphic about labour!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review!

I mean, this is definitely going in one of my favourite reads of 2025 so far! I was expecting to feel that way, given how much I've always enjoyed Grady Hendrix's books. I don't even know the words to describe just how much I enjoyed WITCHCRAFT FOR WAYWARD GIRLS, but it's equally horrifying as much as it's heartwarming, but also infuriating (in a good way) and viscerally gross (also in a good way). I feel like this book takes a supernatural occurrence or the existence of the supernatural and uses it to highlight the very human horrors and injustices lying underneath — in this case, the brutal and skin-crawling subjugation of these literal children, who are being taken advantage by all the adults around them, as though by virtue of being pregnant, they are denied even the remotest of compassion. It's a story of reclaiming power, but also an acknowledgment of how reality can be an inescapable force, which feels equally frightening as a concept. It is intense and vicious and hungry, but so satisfying and made me shudder in the best of ways! 1000% would recommend this book!

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls was definitely a great introduction for me to the writing of Grady Hendrix.

A chilling horror set in a 70's home for unmarried mothers, this had tones reminiscent of The Craft which ironically took me back to my own teen years. Upon receiving the witches handbook, the girls soon found they were out of their depth and everything comes with a price. Sometimes the price is more than you are prepared to pay...

I found there to be lots of dark, graphic imagery in the story but it had it's place and wasn't superfluous. The writing was well paced and, although it didn't throw any real surprises my way, was still an enjoyable read.

Would I recommend? Yes if you like your horror but be warned there are some elements of Witchcraft for Wayward Girls that might be triggering for some.

Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC

Another hit from Grady Hendrix! I love his combination of humor and horror. I'm always entertained reading his books and this was no less. I'm also very fond of how he writes female characters. A man who actually portrays them good. This topic was also deeper than his prior novels I felt, which impressed me. A great novel.

Disclaimer: e-Arc provided by Pan MacMillan, Tor Nightfire via Net Galley for Review. All thoughts are my own. My thanks to Pan MacMillan, for providing me with the arc for review.

Plot
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is set in a home for unmarried teenage girls in 1970. When one of the girls is given a book about witches, the group of girls start dabbling in magic.

Thoughts
Rating: 3.5 Stars

This was good. I liked the setting of the mother and baby home, and the dynamic between the girls in the home as well as their adult caretakers. I felt it was a bit too long winded towards the end, I thought it was almost over, only to realise I was only 80% through.

4.5 stars ⋆˙⟡

ahhhh this book!!!
im genuinely at such a loss for words for this review.

grady hendrix did an amazing job on this novel and im blown away at the impact its had on me.

this story had me so intrigued and invested in every character.
i felt for all these girls put in such terrible places all because of a childlike mistake or because they were taken advantage of.

“𝘓𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘍𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘢, 𝘙𝘰𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘥. 𝘐𝘧 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵.
𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦: 𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦, 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴. 𝘛𝘪𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴.”

nothing i love more than a great feminist piece with magical elements.