This book doesn’t have the humour or campiness of his other books, and the build up is slow with the action not really taking off until around the 60% mark. Personally I love a slow burn horror where we really take the time to sit in the situation our characters are in, but I will say that I thought this book was a bit too long. The story could’ve been much tighter, and better paced, if it was told in less pages.

It’s a book about power and feminism. It’s about how the people who hold power never seem to have to pay the price for it, whilst those with no power have to pay it over and over again.

We start by getting you a wider look at all the different girls in the home before focusing in on our four main characters. It does such a good job of setting up the monotony and repetitiveness of their days, whilst also making it clear these girls have no control or agency. The situation that is set up is unsettling, not least because it reads like very straight historical fiction - reminding you that this was real for so many young girls. It feels a lot like a coming of age story in the beginning.

One thing that stood out for me in My Best Friends Exorcism is how well Hendrix writes teenage girls, and the same is true here. The characters all feel different, and complex, and they feel like teenagers. This is not just a home of un-wed pregnant women, this is literally a home full of girls. They should’ve been protected by society, it instead it blames them for their current state and ships them away into hiding.

I really liked our four main characters a lot; admittedly Fern could be annoying but I could really feel her sense of desperation and shame. Holly was a favourite character for me and the hopelessness of her situation was heartbreaking.

Hendrix has clearly done his research regarding witchcraft/paganism in the 70s. The book talks about the rede, the elementals, going sky clad, and lots of other words and ideas that would have been especially popular in witchy groups at the time. The book has an interesting mix of low (folk) magic and high (ceremonial) magic, which was fun to read. It would have been so easy to make the witches the evil villains of this story but instead they are desperate women who are doing what they think they need to do to survive.

Overall I had a great time with this book. It feels less overtly horror than some of his others but, after reading those labour scenes, it has left me with the certainty that not having children was the best decision I ever made!

Witchcraft for Wayward girls is a horror in so many ways, but it's also a story filled with hope and female friendships borne out of a desperation to survive in a world that shunned them for existing.

Arriving at the home for Wayward Girls, she becomes Fern, shedding her true name along with her true self. Now she is nothing more than another pregnant teen, shamed, poked, prodded and put to work to pay for her room and board. There she meets other girls in similar situations, some older, some younger, and they all come with their own stories. Rose, determined to keep her baby, Blossom, and escape to live on a farm somewhere. Zinnia, adamant that the boy who got her pregnant will wait for her, that she will have a life after this. And Holly, a 14 year old girl who never wants to go home... ever. Every moment of every day they are reminded of their actions, not just by their ever changing bodies, but by the looks and comments of the adults that surround them. Then one day a Librarian visits the home, and offers the girls a chance at escape, at revenge. But everything comes at a price, and the girls must decide what they are truly willing to pay to live the lives they so desperately seek.

I'm going to start off by saying that this book has some seriously descriptive scenes of child birth, some more traumatic than others, as well as child death on page, talk of past child abuse, as well as body horror. It's not a happy book, not a nice one, it's dark and terrible and truly horrifying and I absolutely think you should be aware of that before reading. But despite all that, Hendrix somehow makes the story more about the friendships between these girls, the bonds that form through this trauma, than about the trauma itself. Fern, Rose, Zinnia and Holly would probably never have been friends had they not met at the home. Conflicting personalities, home lives, beliefs would have surely kept them apart. They aren't always on the same page, they don't all feel the thirst for vengeance quite as much as the others, but it's Holly that truly brings them all together, and their desperate need that she not go back to the place and people that hurt her in the first place. They are written so convincingly as teenage girls and at times you almost forget what brought them all together, their 'wayward' ways as it's so often put, but despite being pregnant, Hendrix still manages to give them the highs and lows of teenage life.

I guess the thing that hits the hardest about this book is that homes like that actually existed, in fact, I wouldn't at all be surprised if they still do. From a pro Roe v Wade world, to now a post, Hendrix couldn't have written this story at a more poignant time. No one protected these girls, no one was actually looking out for them, instead the adults, be that their parents who were ashamed of them, or the adults at the home who saw them as nothing more than a cash cow, caused them as much trauma as the pregnancies themselves. It didn't matter how they ended up there, whether the sex was consenting or not, these were simply teenage girls in over their heads, teenage girls who held the full weight of these decisions, even though they weren't the only ones to make it in the first place. No one placed the blame on the boys, no one asked them to shoulder any of the weight, instead they were given freedom, because why should their lives be ruined when they weren't the ones who got pregnant. There's so much of this story that's still relevant, still happening today, and that's the true horror right there.

The Witchcraft gave these girls freedom, gave them a fleeting sense of hope that they could change their fates. Their first spell goes swimmingly, passing Zinnia's morning sickness off to the Doctor who said it was 'all in her head.' But when they try to change the more important things, that's when things start getting tricky. You need to remember these are teenage girls, girls with no knowledge of the real world, just a desperate hope that they can change it for the better, and so when given the chance at power, at hope, who wouldn't jump at it. I really enjoyed how this element was woven through the story, I expected it to come in a little earlier than it did, but allowing that time means it makes more of an impact. It brings it's own elements of horror to the story, of these girls making decisions they don't understand, tying themselves to someone wholly more powerful than them, but they are determined to claim the power for their own, to punish the people who hurt them with it, damn the consequences.

But despite the addition of magic, the true horrors of this book lie in reality. How Hendrix writes about these young, ever changing bodies, growing to grotesque levels to bring something into the world most don't want.Hendrix deftly shows the reality of child birth for young girls who were told nothing about the experience, nothing about what to expect, other than once it was over they would never see their baby and be able to go back to their old lives. The reality of a world where the onus of pregnancy fell firmly on the women, children really, with the male partner getting away free. A world where a young girl can be molested, made pregnant by someone close to them with no one willing to believe her, or care. It's a book that made me intensely angry, not just because these things would have actually happened, but because they still are today. Hendrix is a master storyteller and writes incredibly realistic portrayals of women, both adults and youths, and if you're looking for a story where the horror elements lie firmly in the real world, I would absolutely check this out.

I love author Grady Hendrix's novels so when this came up to request on Netgalley, I was so excited and even more so when I got the acceptance notification.

This novel has to be one of my best novels of 2024, even though it is published in 2025.

We follow a group of unwed pregnant teenagers who are sent to Wellwood Home in the US to have their babies and then put up for adoption and then allowed home again.

The girls meet a librarian and they are given a book that contains witchcraft the girls take it upon themselves to start using the book for their own good.

This novel is so well written, quite upsetting scenes regarding childbirth and as the reader you really become invested in these young females and its quite heart-breaking at times to read.

Thanks to the author, Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me a chance to read this brilliant novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’ve read a few of this authors books and I have never been disappointed with them. This one is set in the year of 1970 and Fern finds herself pregnant and driven to an unmarried mothers home where she will remain until her baby is born, taken from her and only then can she go back home with no shame.

However, she meets 3 other girls and they are tired of being told by adults what is best for them. Along comes an elderly librarian that gives Fern a book on the occult and for the first time in ages the 4 girls hold the power. But power isn’t free and what happens when the price is due to be paid?

This was so good and has the usual mix of horror that I have come to expect from this author. 4 star read.

Grady Hendrix’s Witchcraft for Wayward Girls captures the deeply unsettling world of mother and baby homes, a reality familiar to readers from Ireland and other countries with similar institutions. In this haunting blend of historical fiction and supernatural horror, the novel follows fifteen-year-old Fern as she’s sent to Wellwood House, a home for “wayward girls” in 1970s Florida. Pregnant and scared, Fern is one of many girls at Wellwood expected to give up their babies in secrecy and return to their lives as if nothing happened. Alongside girls like Rose, a free spirit determined to keep her child, and Holly, a mute girl with a tragic mystery, Fern quickly learns that this system values control above all.

Through the gift of a witchcraft book from a sympathetic librarian, Fern and the other girls discover a world of rituals and powers far removed from the suffocating confines of Wellwood. But as they begin to experiment, they learn that magic can be both a blessing and a curse—freedom comes with a price, and their use of power, born from desperation, could lead to unintended consequences. Hendrix doesn’t shy away from showing the brutalities of these institutions and the darkness that surrounds their legacies, lending a sense of grim reality to the story’s supernatural edge.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is a chillingly unique read, resonant with the themes of autonomy, agency, and the consequences of power. Readers might also enjoy the eerie atmospheric horror of The Good House by Tananarive Due, which explores the lasting impacts of trauma and haunted legacies. For those interested in understanding the impact of mother and baby homes, the movie Philomena, starring Judi Dench, offers an affecting portrayal of one woman’s quest for answers and justice.

No Surprise here but another 5 stars for Glady Hendrix. This may possible be my favourite novel from them.
I felt every emotion reading this. Since finishing this book I haven't be able to stop thinking of it.

This book is one that'll stay with me for a while I'm sure. This is my first book from this author - but there are more of his I now need to read!
This isn't a "typical" horror - I'd of course suggest checking any potential triggers - and I'd also suggest you may want to wait a while and give it a wide birth (pun intended) if you're pregnant!
The true horror of this tale lies in the way young girls were treated at this time - I honestly had to check that the author was actually a man and it wasn't a pseudonym used by a woman! As it captures the feelings of these girls so well.
It's a hard subject matter to read about, the author doesn't shy away from very gory and graphic scenes. I enjoyed the witchy element of the tale - but also liked that it wasn't the full focus of the book.
The biggest surprise for me was I wasn't expecting it to make me cry!
Huge thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc ebook.

A slight change of tone for Grady Hendrix in comparison to his previous books. A gothic, witchy, horrifying tale that really makes you think about female autonomy.

Wow. I don’t remember the last time I binged a book in 24 hours like I did with this one.
This wasn’t what I was expecting from Hendrix and unlike the other books that I’ve read of his, but by FAR my favourite so far.

If I didn’t know this was a male author going in, I would have been gobsmacked after finishing. Meaning no offence, but this tackled so many issues that a lot of male authors may feel nervous to approach. Whilst I was expecting an all-out horror, with flying witches and monsters in the woods from the *awesome* title, the terrors that the girls endure in this novel are no less terrifying. I’ve recently felt a bit tired of witchy tales, after reading so many recently, but this truly stood out from the crowd and I just couldn’t tear myself away from the pages.

A huge thank you for allowing me to read this early- I will be steering customers towards this for sure!

This is a stunner of a book! It's my first by Grady Hendrix so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I now have a big list of his fiction (called "lies" on his website!) on my TBR.
It's witchy and feminist and addictive. It was an excellent read in a dark and stormy November, but honestly, I would pick it up any night of the year.
Set in Florida in the 1970, "Fern" is a pregnant teen who has been given a fake name at a home for wayward girls. I love the setting of the hot, humid and atmospheric setting of Florida's swamps already, and the oppressed teen girls just adds to this vibe. Then you get a witch. Yep, that's right! A mobile librarian seduces the girls into witchcraft which they readily accept in an attempt to free themselves from the situations they've found themselves in.
I absolutely sped through this, it was addictive. I'm not the biggest fan of the childbirth portions (pregnant women, especially if it's your first, please don't read this!) because they're depicted as something entirely different from my own experiences - one of which was amazing, the other not so much, but wasn't anything like this. But they're also wonderfully graphic (in the best way!) and show the terror that the teenage girls would have felt. I'm personally just not a fan of the way that the media depicts birth as a screaming, world-ending kind of experience when it usually isn't!
This is an excellent read though and I would highly recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book.

In terms of genre, the novel “Witchcraft for Wayward Girls” by Grady Hendrix is classified as 'feminist horror', but I wouldn't necessarily agree with that. Or only in a very broad conception of horror. More on that later.
It's 1970 and the fifteen-year-old protagonist Neva (love that name btw) is stupidly pregnant, making her part of the dregs of society. Thankfully, no one has noticed yet, so her parents send her to a home for unmarried mothers for the last few months. There she lives with ten girls who are in the same situation as her. The plan is simple: finish your pregnancy, have your babies, give them up for adoption and go back to your old life as if nothing had ever happened. Only no one has reckoned with the wandering coven of witches currently living in the nearby woods and looking for newborns for the coven.
The book is hard to read in more ways than one. It's just over 400 pages long and it still took me a good two weeks. On the one hand, it was because it is WAY too slowpaced for my taste (but tbf, so was Mistborn from Sandarson was for me and for the rest of the world... not). On the other hand, because of what the girls have to go through.
Readers are mercilessly shown what women had to endure at the time - and not just minors. As far as I know, it is a realistic portrayal of the patriarchy of the time with the tone of today's enlightenment. Abuse of various kinds is highlighted; both by men towards women, because they are men and can get away with anything, and by women towards women, because they are so strongly conditioned to please the male world that it simply hurts.
The opposite pole to the society of the time is, of course, the coven of witches, who repeatedly talk about wanting to break away from the world of men. But even in their world, everything has its price and when the protagonist reaches for the saving straw of witchcraft, she suddenly finds herself confronted by another party that wants to exert power over her.
Unfortunately, the magic itself plays such a subordinate role that I was somewhat disappointed. It only comes into play at all after almost a third of the book and even then it hardly takes up any space. Especially for a title that already contains the word “Witchcraft”, I found this very unintuitive.
Let's come back to my statement that I see it as a very broad concept of horror. Because it is not, as you might think at first, caused by witchcraft. No, apart from the various abuses, it is above all the act of birth that leads to the unpleasant part that is inherent to horror.
We experience four of these in the course of the story, three of them very explicitly, all of which are disturbing in different ways. (I missed the depiction of caesarean sections, which was hinted at in a non-descript birth, but remained rather unnoticed in comparison to the four described vaginal births). Disturbing, because births are a brutal thing and Hendrix is not afraid to start with the powerlessness in the face of labor and only stop when the child is torn from the mother's arms. Tears, ruptures and cuts are also described in detail where they occur.
I found Hendrix's achievement as a man born into the intense and understandable emotional world of a distraught teenage mother quite impressive. Whether in the face of social pressure or in the face of the physical changes that pregnancy brings with it. And even though I probably won't read the book a second time (which admittedly doesn't mean that much), I will probably think about it for a long time to come.

It’s a gutsy move for a privileged male author to dive headfirst into a story about unwed teen pregnancies and the systemic oppression of women, a topic as charged as it is deeply gendered. But Hendrix handles Witchcraft for Wayward Girls with a surprising allyship that feels genuine, even if you side-eye him going in.

Firstly, let’s get one thing straight: this book doesn’t just scare you with witchcraft, gore and graphic body horror—TW: Graphic pregnancy, labour and childbirth scenes (I am SO relieved and delighted to be childfree!)—it infuriates.

Depicting unwed teen mothers being shipped off to “homes,” stripped of their rights and autonomy, and treated like criminals by creepy doctors and Nurse Ratched types is hard to stomach and not just in a historical sense. It feels even heavier when you realise these institutions weren’t just relics of a backward past. Their echoes are loud and clear in today’s world, from debates about bodily autonomy to the overturning of Roe vs. Wade to the underlying causes of the #MeToo movement, plus the ongoing intersectionality in current wars and crimes against humanity, not to mention homelessness and abuse. Same song, different decade.

Hendrix writing this as a dude is risky, sure. But he gets it. He centres the trauma, the injustice, and the rage of women throughout history and no doubt, of today. Because it is set in 1970 in a pre-Roe vs. Wade era, Hendrix bypasses the pro-choice vs. pro-life minefield and instead forces us to face the raw, unfiltered horror of denying women agency. He’s not preachy about it, so don’t worry, if that is a concern of yours.

This book won’t be for everyone. It’s going to ruffle feathers, trigger a few incels and misogynists, and will probably land on some banned-book lists, faster than you can say The Handmaid’s Tale/The Color Purple (and yes, the irony that it’s a privileged male). But hey, that’s the kind of résumé you want as an author tackling these topics.

Additionally, I've seen a few criticisms that there isn't enough witchcraft in this book and I agree. It does read more like historical fiction with visceral pregnancy & birth-related body horror elements and splashes of witchcraft, so adjust your expectations if you're looking for tonnes of supernatural horror right from the get-go. Because the real horror isn’t otherworldly. It’s what we’ve permitted and continue to permit to happen in plain sight.

Be that as it may, this story is also a reckoning. Beneath the witchy vibes lies a defiant reminder: women have always been powerful, even when systems tried to dismiss, control or snuff them out. Hendrix doesn’t just ask us to rage, he reminds us to rise.

Oh, and if you wanted a plot summary, read the blurb. Or better yet... the book. 4.5 stars, happy to round up. A more fleshed-out and nuanced character arc for Hagar and Miriam could’ve earned this a full five stars.

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Pan Macmillan | Tor Nightfire for the arc in exchange for an honest review—this was one of my most anticipated for 2025 and it delivered!

First off, I want to say thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC

At first I found all the different names confusing, it was much easier once the focus narrowed down to 5 of the girls. It did emphasize how lonely and confusing it must have been for them in the home.

I found the use of floral names very interesting, as they are symbolic of friendships and new beginnings. But without having their real names the characters have no power, no agency.

It was as witchy as I thought it would be. It was a device used to exaggerate the girls going against expectations. It added to the female rage elements. Without giving spoilers, the second to last chapter when it all kicked off filled me with so much female rage and empowerment.

I felt it was a bit slow in places, but I guess this is used to show how boring and monotonous the girls lifes are. How they are in limbo before they're able to go home and forget everything (or will they?)

I'm not usually a fan of historical fiction style books, but maybe because of when I've been reading it, the feminism, the reproductive rights stuff happening in the states, etc, this book was impactful.

If you enjoyed the Grace Year by Kim Lidgett or Femlandia by Christina Dalcher, this might be another great read for you

Wow, what a book! A rollercoaster of emotions and a gripping read. It put a supernatural twist on a terrible situation. I loved all the characters, and the supernatural twist seemed a logical response to the situation those girls found themselves in.

I feel kinda annoyed and disappointed by this one because of the high expectations I had for it. If you get into the book looking for a historical novel set in a scorching hot USA summer in 1970, with very little supernatural elements (that only come 30% into the novel... see witchcraft in the title), but lots of real world horror regarding society's customary sexism and bigotry in the guise of emotional and physical violence towards women and literal children, then you might end up enjoying it more than I did. For me, the story definitely relied too much on the accuracy of the setting to exacerbate any tension or strong emotion out of its readers, which is something I find cheap and an easy way out of actually building a well fleshed out horror novel, especially for the man of campy horror himself. The actual plot was weak and underwhelming, the pacing odd, and the characters motives and overall development weren't strong enough to compensate for the lack of substance of the story. I can't really praise the book for its strong moments when they all come from a place of reality, you know. Great job real world for being horrifying!

Rated 2.75 stars.

Man. I love Grady Hendrix.

It’s the 70’s. Pregnant teens are sent away to birth their babies, with the promise that they will return to their old lives. However, Fern and the other girls soon realise that their lives will never be the same again...

It’s feminist and witchy and a whole lot of fuck the patriarchy - the perfect blend of supernatural horror and real horror that us women face in our everyday lives.

Trigger warnings
There are graphic depictions of childbirth and extreme childbirth trauma. Also wouldn’t recommend if you are currently pregnant.

I love how Hendrix writes - it’s very slow to start but the build up is so worth it. The sense of desperation and dread is unmatched. Genuinely scary moments make the build up worth the commitment. No cheap thrills or popcorn horror here - it’s true classic horror.

Overall… Slow start - yes, but it’s also heartbreaking, empowering and hard to put down - I read this in 24 hours, and stayed up way too late to try and finish it.

One for the Grady Hendrix fan club. Me included.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Witchcraft for wayward girls
Author: Grady Hendrix
Pages: 496
Rating: 3/5

"They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to the Wellwood Home in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened."

I never thought that I really had any trigger issues when it came to books. Until I read this. Should you be suffering from birth trauma, I strongly suggest you rethink this as a read. There is also an off page description of child SA and r***.

The book was well written. The story was based in 1970s and the treatment of unwed pregnant girls. From control, blame, loss of rights and autonomy. The writing style was emotive and I found myself crying in some parts of the story. Especially when forced to sign their babies away.

There were some extremely gory and graphic writing, but there was nothing frightening. The scary part is the fact that history is repeating itself in regards to the reproductive rights for women in America (and the quotes at the beginning were as late as 2005)
The book makes you angry at the female oppression and for a male writer to write about it shows balls!?

You'll love this book if you like
- Southern American horror
- female empowerment and friendship
- knowledge is power
- 70s early 80s era, morals and values
- the darker side of witchcraft
- a wtf "I can't believe they did that"

The book was slow to get going; it was interesting to read about all of the girls and their lives at the home which was clearly the point, but it took a while for it to pick up the pace.
Once Fern received the book, I became massively invested in the story of all the girls. The book was heartbreaking, from Holly’s story to the babies they had no choice but to give up, it was honestly one of the most emotionally wrenching books I have read.
It made me rage against a system which allowed children and women no autonomy over their own lives and bodies; surprisingly it is written by a man, but it is written so brilliantly and accurately I genuinely can find no fault with his portrayal of the girls and their harrowing experiences.
I thoroughly recommend this book.

A very popular contemporary horror author, I find Grady Hendrix hit and miss. Much like Riley Sager, some I love and some I really dislike, so I'm always a bit apprehensive.

This one was really unique, and not a topic I've seen discussed outside of Ireland.

I didn't know before this year, when we read Ann Patchett's "Patron Saint of Liars" for Banned Books Club, that there were mother and baby homes in the U.S. - but there were.

In this, his seventh novel since 2014's hit "Horrorstör", Hendrix takes us to 1970's Florida. Fifteen year old Neva is pregnant, and her father is taking her to Wellwood House, a home for "wayward girls".

Given a new name by Miss Wellwood, Neva (now Fern) is left with other young pregnant women to try and figure out what to do.

Four of the girls become close, and discover something strange about a mobile library that visits the home. This could be the answer to their prayers - but what will they have to sacrifice in order to escape? (not the babies, don't worry, it's not THAT kind of horror book 😅).

The girls get involved with witchcraft, but they're soon in over their heads - have they made a huge mistake? And if so, where can they turn for help?

This is so gory, lads. Full-on graphic, gory, body horror. Childbirth scenes that made my stomach turn. But, I really enjoyed it. The story was well crafted and for a book written by a man, I really felt the female rage.

Neva/Fern and the others were brilliant characters, and I loved how their stories progressed. I also loved the side characters, especially Hagar, who worked at Wellwood House.

For a book that spent a good chunk of itself turning my stomach, I did end up crying at the ending. I just thought it was really well written and it's definitely my favourite of the books I've read by this author.

Thank you to @panmacmillan for granting me approval to read the ARC via @netgalley. Witchcraft For Wayward Girls will be published on January 16th.

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the female power and friendships that were explored. It was quite a deep topic but written with such beauty and sensitivity.
I did find it a bit slower than other Gradi Hendrix books I've read but loved the uneasy sinister feelings throughout.
I would definitely recommend!