Unwed pregnant girls need to be invisible from the society and give up their children for adoption.
These same girls go through hell before, during and after their pregnancies.

Themes 5/5
Writing 4/5
The congregation of horror-fantasy and societal issues is a great take.

I wanted to love this book; I feel like there is a book in this which I would have loved. The pacing is slow for my tastes. We are introduced to the many girls in their new accommodation, which established the setting and tone, however I wish there were more and clearly-defined character arcs, clearly distinguishable characters and the horror mix happened sooner.

Despite finding the pacing slow at times, I found the overall book gripping, and was engaged with the topics and the experiences of the characters.

CW: multiple warnings; read the list provided by the publisher before you go into this book. I found the majority of the depictions suitable for the story.

I had to take a couple of days to fully process all the emotions I felt while reading this book (that literally started with the first line I read). Because I got angry SO many times. And I sobbed like a baby reading the last chapter. I also laughed a lot and a few scenes grossed me out but hey, it's horror. I wouldn't have it any other way. As a summary, I would say this is a 5-star read.

Because I got an early copy of this book, I get to write this review in 2024. This is the year when what's, in my opinion, one of the best movies I've ever seen was released: The Substance. And this book reminded me of the movie in quite a few ways. The main one? This book, the same as the movie, wears its theme on its sleeve. Subtlety won't be found here. The few quotes that open the book make it crystal clear and I love that. I don't mind having to think a bit more when reading a book. I love reading between the lines or guessing if there's more than the superficial meaning to whatever message a book is sending. However, I also like it when it's obvious and straight to the point. And I think with a topic such as the one covered in this book, subtlety isn't needed. We all know what we're talking about.

In this book, we find a Home for unwed teenage girls who are pregnant. And right from the beginning, we get the clear message that what matters is them being unwed. That's the scary part, not a little girl having to face a pregnancy she's not ready for at such a young age. If she was married...all good. You just can't be subtle when it comes to something like that. And I say all of this because I know some people misunderstand (sometimes on purpose) Grady Hendrix's books due to the lack of subtlety or the satire. I love them because of that, amongst many other things. One of them is the camp element this book has too.
But back to the topic. We have all these teenage girls being sent to the Home where they'll stay until they give birth and that baby will be given to a married couple who they're told can look after the baby like they can't. The girls, of course, are not asked whether they want things to happen that way. They're sinners so who cares about their opinions? I could write so many quotes I highlighted while reading...but some will be a spoiler. What's not a spoiler, because reading the premise of the book makes it clear, is that this book is about body autonomy and how women's bodies have always been controlled. How they're still controlled. The quotes that open the book show us very old quotes...and one from 2005. We all know what's happening right now in many countries, not just the US. And it's all infuriating.

So we got the criticism of how women's bodies are policed, the commentary about the hypocrisy of how a wedding ring on the right finger makes a situation change completely, ...but what else is covered in this book? Well, very obviously the lack of sex education. How many of those pregnancies could have been avoided if the girls knew how their bodies actually work? Most of them. The narrator says it "we were too young to understand" and those who should have helped them just demonise them for something so natural. Their sin had to be hidden and then forgotten. And whatever effect that had on the girl's mental health was irrelevant, of course.
So those girls found themselves together in the Home and, naturally, they bonded. They asked questions that everyone refused to answer and so they found in magic and witches the only way to try and find answers and solutions. But every action has a consequence. And here's where the witchy part of the book comes. As a 90's kid, I couldn't stop comparing this to another movie: The Craft. Those teenage girls also used magic to try and fit in or to solve problems. But soon found out it's not so easy. Also, as a 90's kid, I grew up wanting to become a witch so that nostalgia element also added another aspect I loved to the book.

The topic of adoption is also a tricky one when it comes to that time in history. All the babies that were taken from their mothers against their will or the ones who were robbed cannot be forgotten. Pretending the mother didn't exist or that she was a Jane Doe doesn't solve the problem. Done right, adoption is 100% the best way to help children get a better life and for some couples to be able to raise a child. It wasn't done right in the Home portrayed in this book.
Also, I don't think anyone barbaric enough to support surrogacy can read this book and enjoy it.

I don't think I've ever written a review where my thoughts were so scattered but it's how this book genuinely makes me feel. In the best way possible. Also, I have to give credit to Grady Hendrix for writing this story this way. Had I not known who the author was, I would have assumed it was a woman. Yes, a man can write about female experiences and a woman can write about male experiences. They just have to know what they're talking about and be respectful.

I felt that the story had a lot of potential but it couldn't really deliver fully. The premise was scary enough because of how real it was, and the historical aspects made it truly terrifying before the addition of any supernatural elements. I did find the book a bit slow and wasn't sure about the need of certain scenes and descriptions which didn't seem to add anything to the book except some shock value.

4-4.5 stars.
My first Grady Hendrix and it did not disappoint.
This is the story of a group of young women/girls, brought together at a home for unwed mothers-to-be, where they are hidden away until they’ve given birth, surrendered their babies for adoption and can be returned to their families as if nothing has happened. Until (there’s always an until…) one of the girls is given a book on witchcraft by a travelling librarian and all hell breaks loose.
This was a gripping mix of southern gothic horror, female rage, and social commentary. The character portrayal and development was excellent - my only (small) criticism is that some of the strong, minor characters, such as Zinnia and Miriam, could have been a little more developed and given bigger roles. I could have done with a little less technical description in the ‘giving birth’ scenes: “Using chromic catgut 000, Dr Jensen took a curved cutting needle and used four interrupted sutures to close the incision in the patient’s levator ani muscle. Then he put three running sutures of the same catgut in the bulbocavernous sphincter…” You get the idea. There was also a scene where the girls are being terrorised by an unknown presence outside the house and the author decided to capitalise all the noises: “ Nurse Kent started toward the front door. She passed under the chandelier, then the silent fan in the hall, and was about to disappear from view when the banging SLAMMED to life, front doors RATTLING in their frame, knobs SHAKING frantically back and forth, someone POUNDING to get in … The KNOCKING turned into BANGING, whatever was outside DRUMMING on the door, SHAKING it in a rage” etc etc. A minor point but IRRITATING, Mr Hendrix. These small gripes aside though, I thought this was a compelling page-turner of a horror/witchy read.
I’m not a massive fan of body horror, so the birth scenes, and a couple of other scenes where the girls and house are under attack, made me a little uncomfortable, but overall I found the ‘gore’ bearable - if you are really creeped out or triggered by pregnancy/giving birth, then you might want to give this a miss.

Overall, a gripping, spooky, thoroughly compelling read.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is an intense read. We follow Neve as she moves into Wellwood House for the final few months of her pregnancy. Neve is immediately given a new name, Fern, because girls here aren’t allowed to use their real names, or speak about their lives back home.

We’re introduced to the other girls, almost too many to keep track, and learn a little about how they came to be at Wellwood. They’re all pregnant and unwed, and absolutely will not be taking their babies back home with them.

The one thing Fern looks forward to whilst in the home is the book mobile, the travelling library that visits once every couple of weeks in the summer. One day, she leaves the library with a copy of “How To Be A Groovy Witch”, and the rest is history.

Fern and her friends are thrust into a world of which they have little understanding, and all they really want is to use their newfound powers to finally be free.

The book features some pretty gruesome descriptions of pregnancy and labour, which are even more horrifying when you remember that these girls still just kids.

Going to preface this that it's probably worth checking trigger warnings before reading this book as it deals with some heavy subjects that could be triggering to folks. I also went into this thinking wooo new Grady Hendrix horror about witches and not even needing to read a summary and being a bit turned around by the setting/scenario itself.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls centers on a house where parents send their children to carry their out-of-wedlock babies to term, have them adopted out and return home as of nothing ever happened. We follow Neva a.k.a Fern (all girls get given a new name to hide their identities at the house) who was unwillingly brought to the home. Here she meets others such as Rose, Zinnia & Holly and together they form a coven after receiving a copy of 'How To Be A Groovy Witch'. They test it out on reversing morning sickness on an uncaring doctor and things escalate from there involving bargains made and debts to pay.

Overall, despite this not being the book I expected from the title, I did enjoy the read and it flowed really well. There's also a rather poignant remark in the epilogue which makes this book a rather relevant read especially in the States. I struggled to put it down but I did look away and have to skip a few scenes. This felt a bit more serious than Hendrix's other books though it was still definitely in his style.

Not enough witchcraft! Grady Hendrix has become a must-read author a while ago so naturally I was excited about his new book. Alas, just like his previous novel, How to Sell a Haunted House (which I didn’t like), this one has a great title and sounds good on paper, but the execution is poor and disappointing.

Hendrix focuses mostly on a group of teenage pregnant girls and witchcraft seems like an afterthought and it’s not really explored. I’m not sure whether I feel the way I feel about this book because I have just had my baby a few weeks ago, but I can’t enjoy long, exaggerated, graphic - and vastly unrealistic / simply silly - scenes of birth written by a man who just wants to shock his readers. The characters, including our protagonist Fern, are stereotypical, one dimensional and not very memorable. I did like the ending and what Hendrix did there, though.

Still, I will look forward to whatever he writes next, because I do like his writing and I'm always curious about his ideas.

Finally a Hendrix book I enjoyed almost as much as The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires!

I do think pacing-wise it could have been tighter. There were definitely some slow spells (pun intended, of course) but, overall, what a wonderful and empowering read. As in Southern Book Club, the real strength of this story is in the fantastic cast of characters and the dialogue between them. They absolutely drive the book, carrying it through any slower periods and making it necessary for me to find out what happens to them.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is set in 1970 and is a fabulous indictment of slut-shaming, religious hypocrisy and the homes for unwed mothers that used to be commonplace-- what Fern calls "a machine that took in wayward girls and put out adoptable babies". These were horrific places, with high rates of abuse, where young women and girls were bullied into repenting their sins and handing over their babies to wealthy couples.

(I should probably say at this point that the book contains grisly and gruesome depictions of pregnancy and labour and is not one I’d recommend for those currently pregnant.)

What I especially loved (and hated with a blinding fury) about Southern Book Club that I think this book also captures is what it feels like to be dismissed, to be powerless and have more powerful figures talk over you and make decisions without your input. Fern, Rose, Zinnia and Holly have been let down. By their families, by their church, by the whole stupid system. When dabbling in witchcraft offers them the chance to reclaim some control over their lives... well, wouldn't you take it?

While Hendrix doesn’t explicitly mention the recent attack on reproductive rights in the US, he throws in a mention of how these horrific homes disappeared after Roe. Ultimately, the true villain of this book is any person, church or government that believes they have a right to make decisions about women's bodies.

So I thought this was a great book. Very emotional and empathetic, often funny, occasionally scary, with villains almost as complex as the heroines.

Unfortunately this book was a big miss for me. The first 30% was so slow that i was debating putting the book down. Towards the end it definitely improved but overall i just don't think the storyline was gripping or fast paced enough for me, especially not for a horror/thriller. It felt more like a historical drama about how horrific life was for unwed pregnant girls in the 70s.
Thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, the first I have read from this author! I would recommend to friends but make sure to read trigger warnings first.

Witches huh? Not normally my thing, but I'll give it a go...

...and I'm glad I did!

To be honest, I'm still not sure how important the witch part really was. Sure, there are spooky goings on as some young girls get involved in witchcraft, but the more powerful aspect of the narrative is the horribly real indignities and injustices visited on these young women due to them being unmarried and pregnant in the late 60s/early 70s. The girls are sent to a home for the 'wayward' to have their children, with their babies being put up for adoption and passed on at birth.

The book doesn't really feel like a horror for the most part, but is full of real-world horrors. There's a warts and all description of child-birth that I've noted other reviewers think is too much, especially as the author is a man, but for me, there was huge power in this scene and it was a fundamental part of this story.

The author's gender is interesting actually. I didn't know much about Grady Hendrix and assumed it was a man before reading. But during the book, I started to think it might be a female author. I've seen others suggest the same thing, which I guess is a real compliment to Hendrix's ability to write women.

The book isn't perfect; I found some of the characters a little one-dimensional and the supporting girls in the house all melded into one for me, even though I think I was meant to know recognise some of them. But the main characters such as Fern, Rose, Miss Parcae and Hagar, were all excellently drawn.

Humorous, dark, emotional and powerful, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls packed a real punch.

Description:
Fern's a teenager in 1970, pregnant and unwed. Her family ship her off to a home to wait out her pregnancy and adopt out the baby without bringing them (more) shame. But the home and the heat are oppressive, and soon Fern and her friends are getting involved in matters beyond their comprehension...

Liked:
As a historical novel it feels both realistic and horrific - the absolute hypocrisy of the society these girls exist in is all-pervasive and well explored. There's an intrinsic body horror element to the premise and this is explored pretty fully: it's a lot. The sense of place is great and the oppressive atmosphere and weather are well realised. There aren't many books where I can see the main characters utterly damning themselves and feel like I'd probably do the same in their position... this is one of them. A few of the characters were sinister but nuanced in ways which hinted at depth.

Disliked:
This didn't feel particularly well-constructed... the plot bumbles along from one catastrophe to the next. You could argue that that's representative of the girls' situation, but it doesn't make for particularly satisfying reading. There were A LOT of characters and most of them were almost completely unfleshed out, including the aforementioned ones with hints of depth, who'd I'd honestly have loved to have learned more about.

Would recommend. This is my first Grady Hendrix and I was expecting something a lot less substantial, if I’m honest. This is pulpy, for sure, but the historical grounding makes it feel much more worthwhile. It’s an easy and quick read - worth checking out.

This book was a slight step out of my usual genre, but I was intrigued, so gave it a go and I'm so pleased I did.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is set in 1970 at Wellwood Home in Florida, a place where pregnant, unwed teenage girls are sent to have their babies in secret, give them up and return home as if it never happened. On arrival, the girls are given new names and set to work until their due date arrives. One group of girls visit the library bus that visits fortnightly and Fern is given a book about witchcraft; the girls decide to try out some spells and enjoy having some power back in their lives, where they are living powerless. This spirals and has some devastating consequences for the girls and everyone around them.

I felt that the start was quite slow, although I found the introduction and scene setting fascinating. There were a lot of girls and it took me a while to get to grips with the names and who was who, once it became clear who the main characters were, this was much easier. I wasn't convinced I was that 'into it' for the first half of the book, but then something changed and I found that I didn't want to stop reading. I had slowly been drawn into the story and, despite it not being my usual type of read, I needed to find out what happened and whizzed through the second half.

It is hard to believe that this book is written by a man. Almost every main character is female and there are some pretty graphic scenes about childbirth, but he does an excellent job of telling this story.

My thanks to NetGalley for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

🔮 Grady Hendrix’s last novel wasn’t quite what I expected, so I approached his follow-up, ‘Witchcraft for Wayward Girls’, with a bit of trepidation. Thankfully, the title and blurb won me over, and I’m so glad I gave it a chance! The qualms I had with Hendrix’s previous book all but disappeared this time around, and I was impressed by the tone, themes, and social commentary of Hendrix’s latest offering.

🔮 Set in 1970, ‘Witchcraft for Wayward Girls’ follows fifteen-year-old Fern, who, after becoming pregnant, is exiled to a home for unwed mothers-to-be. Here, she begins to bond with the other girls as they face cruel treatment, but everything changes when Fern stumbles across a book of witchcraft…

🔮 Hendrix’s writing is vivid and immersive. I loved his inclusion of feminist, pro-choice social commentary and criticism of patriarchal views, inadequate sex education, and the abuse of power. In light of today’s political climate, these themes resonate even more deeply, making this not just a horror story but a thought-provoking exploration of issues that, unfortunately, still remain relevant.

🔮 This book has a bit of a slow start, but I wholeheartedly urge you to stick with it. The first 25% or so really sets the tone and lays a solid foundation for what's to come. Don’t expect blood and guts right from the start either; the typical horror elements also take time to emerge—but when they do, Hendrix’s talent for dark, evocative imagery really shines.

🔮 In fact, I’d say the story’s most hard-hitting terrors lie in the all-too-real treatment of these young women, who quickly become characters you care about and root for. If you enjoyed the feminist, witchy, and historical themes of ‘Weyward’ by Emilia Hart, I definitely recommend this novel, especially if you’re looking to dip your toes into the horror genre.

‘Witchcraft for Wayward Girls’ is out on 16th January 2025 (I recommend pre-ordering the special edition from Black Crow Books!)

Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for providing this e-book for review consideration via NetGalley.

It’s a slow burn, it it’s so detailed and as readers we are really able to connect and rationalise with the characters - despite the fact the way they are treated by society infuriates me!

The first couple of chapters really gripped me, but then the pace slowed down a little.

Given the author’s previous titles, I was expecting a tongue-in-cheek slasher. However, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls turned out to be more The Handmaid’s Tale than My Best Friend’s Exorcism.
The story is set in 1970 in a home for pregnant, unmarried girls. (And they are girls; no one seems older than eighteen; most are far younger.) We see them utterly rejected by their parents, their school friends and the males who impregnated them (variously irresponsible high-school students, married men, rapists, paedophiles). The girls are forced to follow the strict rules set by the proprietor of the home and her team of doctor, nurse and social worker. The girls have no say in what happens during their pregnancies and afterwards. In any event, they aren’t provided with information to make their own decisions – they are even denied books on pregnancy and childbirth.
Gradually, the girls learn to support each other, develop agency and claim back their bodies and their futures with dramatic and shocking consequences.
Despite vividly written scenes of horror, the book may evoke a different feeling in the reader, namely rage against the blatant misogyny, racism and bigotry described. It is about interference in women’s lives and reproductive rights and about inadequate gynaecological and obstetric care. This doesn’t only feel like 1970s social history.
The writing is quick-fire and fluent with well-drawn characters. The author (whom I believe is male) has done considerable research to depict pregnancy and childbirth with respect and authenticity.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
Upon publication, I will post this review on my blog and on GoodReads.

It has taken me a number of days to compile this review as I can't get Witchcraft for Wayward Girls out of my head.
This novel is set in the summer of 1970 in Florida, at a place called Wellwood House. A truly cruel place where young pregnant girls (unmarried) were sent in order to hide "their sin". Why? Because it was a belief, particularly among the god-fearing people that these girls have committed a terrible moral sin and must be punished. Interestingly, the fathers-to-be are not considered to have committed any sins, they are free to live their lives as usual. Meanwhile, the young women are sent away from home for several months, to give birth in secret and then have their child adopted.
While this is a work of fiction, the fact that should homes did exist and in Ireland, we have a terrible history of how woman pregnant women were treated, so this work immediately hits home to a contemporary reader.
One of these young girls is 15-year old Fern, and she has been sent to Florida in disgrace for being pregnant. The teengers band together and try to support each other, while also accepting the changes to their lives that are now beyond their control. We see the friendship of Holly, Rose, and Zinnia in particularly develop well as they listen and talk together, finding ways to survive the daily torment of strictly controlled diets, long hours of back breaking work and, a long list of rules.
The attitude and behaviour of the staff, in particular the owner and doctor are quite sickening, yet typical of the times. And it is these attitudes that lead the girls to follow a book of witchcraft, secretly provided by a visiting librarian. And once Fern discovers the spells hidden within the book, the story takes a decidedly darker twist as the girls utilise the book to get their revenge. And our story truly becomes a tale of power, friendship and trying to find the light within the darkness.
While there is not as much horror in this story as I had expected, in terms of blood and gore but they main horror comes from the characters themselves, in particular how the girls are treated by their families and the staff (especially the female members of staff).
Brilliantly mixing the true horror of the past with fiction, Grady Hendrix has created a powerful novel with themes of friendship, magic, loyalty and survival.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for this ARC.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is the story of 15-year-old and pregnant Fern, who is sent to a Home for unwed mothers to have the child she is having out of wedlock. The story is set in the 1970s, and describes the things Fern experiences in this home as she waits for her baby to be born, and starts experimenting with witchcraft.

I don’t think I have the words to describe how much this book blew me away. When I think of Hendrix’ writing I mainly think of humorous horror, Horrorstör having been the first of his books I have read, and so I truly didn’t expect how deeply emotional and respectfully handled the themes of this book were. Hendrix doesn’t hold back in describing the extreme misogyny faced by all the girls and women in this book, both structural and interpersonal, and the racism faced by the black girls and women. I cannot praise enough the amount of small, very real acts of misogyny and microagression that these girls are faced with, in a way that felt all too painfully real. However, every single time that they are let down by the system you can see our main four girls working together, becoming a team and a sort of family, something that gives you the glimmer of hope you need in this dreadful world.


This is a truly outstanding read, one that will make you angry and deeply sad, but also one that will have you feeling warm at the close relationships between the girls, and the sense of strength and will that they carry inside despite all their hardships. I cannot recommend it enough.

I quite enjoyed this book. It was my first Grady Hendrix book and I couldn’t put down. I was just entranced in the story and I had such a good time with it.
However, the only reason why I wouldn’t rate it a 5 star is I felt it was too clunky and a bit messy in places. But aside from that, I really enjoyed this. I loved the story,

This wasn't my favourite Grady Hendrix book unfortunately. The story was interesting but I was hoping for more witchy-ness. I almost DNFed this around half way through but persevered, and I'm glad I did.