What an amazingly powerful story. I couldn't put it down. The way the events were captured in this story were extremely sad, yet endearing. The power of each other, the support and facing such huge decisions.
This took my breath away.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

As I already read a couple of Grady Hendrix‘s books (We Sold Our Souls being my first and still favorite), I had a general idea of what to expect from Witchcraft for Wayward Girls. In hindsight, I so wasn’t ready for this book. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve read it in 3 days, I totally was sucked into it, but holy shit was it an uncomfortable read. And I’m saying this as I used to read grimdark fantasy novels.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is set in the summer of 1970, in Florida, in a private Home for pregnant unwed girls and women who are tucked away far from their families under false names until they give birth, their babies are given away (or sold, more like, although it’s only hinted at, strongly, but still) and they can return home like nothing ever happened. Yep, it’s as bad as it sounds. As I never lived in the 70s, I can’t comment on how accurate the portrayal of the era is (I suspect very accurate), but it’s hard to imagine now how these girls were treated (and I have a feeling in some parts of the world they still are) not only by strangers but by their own families. Like they were trash, like everything was their fault, like they stopped being human beings almost.

Hendrix in this novel tells the story of four particular girls: Fern, Rose, Holly, and Zinnia. Well, that’s mostly how we know them anyway, named after flowers by Miss Wellwood who runs the Home that happens to be her family manor and was run by her father, a doctor, before her. While I didn’t like Miss Wellwood’s character much, I sure appreciated the layers Hendrix applied to her personality, which became clear during one particular episode, which goes to show that you can never know what lies in one’s past and how they cope with trauma. And that sometimes people delude themselves into thinking they are doing the right thing as it was done to them before.

Powerless, belittled, scared, and learning things about the world they never imagined, the four girls grab the first opportunity that’s dangled before them to take things into their own hands. Little do they know that the price might be more than they are willing to pay. And I’m leaving it at that, as I wouldn’t want to spoil the plot for you.

I generally prefer character-driven stories, or books where I can connect with the character(s), Witchcraft for Wayward Girls drew me in with the storytelling. Reading it felt like a bit when you can’t take your eyes off of a tragedy happening right before your eyes. But as I’m not a mother and I’m not planning to be one, it was harder to connect with the story in a deeper emotional level. Then again, I’m not sure I would recommend this to people who do plan to become pregnant because some of the scenes of giving birth might give you second thoughts. I honestly could have done without some details, which I’m not 100% convinced were entirely necessary.

And therein lies my problem with rating this book. Hendrix touched a topic that’s not easy to write (or read) about at the best of times (and we all know that similar or even worse things happened to young women all over the world in homes kept in much worse state, just look up Ireland’s past with such homes ran by the Catholic Church and nuns). In that regard, Hendrix’s version of a Home is pretty tame, even if the way doctors and nurses handled pregnancy and pregnant women would raise quite a lot of eyebrows today. Such as letting them smoke. I felt like Hendrix captured the era very well – again, as I never lived in it, I don’t really have a comparison – and the whole atmosphere. I could easily feel like I was there sweating with these girls in the Florida summer. And we are in the middle of the winter here, so that’s saying something.

Anyway, what I’m trying to say is, Hendrix is a very accomplished and skilled writer who I’m pretty sure could write about anything – and make it look much, much worse – but this might be a too sensitive topic to turn into horror fantasy. I mean, it’s horrific enough in itself – and I guess that just makes it even more bone chilling if you think about it – I’m not sure adding witchcraft to the mix was quite necessary.

I’m also not sure who would be the right audience for Witchcraft for Wayward Girls. You definitely need to have a strong resolve, because apart from the gory bits, it’s still not a light read. It crawls under your skin, makes you uncomfortable and refuses to leave your mind for a long time. Under anyone else’s hands, this book could have been a disaster, but Hendrix approached with care, and nuance. At its heart, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is about the power of women and how far you would go to get it back from those who took it. That, and karma is a bitch.

This was amazing, filled with the usual gory and uncomfortable scenes while also focusing on a wider issue. I still don't know how I feel about a man writing about the systematic oppression of women and teen pregnancy but Grady Hendrix does manage to pull it off in a way most male authors don't!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love Grady Hendrix and this didn’t disappoint!

It’s 1970 and Wellwood House is home to a group of girls who have been sent away to see out their pregnancies out of sight. When their babies arrive they will hand them over to be adopted and will be expected to return to their old lives as though nothing ever happened. But then a strange librarian shows them a way that they can take back their power, but power can be dangerous, can they handle it?

I loved the characters in this, all the girls were written in a way that you felt so much empathy with. There are numerous references to real life events such as the Vietnam war and the Manson murders which all fed in to make the setting feel very real.

Don’t expect this to be too “witchy” it’s more subtle than that, the themes of the occult are woven in a way that is eerie and all consuming and ultimately very powerful.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is set in a 1970s home for unwed mothers, who are hidden away there by their families to give birth to their babies in secret and give them up for adoption. Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at Wellwood House in St. Augustine, Florida, where she and group of pregnant teenagers are stripped of all rights. They are forced to work, have their diet rigorously controlled, and are cut off from the outside world until they have their babies.

When the librarian of the mobile library that occasionally stops at Wellwood House gives Fern an occult book about witchcraft, she sees this as a way for taking back some control. Together with some of the girls, she attempts some of the spells. But they soon discover that power comes at a price, which is usually paid in blood.

What a powerful book! I found it particularly impactful because the true horror elements of the story came not from the supernatural, but from how these girls were deprived of their bodily autonomy, shamed, and systematically failed. There are some graphic depictions of child birth – please check trigger warning carefully!

This is my first book by Grady Hendrix and honestly it wasn’t what I was expecting! It’s quite a slow burn for the first half of the book and is fairly light on the horror.

It’s incredibly well-written, and as the book progresses you realise the real horrors are the ways in which unwed pregnant women were treated in the 1970s. As the girls get closer to their due dates, you see just how far they will go chasing a tiny bit of hope that they will escape the dire situations they’re expected to return home to.

Sadly this was a DNF for me. I was really excited by the premise of the book and the first few chapters were intriguing and quite dark but at 40% in i feel like nothing is happening 😴. Sad because I have loved so many of Hendrix’s books. But, there are so many books to read and such little time. Huge thanks to Net Galley and publisher for this ARC.

Fern is just girl. She hasn't done anything wrong, but her family and the world treat her as a pariah. Why? She got herself pregnant at 15 in the 60s. To protect the families reputation Fern is shipped of to a house for girls just like her. Girls who strayed from the moral high ground of the time and got pregnant outside of marriage. Fern tries to find her way in this new place, but quickly learns that she has no power over her own body let alone her own fate. Unless she takes it.......

Grady Hendrix returns to true form in what I believe is his best book since 'My Best friend's exorcism'. Here he tackles a very timely subject of women's rights over their own bodies and their own lives. Something that is right now very much challenged in the United States and other parts of the world. Of course he also illustrates the 60s quite well. Casual racism, smoking during pregnancy, anti war rhetoric, forced adoption and the dark side of organized religion all make an appearance. Clearly showing us that a return to this America might not be what we actually should strife for.

Grady uses the coven and witchcraft as a vehicle for self empowerment, but also for a cautionary tale about the abuse of such power. Everything has a price and that price must be paid. Do be aware that there is not that much magic being done, especially in the first half of the book. This book is clearly on the lighter side of the horror genre.

What surprised me most is that a man has written this, a story that should decidedly be told be a woman, and has done it justice. This does not feel like mansplaining, it seems Grady respects his subject and presents it in a surprisingly believable way.

The female characters are strong, they are realistic and they transcend the time period they are written in. It is surprising how much character growth can be found in this horror novel. Furthermore it is refreshing to see that every character has its own distinct personality without feeling too tropey.

All in all I would highly recommend this book even if you are not a fan of the horror genre. The only warning I would give is of the extremely graphic birthing scenes. Something I can most definitely say is more shocking for a male reader than for most women. Believe me when I say that I'm convinced that we men are definitely the weaker sex.

Dark, tense, heartbreaking but also beautiful. Grady Hendrix writes women so well that you’ll feel like you know Fern, Rose, Zinnia and Holly

This is my first book by this author and I blooming loved it so much that I have added all his previous to my TBR. Luckily I have managed to get hold of the Audio versions so, hopefully, I will get to them sooner rather than later!
Wow... this is a brave book for a male author to tackle. I know in this day and age you shouldn't be surprised but, imo, he really excelled himself as he managed to perfectly get inside the head of young pregnant teens at the worst times of their lives. But I get ahead of myself...
Wellwood house is a home for unwed mothers-to-be, specifically those still in their teens. They do not question how or who, they only worry about keeping the girls safe until they can give birth, and then return to their families. Each girl is florally nicknamed and sharing personal information is forbidden. Their every waking moment is controlled by Miss Wellwood.
We follow 15 year old Neva, or "Fern" as she is renamed when she arrives at Wellwood, as she meets the other girls, as bonds are formed, as rules are broken. As she meets the strange "librarian" who gives her a strange book...
As well as the magical elements of this book, the main topic is that of the "wayward" girls and that side of things tackles some horrible things. I don't really need to spell out the reasons that a young girl can get pregnant and then abandoned, or shunned, by the father, or their families. And then that baby taken from them, no further contact. No wonder some of then really do not want to return... No wonder some of them start to rebel...
This is a slow burn initially as the scene is set and the full reasons for some of the girls' circumstance is revealed. This is important as it is the building block for what follows. It's more about the girls themselves rather than the spooky which is more the icing on an already delicious cake. And oh how I felt for the girls. Their circumstance, as harrowing as they were, they were all fighters. It's definitely a book with all the feels.
Reading the other reviews by people who are more familiar with this author, I see that this book is light on the spooky stuff. I have no yardstick for that but I though it was enough for the story being told. That said, I'd like to hear more from Hagar...
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

‘Witchcraft For Wayward Girls’ by Grady Hendrix is a slowly burning southern horror with a vivid 1970s setting and sprinkles of dark magic. More than that though, it’s a story of injustice and manipulation of young women, and them finding the courage to fight for their self-worth. Focusing on Neva (“Fern”) Craven, whose father packs her off from Alabama to Florida to complete her pregnancy away from prying eyes, the novel kicks into gear after a visiting librarian provides a book of witchcraft…

This was definitely an uncomfortable read - from extreme sickness and slightly-too-immersive childbirth scenes to the awful realisation that so many girls experienced such “mother and baby” homes and the cascading psychological damage. Being a “groovy witch” was a strong metaphor for taking back control while learning that everything has a cost. Ultimately though, the evil in this story came less from witchcraft and more from the manipulative adults - especially the housemistress and counsellor - and from society itself.

Quite unlike anything I’ve ever read (and some way outside my usual genre choices), this was captivating and unusual. I adored the epilogue, and overall landed on four stars as my rating.

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Pan MacMillan via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Hendrix writes about a group of pregnant teens in a home for wayward girls. I’ll be honest, I could tell this was written from the male perspective, the emotional side of pregnancy wasn’t really explored until we were nearly at the end of the book but instead a focus on the physical changes to the body was emphasised throughout. The plot was steady and I enjoyed the development of the girls’ characters.

‘I did an evil thing to be put in here, and I’m going to have to do an evil thing to get out.’

1970, Fern 15 who is pregnant arrives at wellwood house with other girls who are in the same predicament. Fern soon meets a librarian who gives her a book about witchcraft. What could possibly go wrong with such power...
And it's usually paid in bl@@d.

This book was overall a good read. It's dark, atmospheric and immersive. The author captured the characters emotions so well and the characters were well developed.

The treatment of these girls was heartbreaking at times, and it has some graphic moments. The book did dip for me midway a little, but soon picked up again. The cover is eye capturing. The author does a good job at taking you back to the 1970s.

If you enjoy horror/occult I would recommend this book to others.
I want to thank #Netgalley and #panmacmillan for this advanced readers copy of #WitchcraftforWaywardGirls

I hadn't come across Grady Hendrix until I spotted a review for this novel. It piqued my interest and I was delighted to discover it on NetGalley. I'm even more delighted on finishing the novel as this was exceptionally well done, hooked me from beginning to end and mixed historical fiction with the supernatural very well indeed.

Set in the 1970's, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls takes us to a home for unwed mothers - teenagers having children of their own. It's a dark and depressing place, the girls treated as sinners and forced into handing their newborn babies off for adoption once born. Stripped of even their own name on entry, the girls have very little control and are powerless to fight back against the authority that has deemed them unworthy. Told what to eat, when to sleep, how to dress, they are powerless to fight back. Until the book library comes. When the librarian hands over a book about 'groovy witches' to Fern, the small group of girls find a way to wrestle back some semblance of control. Only they will quickly discover that perhaps they aren't the ones in control after all.

This is a book about the hopeless and powerless. It depicts conditions in one home for wayward girls, showing a systematic failure of the girls within its walls. Hendrix doesn't shy away from the darkness, not just in the treatment of the girls but also in the details of their pregnancies and childbirth. It's harrowing at points and you can't help but wince at some of the descriptions. But he captures the trauma, both physical and mental, of these young girls who had their bodily autonomy and then their children torn away from them.

All in all, this was an excellent historical fantasy which captures the plight these girls were put into. The supernatural elements that allow the girls to take back some level of control are well done. I devoured this from beginning to end and it won't be the last Hendrix book I read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my free review copy of this title.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review. Thank you!
I was a little scared after his book last year (I really didn't like How to Sell a Haunted House...), but this was magical! He wrote very beautifully about the emotions of girls/women, despite being a man - now that I think about it, there was only one positive male character in it, in the epilogue :'D The story starts a bit slowly, but everything is necessary in its own way!
I wasn't really aware of the situation of single mothers in America in the 70s (this takes place before abortion laws), but it's horrible to think about what it must have been like... On the one hand, you don't get any information about what could happen to you if you give in to a boy, on the other hand, you are blamed for what happened, and in the end, without explanation or a kind word, you are thrown into a "home"...
The little coven of the girls (Fern, Rose, Holly and Zinnia) grow to my heart. The book gave me a lot to think about, and as a mother myself, I could see and feel their pain <3

Wellwood Home is a home for Wayward Girls - unwed mothers to have their babies and have them taken away as if none of it happened. In 1970, Fern arrives at the home scared and powerless among other girls in a similar situation. When a librarian sneaks her a book on the occult, she feels the power in her hands for the first time. However, there is always a price to be paid.

It is hard to believe this book is written by a man. Grady Hendrix take a bow!! It is quite different from what I've read by this author before. He has done a fantastic job of showcasing female characters, their bond and unique female experiences. He has touched on the trauma, injustice and rage of women throughout history. There is so much of the story that is still relevant and is still happening today. I was emotionally gutted by this book.

I found the book hard to read at times with the abuse and shame these young girls had to face and some of the scenes are extremely graphic and gory. It is a slow burn, more of a coming of age story of these girls and though there are elements of witchcraft and paranormal, they are not really scary or creepy but with a sense of foreboding, driving the plot forward. The ending was perfect, wrapping up in a way that felt real and touched my heart.

Immersive, enthralling and masterfully written. A powerful story that will stay with me for a while. Highly recommend!! Please do check trigger warnings though.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Well, this is not what I expected. I have only read "My Best Friend's Exorcism" by Grady Hendrix, but I have always known his work to be basically horror comedies, and this is not the case. At all. Still I have really enjoyed this despite I was not exactly in the mood for such a heavy and deeply emotional read, especially in times like ours. Overall, this was a excellent book, filled with interesting themes. It's impossible to not relate to what we hear in the news, while women and girls right are taken away right under our nose everywhere in the world.
Big kudos to Grady Hendrix because despite being a cis white man, he still managed to write a powerful feminist book.

Really enjoyed this. A very atmospheric, slow burn and while there are witches the ultimate horror is the patriarchy and the powerlessness of these young girls. Just an excellent story, I couldn't put it down.

This is so unlike any of Grady’s other books. Much less horror and less wacky. It was much more character driven which at first I found to be a bit of a slog but I got stuck in soon after! I really enjoyed the focus of the home for the girls. Such different characters all brought together which I loved. I did enjoy the witchcraft parts however it did fall a little flat for me. Probably because I was expecting a lot more horror as his usual books.

Grady Hendrix does it again. There’s a reason why he is my favourite author, and Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is just another perfect example.

Horror is a genre that is not afraid to tackle the darkest topics head on. Where other genres might otherwise gloss over a subject, or subtly hint at it, horror novels turn their flickering flashlights straight at it and illuminate all the twisted depravity. And it’s not just the paranormal forces or stomach-churning gore that provide the scares.

For me, the best (or worst) horror comes from the totally ‘normal’ human characters in these books. Reading what ordinary people will be willing to do to one another, and all the ways they can inflict pain and suffering on to those around them is the scariest thing of all. And that’s what Hendrix does so well. He creates characters who will make you so furious, you have to put the book down and walk away for a few minutes just to calm yourself. Characters who have you tugging at your hair in frustration when they make another stupid decision. Characters who you’ll cry for, because they feel so real you can’t help but empathise with them.

Beyond the magic and mysticism of the witchcraft in this book, is a tale of girls who mistreated simply because they are girls.
Judged as being fast, loose, wayward. Abused and degraded because of those judgements. The scariest thing about this book is the fact that this was reality for many girls decades ago.
But this is also a story of hope. I personally like a little dash of hope in my horror. Just a little light to balance the dark.
The connections between the girls in this book feel so real. It’s a joyous celebration of female friendship, and the lengths that we will go to to protect our found families. And in the moments when the girls discover just how strong they are I wanted to punch the air in celebration.
You’ll root for these wayward girls the whole way through.