I feel like there was a lot of setup for not a lot of payoff? Truthfully i felt we would get something more along the lines of the horror we saw in Horrorstore, so i was just very disappointed all in all

This title and cover really drew me in, I had no expectations or any preconceptions about what the book was about, but boy did it surprise me!

It was not only about horror, witches, with the occasional gore, but also depicted teen pregnancy, labour, and childbirth - a topics a lot of fiction authors shy away from. It was really refreshing reading about something that is actually quite normal yet also scary to experience, as with any mother, whether teenage or not, pregnancy will inevitable be slightly scary. This book specifically drew on current global issues and put it into a fantasy setting, but as readers, we are able to connect that unfortunately, this plot might be more realistic than meets the eye. We meet horrifying nurses and doctors who treat our pregnant teenagers almost as villains and criminals. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a unique take on the unfortunate situation of women still in this age. The topics might ruffle some feathers, but it is an important read nonetheless.

Wow! Witchcraft for Wayward Girls was exactly the kind of book I didn’t know I needed until I read it. Grady Hendrix has officially earned a spot on my "must-read" list and I’m excited to read more form this author. This book is a delicious blend of magic, mystery, and gave me major The Craft and Buffy vibes.

My favourite part of this book was the balance between the supernatural elements and the lives of these girls. The struggles they face, them coming to terms with who they are, and the friendships developed and built along the way. The mix of lighthearted moments and darker themes kept me glued to the pages. Plus, the twists in this book were SO good. I didn’t see some of them coming at all!

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix.

Unwed pregnant girls are sent away to have their babies in secret, give them up for adoption, then return to society as though nothing ever happened. An already harrowing situation made even worse by their new strictly controlling and stifling home. 15 year old Fern joins a group of girls in a similar predicament. Knowing nothing about what's to come, Fern asks a librarian for a book about having babies and instead receives one about witchcraft. Its pages offer hope and a chance to change whose hands the power lies. The girls were seeking only to improve their situation, for a respite from morning sickness and speculums, and to give the adults a taste of their own medicine. But their newfound power comes with a price - how will they pay?

They’re scared. They’re cornered. They’re bound to bite back.

Some spoilers ahead:
The girls are given a fake flower name to hide the stench of their sin. But a rose by any other name is still pregnant. The girls may have different backgrounds, different dreams, but they are shared in their suffering. The staff skilfully tailor their manipulations to the individual, bending them to their will until their baby is birthed and adopted away and they can pretend nothing ever happened. Let the shame hide the horrors of reality. They are routinely treated as less than, with no dignity or empathy, or not even acknowledged at all. Subjected to physical and psychological torture, powerless with only each other to depend on. The crime of being an unwed pregnant girl is theirs alone to suffer, lest they stain those who failed them. Children sent away so the adults don't have to face reality. Expected to return to their lives as though nothing ever happened once the baby has been adopted. Never mind the fact that a uterus takes weeks to involute, that there will be several lasting changes, and that the past few months will haunt them for the rest of their lives.

"After everything she'd been through, after she'd created life, after they had taken her child, did they really think she was scared of something as small as God?"

The worst scenes are those familiar to anyone owning a vagina, and ones I've seen many times in obstetrics and gynaecology. The lack of bodily autonomy, informed consent, or empathy had me raging because 'that's not how it should be!' and yet it is still happening today. This isn't just treatment of the past, though it's easy to think that. The current sociopolitical climate doesn’t make that fact any easier either.

There is honestly very little witchcraft or supernatural horror to be found. Instead, it's more of a human horror, and brutal body horror. The girls stumble upon witchcraft, and enjoy finally being able to take some power back from those that use it against them, but it soon demands payment for the power it gave. The librarian soon becomes another predatory adult only serving their own interests instead of helping these poor girls, lingering in the shadows to demand specific payment for their magic debt.

The brutally detailed descriptions of pregnancy, gynaecological exams, and child birth are viscerally painful. I've seen a lot and I know of worse, but it was so grisly and hopeless that the horror really sticks out much further than any witchcraft ever could.

The temporary haven of witchcraft, for their respite and revenge, comes with an equally brutal cost and mirrors the issues of bodily autonomy and consent, but I think Hendrix could've hit this consequence a lot harder to nail truly how harrowing it would be to experience. Despite this, it serves as the only way to save one of them from the horrors of man. The girls escalate from seeking reprieve to revenge as their autonomy is stripped further and further. No one will help them, so they'll just have to help themselves.

"You can't beg the world to do what you want. You can't ask it nicely. You must force the world. You just bend it to your will."

I really enjoyed this book, and I think it was done well. It seems to be a pattern that Hendrix's books are titled in a misleading way, but I wish there was more witchcraft and explore the horrors present there in equal detail. It's particularly topical today, raising the question of which option you would rather if you were in the same situation. There is a particular 'reveal' that was obvious, and I think would be to anyone today who has gripped their keys between their fingers or chosen the bear. It perhaps highlights the girls naivety, or that being pregnant alone was shameful enough let alone how they became pregnant. Another reality more horrible than the supernatural. I wish there was more hope for her.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this and have much to think/talk about. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is my 4th Hendrix title and I think this gives me enough “know” to be able to say that Horrorstör was a fluke. Or, maybe the Devil appeared to Hendrix after Horrorstör and said: Dude, you can do so much better. I can help. Let’s strike a bargain. And then Hendrix started writing truly captivating, layered stories. I’m sorry, I have said it before and I’ll say it again: Horrorstör bored me to tears! Everything since has been amazing, though! We Sold Our Souls, The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires… and now Witchcraft for Wayward Girls. I love a story with meat on its bones and I fully appreciate that I have yet to explore more of Hendrix’s work. Looks like he can write and publish faster than I can read.

How exactly Hendrix is able to put his writing self into every different perspective is beyond me. I did wonder how he’s able to write the female characters’ POV quite so… just so… I also don’t understand how he is able to write multiple perspectives of a single story and make all sides feel like the victim and the wrong-doer at the same time. The lines got so blurred at who was doing the right thing, the moral thing, the evil thing, the selfish thing that I felt like I was lost in a maze and despair wanted to take over me because I just didn’t know! And what does that say about me?!

Most importantly, the lines get really blurred around the horror… is it the witches and the magic you must fear, or is it the human being whose actions seem to be kind but are not? Which is worse? Or are the both bad! But maybe it is the very accurate and relatable fears and discomforts of pregnancy with the impending child delivery clock ticking that makes the hairs stand on the reader’s neck. Heck, I sure felt seen with some of those descriptions. Whoever enlightened Hendrix on the particulars of pregnancy sure did a good job, a very detailed job. Yes, the fear factor dial was turned to max position but we are talking about teenage girls, and the story is set in the 70s. I mean, these girls smoked so much, I started getting cravings myself.

Anyway, the girls we meet in the book, pregnant and shunned and hidden into this “private care home” demonstrate a great sense of camaraderie among each other. The girls came from all backgrounds: regular families, well to do families. They all had their own personalities: the quiet girls, the hurt girls, the girls that would not ever yield to authority. And they all mixed and watched out for each other. I loved that the most. But, it’s a human thing to come to the end of one’s patience when being constantly put down, pressured, brainfucked, ordered around… And as the pregnancy evolves, so does the bond in between the mother and unborn child. Pushed into a corner, sick of this shit, and protective of their children, it does not make anyone wonder that witchcraft seems like a good option to fight back.

The witchcraft, magic and the coven aspect of the book actually felt witchy and what you’d expect. Personally, this was the vibe I expected and Hendrix sure did deliver. Particularly the aspect that no magic is a plaything without consequences.

I can only imagine how some readers will go into an absolute uproar about.. well, various representations of some things… like smoking and childbirth, pregnancy, teenage girl rep… I mean, you name it, the list is long. Someone could pick something from every page of the book to protest against. But the fact remains- this is a hell of a well written, many-layered book, set in the 70s with a touch of paranormal. Please, Hendrix, never go back to writing Horrostör-type stories… You’re amazing at these serious, horrible, realistic, uncomfortable, sad stories that have aspects and nuance for days.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is the third book I’ve read by Grady Hendrix and it won’t be the last. I enjoyed this book and read it quite quickly. That said I do think the pacing is a bit off, especially at the start. The story takes a long time to get going.

‘Fern’ who is the main character we follow for most of the book. She’s easy to a reader to engage and sympathise with because quite bluntly she has very little personality. She doesn’t have a strong stance, changes to suit the narration and is inoffensive. To be fair I do think that can be said pretty much every character, they all seem like set pieces.

This is a story book, not a character book. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is an engaging story, it does well at showing the horror these girls experience. Which is not the supernatural horror but “just the way the world is”.

This book is an unforgettable experience—raw, emotional, and devastatingly powerful. It is not a typical horror novel; instead of relying on constant action, it explores themes of trauma, loss, and resilience with striking authenticity. The atmosphere builds a deep sense of dread, while the characters are rendered so vividly that their pain and strength linger long after the final page.

Some scenes are difficult to read, and the injustices faced by children in particular evoke anger, heartbreak, and empathy in equal measure. Grady’s writing is remarkable in capturing the intensity of labor and birth with surprising accuracy, while weaving in layers of grief, horror, and humanity that elevate the story far beyond its genre.

The ending is both moving and haunting, leaving readers with tears, goosebumps, and the sense of having witnessed something extraordinary. This is a five-star read all around, and a story that will stay with readers long after they close the book.

This book was well written in a way that drew the reader in and made the setting and characters comes to life.
It is not what I thought it was going to be- I thought it was going to be the worst witch meets call the midwife but that’s not what this book is- this book is dark, historical and not at all the funny, silly witchy book I thought it was going to be. This is devils work, cult type witches. It’s actually fairly scary in some places and I found myself frightening myself imagining a scary old witchy lady.

The 3rd person narrative did get confusing at times and I had to reread sentences a few times to make out who “she” was.

Some bits did drag out a bit but I for the most part really enjoyed this book. The ending had me sobbing and my kids staring at me like I was a crazy lady so i will be recommending it to everyone I know 😂

What an incredible book. Check your trigger warnings before going in, and beware of a lot of graphic body horror, and not actually THAT much witchcraft.

This is a historical fiction (with a sprinkling of witchcraft) which centres around a home for teenage pregnancies in a time before Roe vs Wade. Absolutely horrifying, upsetting, frustrating and our young protagonists are so complex. Wrenched my heart out. Will stick with me for a long time!

and having me on the readalong. I had been really excited to read this, it’s my first Grady Hendrix and won’t be my last.

It’s the 1970’s and Fern is 15 and pregnant. Her parents send her off to Wellwood house in Florida, a home for unwed pregnant girls to be hidden away until they have their babies. The babies are given up for adoption and the girls go home and forget it all happened. Their every moment in the home is controlled, even down to how much salt they can have in their food. Then one day Fern meets a librarian who gives her a book on witchcraft. The girls have the power for once, but power comes with a price and it’s usually paid in blood.

I found this book absolutely fascinating. I did not realise these homes existed, they sound horrific. I loved that characters in this book, they were so well written. I felt so sorry for these girls, in the position they were in and the way they were treated by their parents and society. Some of their backstories were horrific, Holly’s in particular was truly heartbreaking. It’s horrible to think that there were probably girls in their position in the 70’s who went through the exact same things without the support they needed.

There are some very hard to read scenes around some of the births. I would suggest if you have any triggers around giving birth, baby loss or miscarriage then maybe check the full triggers for this book. Although they were difficult to read, it again painted the picture of what it was like back then for these girls giving birth.

I loved it when the girls met the librarian and were given the book on witchcraft. It felt really good to see they finally had some power over their lives. It felt so satisfying to see them get their revenge on the doctor after the way he had treated Zinnia.

I would definitely recommend this book if you want real characters with a story to tell and you enjoy a bit of magic.

Young unmarried girls who become pregnant are sent to the Wellwood House in St. Augustine in Florida. Fern arrives at the home and meets other young women who are in the same situation as her. Increasingly desperate when Fern received a copy of a book about witchcraft she realises for the first time that she may in fact hold some power; but at what cost.

.This was a gripping and thrilling supernatural read and I flew through the novel. For existing and new readers of Grady Hendrix this book won't disappoint.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls leans more into emotionally driven tragedy than supernatural horror. It explores themes of bodily autonomy and generational control, focusing on young women trying to reclaim their choices in a world that continually takes them away.

While I appreciated the message and the emotional intent, the pacing felt quite slow to me, and I struggled to fully connect with the narrative. Readers expecting a more traditional witchy horror might find the paranormal elements understated, but for those who enjoy character-led stories of pain, resistance, and resilience, this will likely resonate.

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

This book wasn't at all what I expected but I really enjoyed it and found myself totally engrossed in the story.

I love the characters and they're relationships with each other.

My only complaint is that I found some parts of the book were too long winded, they would have been much more effective if they were shorter and more to the point. However this did not impact my enjoyment of the book

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with this arc

Grady Hendrix is who you go to for social commentary and this is no exception. Girls are sent to Wellwood to have their illegitimate babies out of sight. Fern and her compatriots get a visit from the library van and Fern checks out a book on witchcraft at the behest of the librarian.

Reading through the book, she tries a few simple spells and then hits upon the idea of taking revenge on the adults running the "home".

It's a story of fear friendship and fighting for what's right.

Yeah, well, it's Grady Hendrix, people! Doing his usual thing! I liked it (I like 80% of his books), but I don't think it's one of his greatest. For one thing, it took a long time to shift into gear. Make that a loooooooooooooooooooooooong time. Also, this novel suffers from a serious case of Character Overload. I gave up pretty quickly on trying to keep all those pregnant teens with their weird floral names straight, because frankly there were just too many, but, as it turned out: didn't matter! Most of these chicks drop out of the narrative faster than you can say "Marigold". Phew!
Maybe I'm being sexist, but I also thought Hendrix was taking his male-author-writing-exclusively-female-MCs-shtick a bit too far this time, going all the way into some (lovingly detailed but frankly weird) descriptions of late pregnancy, labor and childbirth. YMMV; I wasn't impressed.
There's a generous helping of Magical Negress as well (aren't we kinda over this time of thing in AD 2025?) as well as Hendrix' usual slap-dash use of what other authors consider plotting; the narrative arc of this thing was seriously crazy and out of control a lot of the time. So if you come into this thinking, I was not overly fond of his earlier novels but surely by book no. 7 he must have gotten the hang of the whole plot business... nope. Sorry. Still feeling his way in the dark, from what I can tell.
But of course this is also a lot of fun. There are some scary bits. There are characters that may not feel true to life exactly, but they're fun to be around and come across as three dimensional and recognizable, not just those flat pieces of cardboard you find in 90% of commercial fiction. There's the usual sense of warm-heartedness and caring about his creation. So basically, you know, it's another Grady Hendrix novel. If you like him, you'll like this one (and there is a lot to like; one thing you can say about him, he never repeats himself, every book is a world upon itself).
If you don't... well.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC, although this one also took the cake for being the least readable ARC I've had the misfortune to come across -- the formatting was so terrible that I seriously considered giving up, despite having looked forward to this book so much that it started to feel unhealthy. So thanks, guys, but thanks for... well, not that much.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls takes you to 1970, where pregnant fifteen-year-old Neva gets shipped off to a home for unwed mothers after her family basically disowns her. She's supposed to give birth, hand over the baby, and pretend none of it happened. But plot twist—she and her fellow outcasts discover a coven of witches in the woods and suddenly have a whole spellbook to mess around with.

Not gonna lie, this one started slow and I wasn't sure I'd stick with it. But once I got past the first few chapters, I was hooked! Sure, it dragged in spots, but I ended up tearing through it and the ending legit made me tear up a little. Props to this male author for tackling such a heavy topic—the way society treated unwed mothers back then was brutal, and he handled it with real sensitivity. Even if historical women's fiction isn't usually your thing, this one's worth checking out.

I love it when Grady Hendrix combines horror writing with a story that addresses a historical social issue. Teenage pregnancy used to be a huge, shameful issue and it was interesting to read about the opinions of the time and the way people treated these girls. The witchcraft element was woven in so well that it didn't seem completely out of place. It felt like it actually could have happened, which made the book all the more thrilling. I really liked the characters and their development as the story progressed. This was just one of those books that gets stuck in your head and you want to keep reading

It took me an embarrassingly long time to read the ARC of this. Actually, to the point I even got the Black Crow signed edition of it… RIP

Anyway, this very much felt like a Grady Hendrix book. It’s got a woman centric story, friendship at its core and a sort of vague supernatural theme (it’s there, but it’s not really the core of the story). 

I mostly really liked it. I binge read it whole visiting my sister in Finland, making it possible for me to really immerse myself within the story for hours. Which made for a better reading experience than anything else. It felt emotionally charged (I absolutely did feel like crying!) and the topic was honestly heartbreaking. But with that said, I also feel weird reading stories that should be women’s own voices but which is told by a man — it’s what Hendrix does and he did very clearly put a lot of thought and care into it — but it still feels “wrong” in some ways. Are there other similar stories written by women that I could’ve read? Should’ve read instead? It’s minor, but it’s a sort of ambivalent feeling I have lately reading stories by men about women.

Then again, it was phenomenally well done and it seemed well researched. It was written with care and such detail you could almost imagine Hendrix experiencing this himself. So honestly, who knows.

It’s a good story though and an emotional one. You rooted for these girls to survive and get the future they wanted — and to get the revenge they deserved. There’s some criticism to be had on how the focus is only on girls who are forced to give up their babies, despite wanting to keep them and not on the other girls (or girls wanting abortions as some reviewers have said). But again, I don’t think that’s necessarily bad. It’s very specifically about the harm caused by girls being sent against their will to these places and then having no choice in whether they can keep or loose their babies. So to me, I think that’s a fine focus to have.

Anyway, I mostly loved it but would honestly love to hear people’s thoughts on Hagar and her sister and the possible ‘black magic woman’ trope? I don’t think I as a white woman can comment on it, but I’m curious if people felt that was a trope that was used or not?

/// ARC courtesy of Tor Nightfire and NetGalley

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix is a haunting, emotionally charged blend of historical horror and feminist rebellion, set in the sweltering summer of 1970. The story follows Fern, a pregnant fifteen-year-old sent to the Wellwood Home for unwed mothers - a place that promises secrecy and salvation but delivers control, shame, and silence.
When Fern and the other girls discover a mysterious book of spells, witchcraft becomes their only means of reclaiming power in a world that has stripped them of autonomy. But Hendrix makes it clear: power always comes at a price, and the real horror isn’t the occult - it’s the systems that treat young women as disposable.
This novel is less about broomsticks and more about rage, resilience, and the cost of survival. Hendrix’s signature wit is dialled down here, replaced by a raw, visceral tone that doesn’t shy away from graphic depictions of childbirth, abuse, and institutional cruelty. The supernatural elements are subtle and almost metaphorical, but they underscore the central theme: they’ll find their own magic when society fails girls.
While some readers may expect more overt horror or spellcasting, the book's strength lies in its empathetic characters, especially Fern, Rose, Zinnia, and Holly, each with their own heartbreaking story. The pacing lags slightly in the middle, but the emotional payoff and thematic depth more than make up for it.
If you’re drawn to witchy fiction with teeth, stories about female solidarity, or books that explore bodily autonomy through a horror lens, this one’s worth your time. Just be prepared - it’s not always an easy read, but it’s a powerful one.

This was solid! I enjoyed the horror elements and the way it didn’t hold back from certain topics!! The pragmatic kind of horror that explored how these girls dealt with the awful situations they were put in with little to no support. There was a particular comment about essentially all the abrahamic religions and then some hating women and that was really uncomfortable to read as someone who is religious. It’s a blanket statement that’s at least partially based on racist stereotypes and sure it was the character saying it not the author but they then go on to present examples of all the ways women were mistreated- all totally real and valid. My issue lies in the lack of distinction between the cultural attitudes towards women in certain countries and the religious. Something to think about, and also the reason i didn’t quite manage to finish 🥸