Grady Hendrix books have been such a mixed bag for me in the past, some I’ve absolutely adored and others I could just about get through.
Glad to say this one falls into the good category!

I was gripped from the beginning.
The witchcraft and horror were woven in but were definitely the background of the main plot. (However there were definitely a few scenes that had me feeling antsy at night!)

The true horror of this story was the treatment the girls received from the adults in their lives, pulling from an awful period in history. You will be enraged and bitterly sad.

Like most Grady Hendrix, this is a slow build that picks up the pace as you go along, until a big crescendo in the last 50 or so pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher
4/5 ⭐️

This book was a thrilling ride from start to finish. As a fan of Grady Hendrix's work, I was eager to dive in, though I knew it wouldn't quite match the adrenaline rush of The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires. While the pace started a bit slow, it quickly picked up once Fern discovered the witch's book and the girls began their magical rebellion against the oppressive rules of Wellwood Home.

I deeply connected with the young, unwed mothers – Fern, Rose, Holly, Zinnia, and the others. Shunned by their families, they found strength and sisterhood within the confines of their temporary home. Their resourcefulness in circumventing the draconian food restrictions imposed by the callous doctor was truly inspiring.

The ending was satisfying and provided a much-needed sense of closure. The epilogue was a poignant touch, leaving the reader with a sense of hope and empowerment.

I went into this book hoping for a blend of thrills and gore, and I wasn't disappointed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an advance copy.

Eagerly awaited and I’m grateful to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this before publication. A great title. Interesting concept. Some moments that had me wincing. There was plenty to like about this, though it felt a little slow to get going.
The book focuses on a home for unwed teenage mothers. Hidden away by family who are embarrassed by them, these girls are confined to the home while their pregnancies are monitored. Eventually they give birth, the baby is given up for adoption and then they return home.
With this particular group of girls they are given the opportunity to do something out of the ordinary. They use a book loaned from the travelling library to practise witchcraft. While it’s not the answer to their every problem, it offers them the chance to take some control over their lives,

I am not a natural horror reader, I have avoided it for the most because I am easily scared but this book kept on calling to me- I expected to be scared, I expected to be grossed out but I didn't expect to cry ,rage and feel so much empathy and solidarity for our main characters but this book made me feel everything. This book I would personally describe as Historical Horror Fantasy with at times a sprinkling of literary vibes.

The book follows a group of unmarried, pregnant teens (for the most) who have been sent away to a house for unmarried mothers - I would love to say that this was way back in history but in this book it takes place in 1970s US and this practice was still taking place up to the 1980s I believe - Wellwood House is a place for "Wayward Girls" where for these women and girls everything is controlled, restricted and they are belittled and shamed, given new persona's and told not to speak of their real lives.

Our main protagonist Fern finds herself sent to the house by her Dad - the leaving scene was so well written, as she begins her time under the eye of the staff and she forms a bond with 3 other girls, they become such an important support network for each other and a way to hang on to their memories of home and unburden themselves of what happened to them at home. Then we meet the Librarian Miss Parcae...Can they trust MIss Parcae? Is the "Book for Groovy Witches" the answer to their problems?

The story just really kicks off from her and I loved that there is such a good balance between character and plot driven- the treatment and depictions of examinations, pregnancy and birth were hard to read and if you have experienced any kind of birth trauma then please approach with caution - My insides were screaming at times! Grady Hendrix's switch in style and language at one point was so jarring and illustrated perfectly that these girls were not seen as humans just another animal on a gurney! and then one line about stitches made me rage!!!
Something which is played out in this book is that the true horror is embedded in reality and society and the way that women and girls are controlled and it is such a timely reminder when we look what is happening in countries around the world that is this history? There is still a real fight that needs to continue.

I feel that the main characters were so well written and fleshed out but I would have loved more insight in to Hagar and Miriam because I felt they were so important and I personally loved them, out of all the characters I think I struggled most with Fern's character arc as there was quite a bit of flip/flopping - I also felt that there could have been more witchcraft but having said that and going back to my earlier point the horror here is not in the supernatural it's in the abhorrent treatment of humans under the guise of good Christian values!

I loved this book- it's a slow burner but stick with it because it is so worth it and I really appreciated getting to know the girls, the horror is body horror and as I previously said a lot revolves around pregnancy, labour and birth so check your triggers and be gentle with yourself. This is my first Grady Hendrix so I don't have any comparisons to make but I enjoyed the writing and massive kudos to the author for such a well researched book about a topic that we need to make sure is never forgotten and a very timely reminder that women are always powerful even when all the odds are stacked against them.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Grady Hendrix doing what Grady Hendrix does best. I couldn’t put this down, and that’s a testament to the brilliance of the story, the writing, the atmosphere and the characters. Just brilliant.

I did not expect to cry at this book?! I did not expect to feel the levels of sorrow, anger, pain, solidarity and hope that I did whilst reading this book?! For a male author to write a book that focuses on the very detailed ins and outs and all arounds of pregnancy and labour and the oppression of women and their agency and to convey it in a manner that feels more allyship than clueless outside perspective? I’m impressed! A story that focuses on unwed teen pregnancies, the systemic oppression of women and the “homes” that fore-fronted the two. Institutions in which girls are forced to remain in during their pregnancies, until the day they give birth, their baby is taken and given away, and the girls are given a pat on the head and are told to forget this ever happened and to return to a “normal life”.

Wellwood House, a home in 1970 rural Florida for unwed mothers - all of which are still teenagers. A home where everything from their diets, connections to the outside world, reading material, television consumption, bodily autonomy and agency is controlled. Fern is forced to live in the home by her father, who claims he’d rather she had “never been born”, until the day her baby is born and given away to an adoptive family, and can she can “return home and return to her normal life”. During her time of regimented daily routines of cleaning the house to earn her keep, and misogynistic and medical care, she befriends 3 other misfits. Together, these 4 girls build a bond. Build resentment and anger towards a society that condemns and shuns them and not the boys who played a vital part in their pregnancies, too. And build a desire to help one another escape a future that will be thrust upon them - and maybe a little revenge too. Enter Mrs Parcae - the librarian of the mobile library that visits the home on a bi-weekly basis. As an avid reader, Fern is craving something new, something different, something she’s never read before and a need for knowledge. Knowledge to regain some sort of power in a pregnancy that she is constantly told is none of her concern when her questions are dismissed and discouraged. But what will be sacrificed in the pursuit of power?… enter The Book for Groovy Witches, and a dog that mysteriously haunts their bedroom threshold at midnight to guide them past the depths of the tree line that marks the outskirts of the home…

For me this story felt equal parts character driven and plot driven and it was wonderfully done. I felt like I knew these characters on a more personal level - and fully understood their motives and decisions and the emotions that guided them, and mourned with them and for them and felt rage on their behalf and hoped for better for them. I will say that this book takes a little while to get going, and there is a lot of build up before we get to any horror/witchcraft related material. But for me personally I enjoyed the this long build up, as it allowed me to understand and connect more with the characters.

My only gripes are that we didn’t get a more in depth character arc for Hagar and Miriam. And also that I wish we’d gotten a bit more witchcraft in this book. What we did get was immersive and atmospheric - but there could’ve been more, in my opinion. But, with that all said, I actually loved this book - way more than I ever expected. My advice would be to go into this book expecting less witchcraft and supernatural horror and more body horror in the form of pregnancy, birth and self mutilation (in the name of witchcraft), and most importantly the real life horror in knowing that these “homes” are relics from the past. From an era before Roe vs. Wade that almost feels full circle in this day and age when faced with the current state of the world and women’s agency and autonomy, (we definitely out here taking some backwards steps in history, let’s be honest). The graphic descriptions of pregnancy, pain, labour, gore, self harm, etc may not be for the faint hearted - I would personally recommend holding off on picking up this book for anyone who is currently pregnant 😅. But otherwise I think this book is a must if you’re a fan of the genre - and even if you’re not! This book is going to stay with me for a long time. A screaming reminder that women have always been powerful, even when we had no control over our own bodies, choices or lives. And that we can and we will rise.

Thank you so much to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book. 🫶🏻

I’ve read a lot of Grady Hendrix books and this is very different to the rest of the books.
I adore his writing style and this story is one that will stay with me for a long time, he obviously put a lot of time and research into the subject matter and that really shone through. I recommend checking triggers first but it is a “horror” book so hopefully nothing too shocking for that genre.

I haven’t read a bad book by this author yet and this one is no different in that regard. They call them wayward girls.. or unwed pregnant girls and it’s no other options would be more accurate. Sent away to a home for other like them, no real names, no contact, just chores and waiting for the inevitable: their babies birth. Forced to give their rights away and try to go back to life before. These girls have no power… until they do. Just a book. Nothing scary. Where’s the harm in trying? Just for a laugh, of course it won’t work. Until it does. Witchcraft is freeing to these girls, a way outside a cage others made for them. But the deeper you go the more magic requires from you, and with the youngest of the girls in more danger back home after the birth they make a plan to save each other, it’s not a perfect plan, but no adult is coming to help and desperation leads them all in unforeseen directions.

Oh, this was horrifying. But not in the way you might think (because of the title).

The horror of this story mostly comes from reality. The reality of what happened to these girls (especially poor Holly omg that broke my heart) and how they are treated, rather than a super witchy magic system.

It goes without saying that this is FULL of triggering content and it was pretty heavy to read in parts.

I can tell (and appreciate) the research that Grady Hendrix put into this and I don't think there's anything wrong with men writing about women's issues when it's clear they have put the time and effort into the message they want to get across.

I constantly felt tension while reading this, wondering what the outcome will be for these girls and I could feel the hot and humid atmosphere through the page!

I have only given this a 3 as it was okay, and I'm glad to have read it, but I think the first 50% is much stronger than the last. The plot just seemed to go back and forth a lot for me without progressing much but ultimately the ending was very emotional and I'm glad to have stuck with it.

-Sarah

I have mixed feelings about this one.

While I liked the setting and the characters, I felt like the 'horror' elements of this book took a long time to get started. The first 30-40% was quite un-engaging, and I think overall I struggled most with the repetitive nature of the story. I understand it as a reflection of the monotonous cycle of young girls coming and going from the home, and their endless days in the home, but it did make the read a bit of a struggle to get through.

I also sadly didn't enjoy the witches in this one at all - the constant appearance and evasion of the witch coming for Fern got boring very quickly.

Aside from this, I did really enjoy the characters and their individual stories - there are some hard topics discussed in here but I think they were handled very well.

4.5!

I did not know that this book would affect me so much!

Fern, a 15 yo girl, falls pregnant and is shipped off to a Home for unmarried "wayward" girls, to basically live there for the rest of her pregnancy and have her baby.
Cut off from the outside world and tired of the daily monotonity, Fern and her friends turn to a book that offers witchy solutions to common ailments. But soon, they realise that their dabbling in witchcraft can have dark and serious consequences.

This book left me heartbroken and frustrated and just so angry at the way these girls are treated!

They are blamed, vilified, ostracized, physically mistreated and completely ignored by their doctors, caregivers, social services representatives, their own family - basically anyone and everyone who is supposed to take care of them and help them - but instead, treat them with complete apathy.

All the while, the men who were responsible for getting these girls pregnant, get away scratch free.

Having a baby is a moment of happiness for many, but there is a lot of physical, psychological and emotional pain associated with pregnancy, child birth and postpartum, which often gets glossed over. The author has done a good job of describing these nuances.

The story also touches on a lot of raw topics - sexism, child abuse, sexual assault, gaslighting, lack of physical autonomy - being a few of them. So do check out the trigger warnings.

This book is tagged as a Historical fiction and Horror. While this is a great work of historic fiction, the main element of Horror in this book, for me, was the rigid patriarchy and the sheer injustice faced by the girls at every turn.

Despite the heavy subject matter, the book has many hopeful elements and heart touching instances of female solidarity and camaraderie.

Grady Hendrix has carved a unique niche for himself in the horror genre with works like The Final Girl Support Group and My Best Friend’s Exorcism. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls has no knife-wielding serial killer in the woods; it’s the people in power who are truly terrifying.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls delves into the dark history of homes for unwed mothers in the 1970s but with a supernatural twist. Hendrix’s novel tells the story of Neva Craven, a 15-year-old abandoned by her father at a Florida home for unwed mothers after becoming pregnant. The home, with its strict rules, dehumanising practices, and ever-present sense of judgment, is a claustrophobic and oppressive environment designed to shame and control the vulnerable girls banished here.

Read the rest of the review here: https://westwordsreviews.wordpress.com/2025/02/04/witchcraft-for-wayward-girls-grady-hendrix/

In a Nutshell: A historical horror fantasy – mostly historical, occasionally (body) horror, slightly fantasy. Interesting character development, great themes, plenty of chills and thrills and triggers. Slowburn most of the way. Not sure if this will satisfy hardcore horror fans, but it worked quite well for this historical-fiction-loving scaredy-cat.

Plot Preview:
1970. Florida. When the parents of fifteen-year-old Fern discover her pregnancy, they drop her off against her will to Wellwood House, a place for unwed girls to be hidden away from their families, have their babies in secrets, give them up for adoption, and then return to the world as if nothing has changed. Fern is petrified of being alone and pregnant, but she soon discovers that she isn’t the only one in this predicament. She soon becomes close to some of the other girls, even though each of them are different from each other in background and ideals. Their daily routine is strictly monitored by the staff of Wellwood, but when Fern gets an unsanctioned book from the visiting mobile librarian, she discovers a hidden power she didn’t guess possible. But is it really that easy to play with dark magic? Does this kind of power come with a penalty?
The story comes to us in Fern’s third-person perspective.

Bookish Yays:
💐 The quotes at the start of the book, taken from actual magazines - wow! Unbelievable that such ignorance lasted even till 2005! (And probably continues even today in many places.)
💐 The first-person prologue by a then-unknown narrator makes for a strong start. (PSA: Read it once again after you complete the book. You’ll appreciate it even more.)
💐 An intriguing cast of pregnant youngsters, all of whom are youngsters forced into adult situations and making the best that they can. It was interesting to see how each of them coped with their traumatic situation differently: some withering inwards and some exploding with feminine rage. My heart broke several times, especially for Holly, but unlike in historical fiction where my feelings often veer more towards the emotional, this time I actually felt the rage of these girls.
💐 Some well-crafted older characters as well. Though not all of them are explored in detail and most are definitely not likeable, their presence and actions lend the required darkness to the plot.
💐 The details about Wellwood house and how it was run – quite realistic. I liked the idea of using floral monikers for each of the young inmates.
💐 The focus on social attitudes towards unwed pregnancies and how “it’s always the girl’s fault“. I don’t need to reveal any historical facts about the heinous laws that deny women control over their own bodies. The book is set before Roe vs. Wade, but so many of the situations and reactions faced by the girls in this story are still present today.
💐 While there are several books with witchy elements, this was among the few that actually makes good use of those elements. The witchy stuff was actually witchy! (Reminder: I haven’t read much horror and am writing this point from a historical fiction reader’s perspective.)
💐 The core “horror” in this book to me was not the witchy content but the scenes with labour and child delivery – yikes! They were so brutally realistic to read that I felt like I myself was going through labour yet again. Fair warning: those scenes might scare you off (natural) childbirth for life! I’m so glad I was done with all that before reading this book! 😆 The only reason I am writing this under Yays is that I am stunned at the level of accuracy in the detailing of labour and delivery. That is to say, I can’t believe the author is a man! 🤭

Bookish Mixed Bags:
🌹 The book is much of a slowburn. In fact, the first 30-35% is just regular historical fiction. (Which was fine for me but will bug horror fans.) Just as I began wondering if I had got the genre wrong, the creepy stuff started making an appearance, but this was more continual than continuous. Basically, when things get creepy, they get reaaallllllyyyyy creeeeepppyyyyyy; you just need to have a good amount of patience during the rest of the story. Most of the horror is body horror, with minor elements of the supernatural.
🌹 The epilogue left me with mixed feelings. It's a good ending in the sense that it offers a much-deserved closure to the arcs. However, it just doesn’t read like a horror novel’s culmination, giving more women's fiction vibes.

Bookish Nays:
🌵 Fern’s character development is a bit ad hoc. I couldn’t get a handle on her personality because her decisions seemed to swing randomly.
🌵 The generalisations. Everyone who is connected to religion is vehemently evil. Every parent is a stonehearted jerk who feels no pain dumping their pregnant daughters in a home. Every white adult is self-centred and every Black adult is knowledgeable and helpful. Plus, the Black characters use some kind of voodoo-style beliefs. I am not fond of such cliched one-note portrayals.

All in all, despite my issues with a part of the content and characterisations, I am mostly satisfied with my first Grady Hendrix work. I obviously have nothing to compare it with as I have no idea about his general plots or writing style. But I strongly feel that this book will be better suited for historical fiction fans with a penchant for horror than for horror fiction lovers with a liking for historical fiction.
Recommended to those who can handle it, AND have a fondness for feminist themes, AND don’t mind slowburn stories, AND preferably already have kids or don’t ever want to have kids! There are plenty of triggers, but mainly beware if you are wary of gore or child abuse content.
4 stars.

My thanks to Pan Macmillan and Tor Nightfire for providing the DRC of “Witchcraft for Wayward Girls” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

It took me a long time to write this review, I had such mixed feeling upon finishing this book that I really had to sit with it for a while before attempting to write anything.

The book starts off with Neva, a 15 year old girl being sent to a home for pregnant teens by her family. When she arrives the woman who runs the Home changes her name to Fern for the duration of her stay. Stripping Neva of her identity. The girls, when they arrive at this home, get told they are there to give birth and give away their babies. While there they are subjected to horrible treatment from the staff, given restricted diets, and subjected to invasive medical exams without consent.

The first 40% of the book is very slow, mostly you are getting to grips with life at the home, and getting to know the 4 main characters, Fern, Zinnia, Rose, and Holly.
Once the witchcraft does kick in there still isn't much of it. I think Hendrix was attempting to show the real horror of the book is how unmarried pregnant girls were treated in the 70s which he does do fantastically. But in a book named Witchcraft for wayward girls, I really wanted a lot more witchcraft.

This book is very dark, sad, and quite honestly a struggle to read. I had to put the book down many times due to graphic birth scenes, descriptions of miscarriage, and just the horrible treatment of the girls in this book.

As much as I enjoyed this book I recommend it with extreme caution. If you enjoy pregnancy horror you may love this but if graphic birth and miscarriage are upsetting for you then definitely give this one a miss.

To start, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Pan Macmillan, for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Witchcraft for Wayward Girls. I would also like to apologise for the lateness of this review.
If i had to summerise Witchcraft for Wayward Girls in a few words, I would say it was a heartbreaking and bittersweet read.
I'm no stranger to Grady Hendrix's work, but i can safely say that none of his other books have ever made me feel the way that this one did. The horror aspect of this book doesn't come from the spells and witches but from the society these girls were raised in that demonised them, hurt them, and controlled them. Throughout this book, I truly became attatched to these girls and their journeys with both pregnancy and witchcraft. I laughed with them, felt joy with them, cried with them, felt the same fear they felt, rooted for them, and fell in love with their characters.
I think this has easily become one of my favourites of Grady Hendrix works and I think any fan of his work would enjoy this book along with any fans of books about witchcraft as a medium to empower women. I would also highly recommend anybody interested in reading this book reasearches the trigger warnings as this is an extremely heavy book to digest.

I really enjoyed everything about this. Was far better than I thought it’d be, expected it to be a mystery bit of fun however it was so much more. Already sent copies to all my friends

A delightfully dark southern gothic horror that feels all too relevant in today’s world. Witchcraft is filled with Hendrix’s trademark wit and setting as a character. Would recommend to any fans of horror with a dose of political commentary and levity

I was so excited for this book when I first heard about it as I loved the idea and premise of this book, plus with that title, it screamed READ ME, so thank you NetGalley! After reading this book, the story and the characters are definitely going to stick with me for a while and because of that my feelings towards this book have been changing the more that it lingers with me. This isn’t a bad thing, because I usually have a bad habit of forgetting what has happened a few days after finishing a book, and because this one is still lingering with me shows something.

At the beginning of the story, it did drag, but I think it was meant too. I got to know and semi care for the characters and their situations, getting a deeper understanding of them all, separating them from each other and understanding why they may want to dive into witchcraft when the time came. You got to see how young they really were with how little they understood about their own bodies and pregnancies, the ludicrous things they were being told and believing, which also went to show the time this was set in. It made me want to jump into the story and help them, screaming the truth at them and to protect them. There were certain emotional aspects of this book, that I wasn’t expecting to feel and honestly broke me for a little bit, even more so because it felt real.

Once it got going and witchcraft was introduced, I was already invested and I was excited to see how this was going to go, especially with the countdown to the characters due dates. I liked certain aspects, but I also started to lose my attention at certain parts towards the middle. You get some scenes, which screamed Grady Hendrix to me, so if you know, then you know. But, it definitely picked back up and I was once again invested and excited for the ultimate climax of this book and what it had been leading towards.

I’m not sure how I feel about the overall ending of this book, once they jumped into the future. It felt rushed and like Hendrix was just trying to conclude what he could in the short amount of pages. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy seeing where the characters ended up and getting the little bit of each of their lives, but it left me feeling like I needed more from it. Like something was lacking.

Hendrix writing this as a privileged white male author is undeniably risky. Yet, I was pleasantly surprised by how he focuses on the trauma, injustice, and downright rage of women throughout history, and today.

That said, a few elements didn’t quite land for me, and this book certainly won’t be for everyone. It’s bound to ruffle some feathers, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it earns a spot on some banned-book lists.

I went in expecting heavier witchcraft themes, but it leaned more toward historical fiction/horror with a touch of the occult. Still, Hendrix doesn't hold back on the body horror, evoking strong reactions, which I assume was entirely his goal.

Given its release after Roe v. Wade's overturn, the book hits differently - leaving me angry and heartbroken for those who may see echoes of their own lived experiences in this book.

Grady Hendrix is such a mixed bag for me. I was quite excited for this - liked the cover and the write up, but ultimately this just didn’t work for me like I had hoped. I found the story went nowhere and it was a bit of a slog for me to read, took quite some time, when on paper this looked to be my jam. It wasn’t terrible, but I just wasn’t hooked, and didn’t love the pacing or the characters.