Who doesn't want to read a book about witches during the spooky season ? This instantly grabbed my attention. How do I feel after reading it rather mixed emotions to be honest. The start of the book really grips you. Set back in the time when being pregnant in your teens was a major taboo Hendrix hits the nail on the head with how it must of felt to be condemned as a Black sheep for having a baby out of wedlock. She makes you feel for all the girls who had no support and were made to be money making machines but throws in the twist of the supernatural. Everything blended so well together and you would of thought it would. I wasn't sure how I could make thus book out of five sometimes it was 5 then it was 3 so I'm going to give it a good 4/5

So I’m absolutely gutted… I wanted so much more from this book and I expected it to be so much more. I mean, it was an ok book but it was flat in places, horror in others… didnt match the title well and I’m sure it’s meant to be marketed for young adults. I’ve read other books by this author and loved them but this one just didn’t float my spooky boat. I’m actually sad… I’m sorry…

This was a tricky one with how u feel about it. I loved the idea but I feel the execution was lacking. Parts of this book were so good and intense and gripping, then parts just felt off, almost like at times I was reading a different book. It was an enjoyable enough read.

The body horror in this was disgusting and frankly it made it a perfect Halloween book. Excellent job again Grady Hendrix, really made me want to crawl out of my skin.

I really liked this book, but I would also like every single adult in this book to have the day they deserve. I lost count of times I screamed in frustration at the way Fern and co were treated!

I enjoyed the plot, the witchy vibes were brilliant, and all of the characters felt really fleshed out. I don't know if it'd because I'm a mum and couldn't imagine ever having to make the choices they do or what but i had to stop several times and take a breath as it was really emotional in places (which I was not prepared for!).

The only negative thing I should say is there needs to be a massive trigger warning for birth trauma sufferers. I know, as it's a book about pregnant teens, and the baby has to come out eventually, right?! But as someone with birth trauma, I was unprepared for the level of detail involved. One of the births takes place over, I think, in excess of 10-15 pages and it's pretty full on.

My first book from this author. I'm glad I'm read it - it was a difficult read due to what the poor girls go through but still compelling - however I was disappointed it wasn't about witchcraft so I do feel the title is misleading. I was also expecting it to be a horror book, but it was more an emotional YA book. It was well-written and kept me reading until the end, but was perhaps wrongly marketed, which may annoy some. Still worth reading though!
Thanks for the ARC.

When it comes to modern horror writers, Grady Hendrix is pretty high up there on my list of go-to authors and every book I've read by him so far has been thoroughly enjoyable. Seeing that Witchcraft For Wayward Girls had become available had me smashing the request button like an impatient boomer on a hotel reception bell.

I went in completely blind to this book with absolutely zero clue about what the plot might be, where it'd be set, or what kind of characters I'd meet along the way. In my mind I had a vague inkling that it might be centred around a school for witches, so I guess I was just a little off on that score.

Set in Florida in 1970 it transpires that the wayward girls are pregnant teenagers, and the setting is Wellwood House. Pregnant girls are sent there from all over the country for the duration of their pregnancies, only being allowed to go home once they've given birth and handed over their babies to adoptive parents.

Fern is 15 and terrified, though she soon befriends Rose, Zinnia and Holly, who each have their own intriguing, and somewhat heartbreaking, backstories. The way the girls and their circumstances is written about is surprisingly tender, and the themes of friendship, support, and solidarity are all strong within the pages.

But let's not forget the witchcraft element, suffice it to say the four girls fall deeply into something that is far too chaotic for them. The struggle between wanting to be a regular teenage girl vs being a witch with unlimited power is one they all contemplate - with varying degrees of success - and they learn that power in any form always comes with a price. Unfortunately it tends to be paid in blood, which lands them in a world of trouble.

Following a bit of a slow start, I eventually finished Witchcraft in a single day because I became desperate to know the fates of the girls. Despite being set in an era that's not even the distant past, it's shameful to think of the ways in which girls and women have been treated throughout history - and still very much are! - at the hands of men. The girls at Wellwood House are made to believe that they're evil, that they're not worthy of being in society, that they're disgusting and shameful and loose...it's little wonder that the temptation of witchery is so strong.

Rating: ✨✨✨✨

A very mid read for me unfortunately 😩. And in my opinion it’s far too long. Gutted I didn’t love it tbh

This one definitely leans more into the tragic than the terrifying... and it didn't really hit for me. Very light on the witchcraft element, but does try to weave together an emotional story of young women trying to escape a life that’s all about taking things from them—choices, babies, freedom. I say tried because I get what the aim was, but I just really don't love the execution. It's pretty slow and left a bad taste more than anything else.

That said, it was more emotional drama than witchy horror. So if you're expecting to be genuinely spooked, you might find the paranormal elements a little light, but if you enjoy painful drama then it might be a pretty solid read.

A big thank you to the author, netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

4.5

This was my first Grady Hendrix book but it definitely won't be my last, this was so good! I grew so attached to the girls in Wellwood House and I just wanted to bundle them all up and give them a hug. The writing drew me in and I didn't want to put it down. There are some really gut wrenching moments in this book so I would advise maybe looking at trigger warnings. It felt very real at times, especially when you consider some of the laws in the US (I'm British so I'm not going to pretend to fully understand but I educate myself as much as possible).
The witch aspect was giving American Horror Story and I loved it! They were scary in an understated kind of way and I think they fit perfectly with the vibes of the book.

They call them wayward girls. They were “bad girls, neurotic girls, needy girls, wayward girls, selfish girls, girls with Electra complexes, girls trying to fill a void, girls who needed attention, girls with pasts, girls from broken homes, girls who needed discipline, girls desperate to fit in, girls in trouble, girls who couldn’t say no.”

And in 1970s America, good god-fearing folks sent their loose-moraled daughters away to the Wellwood home for unwed mothers where they’ll repent, have their babies in secret, most likely have them adopted and then return to their old life like nothing has ever happened. Because, it’s obviously all their fault, heaven forbid there’s a fella in the wrong here.

While at Wellwood the every detail of the girls day is controlled, friendship is discouraged. The girls only real joy is the regular library bus, which gives them the chance to immerse themselves in fiction and forget the daily horror of their lives. On one such visit, our main character, Fern, is given a ‘special book’ by the kindly but beguiling librarian, but this is a book of witchcraft!

This book soon gives Fern and her housemates, Holly, Rose, and Zinnia, the power they have lost since arriving at the Home because desperate times call for desperate measures, right? But the girl’s foray into the world of witchcraft to help right the wrongs committed comes with a price.

This was my first Hendrix Grady read, and I was expecting quite a bit more horror. Still, horror doesn’t have to be a full-on gorefest, so the real horror is how all those admitted to Wellwood and others of its ilk were treated—and this is a realistic portrayal of the nature of a dark part of history that isn’t that far in our past, just with a dose of the supernatural thrown in

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is an immersive and addictive read with well-constructed characters you can’t help but root for. Highly recommend 4.5⭐️

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy in return for an honest review. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is out in January

This is haunting, creepy and horrifying because it all felt very real, and gave an insight into Southern life for young pregnant girls shamefully sent away to have their babies in secret before returning back to 'their old life', with no control and no say.
I don't read many horror's and the author is new to me so I was unsure whether it would be too dark of a witchy read for me, but it was so good. The pace and balance was spot on and the elements of the descriptions were so deep and powerful it was like watching it play out in my mind.
The girls were so believable and as well as it being all things coven and supernatural related, it was actually really quite sad too. The back stories were authentic, and the power, control and rules over the girls was quite hard to read sometimes. It almost felt like it could quite easily have been your own Grandparents story.
A very recommended read!

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is another hit from Grady Hendrix! It’s 1970 and Fern is fifteen and pregnant. Her parents send her away so that she can have her baby in secret and then return to her life like nothing ever happened. But while at Wellwood House, Fern learns just how unfair the world is.

I found the start of the story to be a little slow, but started loving it when the witchcraft elements were introduced. I absolutely wasn’t expecting the main horror of this book to come from a natural—rather than supernatural—source, with the birthing scenes being utterly terrifying.

This story didn’t have the same amount of levity as other Hendrix books I’ve read. Although there are real horrors in all of his stories, Wayward Girls dives into some especially tough topics surrounding the injustices faced by these teenage girls. Even though it was a hard read at times, the strong friendship that developed between the girls was heart-warming.

The first Grady Hendrix book I’ve read and I am not disappointed.

“We were girls... bad girls, neurotic girls, needy girls, wayward girls, selfish girls, girls with Electra complexes, girls trying to fill a void, girls who needed attention, girls with pasts, girls from broken homes, girls who needed discipline, girls desperate to fit in, girls in trouble, girls who couldn’t say no.”

Set in 1970 Florida, in a home for unwed mothers where girls are sent away to have their babies in secret, have them taken away and move on like nothing has ever happened.

Restrictions, monitoring, unable to maintain their own identity or have concerns taken seriously. The girls who are sent to the Home are told what they can and cannot do and what they can and cannot eat. Until enough becomes enough.

The only shining light in the darkness of being a young, pregnant women, sent away from home to take on the hardest journey of their lives, is the regular library bus where they can throw themselves into fictional stories to escape the reality of their lives.

The main character, Fern, a 15-year-old girl who is pregnant, abandoned and alone, is given a special book by the bus’s librarian. This book, of the occult, provides Fern and her housemates, Holly, Rose and Zinnia the power that they have lost since arriving at the Home.

“Everything they told them was evil was good. And everything they told them was good was evil”

Desperate times call for desperate measures and the girls throw themselves into the world of witchcraft to help right the wrongs that have been committed and make the approaching end of their journey more bearable. But with power, comes a price.

“Magic is the opposite of intellectual thought. Magic springs from your emotions, unrestrained by the rules of the everyday. Logic says you cannot, you should not, you must. A witch obeys only one command: I will”

Hendrix throws us into the world of what the time was like for unwed mothers, during the Vietnam war and the rise of serial killers and Manson. How scary the world was and how desperate people can get. It’s a dark and powerful read that has you weeping for each girl and her backstory, hoping for a happy ending for them and their babies.

The concept of friendship and found families, the need to rely on those around you to get through the day brought a level of understanding to the story that I didn’t expect. This book broke my heart, stitched it back together and broke it all over again.

This is one that will stay with me.

The only reason this is not 5 stars is because it felt lengthy, and although the story is dark and detailed, I feel that if it was shorter, the haunting scenes would have been more effective.

Thank you NetGalley and PanMacmillan for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I’ve really enjoyed everything from this author and this did not disappoint.
It was fun, engrossing, dark and atmospheric with good pacing which makes it read quickly. The characters felt very realistic and I found myself rooting for the girls in the story
Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

3.5 stars


To be honest, I was expecting a bit more horror, but apart from one particular scene, the most horrific thing here is the way these children were treated.
Awful stories of teens, how they got pregnant, and the roll on effect from that.
There's some witchy business, but my favourite part is the bonds that form between these girls, and the lengths they go to for each other.
Quite touching really.

Wow. I don’t know what was more horrifying. The witch part, those calling themselves ‘carers’, or the child birth.🧙🩸🦴

I need you to understand what they did to us when we were girls. That's the important thing you have to remember. We were unsocialized girls, fast girls, loose girls, emotionally immature girls, girls who grew up too fast.
We were girls. That's what they called us in their articles and their speeches and their files: bad girls, neurotic girls, needy girls, wayward girls, selfish girls, girls with Electra complexes, girls trying to fill a voil, girls who needed attention, girls with pasts, girls from broken homes, girls who needed discipline, girls desperate to fit in, girls in trouble, girls who couldn't say no.

After getting pregnant at 15, she is sent to a Home in disgust and secrecy and renamed Fern, disconnected from her previous life until she gives birth.

Set at the start of the 70s, Hendrix is always masterful at showcasing the issues of the time. From the stigma surrounding pregnancy, racism, religion and morality, the changing values and increasing violence, the health system, the failing support system…

Per usual, Hendrix’s writing is addicting. Even though the true ‘witchy’ part doesn’t get introduced until page 116, there is a constant horror at the treatment of the girls, the attitudes and the perceptions of their changing bodies.

Their bodies reshaped themselves with each passing minute, their bellies becoming bloody cauldrons brewing babies-dendrites blossoming like slow-motion fireworks, cells filling with triacylglycerols, placentas filtering oxygen from red blood cells. All of it happening in the dark, hidden away inside them.

Should a man be writing about experiences only women have?
Personally, I don’t think authors should be limited to narratives otherwise stories that need to be told won’t be. It is clear that he has done a lot of research.

At the start, I was disgusted by the way Fern described her own body. After finishing the book, I believe this is deliberate. There wasn’t enough communication, information, or sharing.

"Knowledge is a kind of power, and the knowledge you find in this book will help you find power inside yourself. Power is not a material possession that can be given. Power is the ability to act and that must always be taken, for no one will ever give that power to you.
Those who have power wish to keep it, and those who want power must learn to take it?"

This wasn’t an edge-of-your seat, gritting your teeth all the time horror, yet it was a more realistic horror; a portrayal of the realistic nature of a dark part of American history which isn’t that far in our past.

Thank you to Tor Nightfire for providing me the best PR box I have ever received (check out my Instagram and TikTok) in exchange for a review!

Love love loved it!! I knew I would there isn’t a Hendrix book I haven’t loved yet and I think this may just be my new favourite !!

I enjoyed this read. It si perfect for the upcoming Halloween season and I really loved the plot

It is dark and funny and gave me a St Trinians school of horror vibe.

This is the first book by this author and i like the writing style. It is an easy to read tale which made me laugh at times.

The girls were fun and I saw a little of my younger self which made me both cringe and laugh.

its a fun book

Unfortunately not for me I struggled to connect with the writing style of this one. Intriguing premise and good execution , I just did not connect with the story.