Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is my first Grady Hendrix read and won't be my last. The book really made me care for the characters and I loved the witch aspect. To think these homes existed back in the day is truly heart-breaking. Cannot wait to dive into Grady's blacklist of books. 4 stars

It's 1970, and fifteen year old Neva is pregnant and unmarried. Shunned by her family, she is sent to a home for unwed mothers, where she is to stay until her baby is born. Once baby has arrived, it is to be adopted so that she can go back to her normal life. When she arrives, she's given the name Fern, and she becomes friends with some of the other girls. But it isn't long before the girls are sneaking out after curfew and they come across the coven of witches in the woods. And now the girls have a book of spells...

This was my first from this author, and not my usual genre. It took me a little while to get into it, but I actually really started to enjoy it after a few chapters. At times, it did drag a little, but I actually ended up reading it pretty quickly and the ending made me cry a little.
I feel it was a pretty bold move for a male author to write a book about teenage pregnant girls, and about how unwed mothers were treated during those times. I think he did it incredibly well and I honestly applaud him.

Of course I'm used to Hendrix writing horror from a supernatural perspective, however here the horror is what happened to young women if they got pregnant in the late 1960s/70s - they were sent to homes to give birth out of sight and out of mind and treated like they had committed a crime.

I feel like this book feels like more a historical fiction than the witchy book I was attracted to - and in moments reminded me of The Ghost Woods in themes around pregnancy and places where women sent to have babies unmarried or too young, however it is incredibly well written book that centres these women's stories brilliantly and doesn't shy away from why this was happening, be that religion or the social stigma tied to it.

The cast here is well written for sure especially the girls and their growth thanks to the book shows but what makes this book ominous is the cast of people who work with them probably because these kinds of people (and that for me what makes these kind of horror books truly 'horrible') they kinda existed.

I find this author hit and miss, but this one definitely is a good one and its topics are more pertinent than ever - one of those books that might end up on a banned book list one day sadly.

(Thanks to Netgalley for the arc for review).

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls transported me to 1960s USA. Vietnam war, 'hippies' and the way young girls were treated when they got pregnant out of wedlock. I have to say it was an uncomfortable read at times and there are notes of the shame that is still alighted on women in the present day.

I loved that the story took it's time to introduce the characters and get to know Wellwood House, and then, once we know the situations of each character we start tentatively poking at the witchy element of the story. This is brought about softly and pulls you into the girl's world.

The fear and desperation of the situation is really a horror aspect of this book. And I loved that it felt like an everyday situation and the magic elements were - if you were to believe - realistic in their nature.

It was immensely enjoyable to read and I'd rate it up with the Southern Book Clubs Guide to Slaying Vampires.

An emotional gripping and thought-provoking read. While a horror novel, the horror takes a back-seat here to tell a complex, emotional and thought-provoking story about women, girls and the real-life horrors that they face. I have to commend the male author on a really well done book with core themes that explore feminism, women's empowerment, abuse and pregnancy. I could easily imagine myself in the predicament of the young women in this book, abandoned, alone, scared and shunned and the power in friendship, solidarity and the allure of magic. The supernatural elements of this book were fun. There is nothing overly gory or graphic here so would appeal to a wide audience. I've read this author before and like the heart he puts into his horror. I look forward to seeing what he comes up with next.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for a coy of this book. I have posted my review on Goodreads and will post to Amazon on release day.

I always find horror so hard to rate and this book is no different. It wasn't scary but it was definitely grim. There were several scenes with injury/pain/child birth that made me squirm.
It made me angry and then sad and then angry again. But I really enjoyed the relationships between all the girls, especially Fern, Rose, Zinnia and Holly. They were all trying to have as much control and choice in a situation where nobody cared about their opinions or choices, nobody was listening.
This would be such a good book for a book group or to write an essay on because there is so much to delve into and discuss!

Firstly thank you so much Pan McMillan and netgalley for allowing me to read this early!!

Overall I’m going to rate it 4.5 stars!!

I originally dnf’d it at 16% but something kept popping into my head to go back and actually give it the chance it deserves (I never dnf so early) and by damn I am so glad that I went back to it!!

This story was one of the most compelling stories I’ve ever read the every single character was so well constructed they’ll be sticking with me!

We’ve recently found out my nanny back in the day went through something similar to this (minus the witchcraft) so the story definitely took me by surprise when I first started to read it as I wasn’t expecting that to be the plot of the book!

What I would have liked more if there was more witchcraft in the book I think that would have made it a solid 5 star!!

Thank you to the UK publishers and Netgalley for an Advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Grady Hendrix read. I was expecting real horror vibes. There were a couple of moments, but for the most part this was a book about attitudes to young mothers in decades gone past and the horrors they had to endure.

I was much more interested in the stories of the girls and their plight. That was the strongest part of this book in my opinion. If you go in with those expectations, I think you can really enjoy this read. However, the witchcraft section of the book felt weaker to me. I wanted more, and I wanted scarier.

The second half of the book was much stronger. I would recommend this read.

I probably would have loved this book more if I wasn’t expecting a horror novel. I’d heard again and again, Oh Grady Hendrix is a master of horror, so that’s what I expected, and Witchcraft for Wayward Girl is many things, but it is not horror. It is a compulsive read, to be sure. Pregnant girls sequestered in a home far from anyone they know, forbidden from sharing their real names, forbidden from comfort, forbidden from kindness.

And what’s truly horrible is the real stuff, the stuff that happened in the decades before now (and, sometimes, still), and that Fern could be any of thousands of girls stripped of their humanity because they got pregnant. Hendrix is a storyteller par excellence, and he finds a way to write in the way an old photo album might look, in sepia, or grainy old film.

So, I enjoyed it - but I kept waiting to be frightened out of my boots, and that did not really happen.

Thank you to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and Tor Nightfire for the ARC of this book to read and review.

I've never cried when I finished reading a Grady Hendrix book before, so today is a new one for me because I sobbed like a baby when I finished this one.

The entire book from start to finish was exaclty what I have come to expect from Hendrix, a book that will continue to haunt me for the next few weeks, a book that has burrowed into my brain and made itself at home, a book that has ruined the next several books for me.

Everything about this book was superb, from the characters who were so beautifully written and came across on the page as if they were girls you knew, to the clever atmospheric weaving of the occult throughout the story.

As always the writing was excellent, I felt as though I was in the book, and it consumed me. I couldn't put this book down, I was absorbed by it.

And the story itself? One of the best stories I've ever read, how a topic that shouldn't be scary was made to feel so eerie and frightening? Just absolutely one of the most immersive and haunting stories I've ever read.

Review of Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix 3.5⭐️

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is a novel that left me feeling conflicted. The story follows Fern, a fifteen-year-old girl sent to a home for unwed pregnant mothers in the 1970s. Under the oppressive rule of Miss Wellwood, Fern forms bonds with the other girls while enduring harsh, conditions. A glimmer of hope appears when a librarian introduces her to a book on witchcraft, seemingly offering her a way to reclaim her power. But as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that power comes with consequences.

Grady Hendrix’s depiction of the 1970s is vivid and realistic, shining a light on the mistreatment of women and the oppressive societal norms of the time. The character work is a highlight, I genuinely felt for Fern and the other girls. However, the pacing is uneven. The first quarter is frustratingly slow, and the witchcraft element doesn’t appear until nearly a third of the way through. Even when it does, the supernatural aspects are sparse and fail to live up to the expectations set by the title.

The novel also includes graphic content, particularly two lengthy childbirth scenes that are deeply uncomfortable. While I understand that this book is meant to be unsettling rather than traditionally “enjoyable,” the explicit scenes felt excessive at times.

Overall, this was one of Hendrix’s slowest and least thrilling books, at least for me. It reads more like a commentary on 1970s politics and women’s oppression than a horror novel. While these themes are important, the lack of mystery and suspense left the story feeling flat.

My thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the e-arc and an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this book. Initially, I struggled to get into the book. Besides being a lenghty book, it started a little bit slow for me. However, as I kept reading it, it became more and more engaging.
Starting with the characters, I felt they effectively captured the essence of a teenager dealing with the challenges of pregnancy and how the society reacts to it. They were very deep and well developed, which make them relatable and compelling. Regarding the plot, the first half of the book felt somewhat weak and predictable, even though it kept me hooked. Although the ending was predictable, it still managed to touch my heart with its powerful message.
While this wasn’t one of the best books I’ve ever read, I would recommend it, and I definitely look forward to reading more from this author.

Neva (Fern), fifteen years old, was dropped by her family to Wellwood Home in St. Augustine, Florida, a home for unwed mothers where they will have their babies in secret and give the babies up for adoption.
At The Home, those girls are not allowed to use their real name, not to discuss their origin and their personal life back at home. 
No family is allowed to visit them. They are their own new family now at The Home. The outsider that they see every two weeks is only a librarian lady from a mobile library. 

One day, the librarian lends a special book to Fern. It's a book of witchcraft. While the story starts slow at the beginning, it gets interesting when the girls start experimenting with the spells written in that book.

The whole premise and the characters in this book are great, but I feel  the plot is just too lengthy, too many details are written so descriptive that I found myself skimming a few paragraphs here and there. I also expected something more spooky, but you won't find it in this book. Unfortunately, it's always a hit and miss for me with this author's books.

This is a book about unwed teen mothers who are sent to a special home to stay until the birth of their child, which is then given up for adoption. A few of the girls in the home come across a book about witchcraft, and decides to try out some spells… and then the story truly begins.

This book touches on important topics - the oppression of women and their bodily autonomy. And I think Hendrix did this really well (I did have some doubt in the beginning, considering he’s a male author).

It has some gory scenes (for example quite graphic birth scenes), so if you’re easily squeamish or have triggers, definitely check before picking this one up.

All in all I thought this was a great empowering read that was hard to put down. If I could give half stars I’d have given it 4.5.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan | Tor Nightfire for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Grady’s writing was so entrancing I could not put this down. I found myself constantly reaching for it and thinking about it. I also felt like I was in the home myself with Fern and the rest of the girls. I could visualise every single thing, the house itself, the surrounding woods, the lake, the storm. Absolutely brilliant writing.

I didn’t know what to expect with this one and it kept me guessing the whole time but the reason I didn’t give 5 stars is because I felt the ending was a little rushed. It was all leading up to that big moment and it felt like Miss Parcae was just a-bit like, okay then, bye Fern without a real fight for her.

I will say I did enjoy the final chapter with the girls meeting again and finding out what happened with their babies.

Overall this is one I will be recommending.

Let me set the scene. It's the 1970s, and unwed mothers are being shipped off by their families to birthing homes, out of sight and mind, under various guises of 'going on holiday' or 'looking after a distant aunt,' where they are to give birth and are forced to give their babies up for adoption.

It doesn't matter the situation; if the pregnancy was simply an accident at a time when birth control or abortion weren't readily accessible, or was the outcome of something more malicious, all the mothers (not the fathers) are to blame for being sinful and un-pure.

After they've given birth, they can go home like nothing ever happened and their 'little mistake' will never to be spoken of again. If they're lucky (sarcasm), the doctors will even secretly give them an extra stitch, so their future husband will never know they weren't virgins. And there's absolutely nothing the girls can do about it.

Or so it seems.

Despite not having an abundance of supernatural elements, Grady Hendrix's "Witchcraft for Wayward Girls" is such a successful horror story in my eyes because of the realism of the situation. Birthing homes, such as the one in the story, existed and were commonplace. There's no sugar-coating the topic or reading this with rose-coloured glasses; the story left me feeling equal parts helpless and furious for our main characters. It was raw and graphic, and the 'female rage' I felt was set to 100.

Sprinkle in some blood letting, hexing, and witchcraft - and you've got yourself one hell of a horror novel.

[This review is based on NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion]

My experience reading this was the opposite of many I've seen- I sped through the first third of the book, loving the character development and world building. It was once the witchcraft elements were introduced that my interest waned and things started to slog for me. I think approaching this as a horror read didn't do any favors. The real horror of the book is how the children were treated, and I think the 'magical' aspects paled in comparison to the realities written into the book. This is my first Grady Hendrix novel, and I know he has a strong following, but based on this novel alone, I will be slow to pick up another of his books.

The first half of the book is infused with a lighthearted hopelessness, skillfully maintaining a delicate balance that keeps it from becoming a slow, dreary read. The reader is constantly reminded of the shame these girls face from every direction, as this shame evolves into reckless desperation for escape. Grady excels in using fear, not just of the supernatural, but also of the very things that should feel most natural. The story takes you on an emotional rollercoaster, pulling at your heartstrings, provoking anger, and seamlessly integrating witchcraft into the mix. It’s a compelling and thought-provoking read that lingers long after you’ve finished, leaving you wanting to hold each of these girls.


“They hate us enough. Don’t let them make you hate yourselves, too.”

I enjoyed this read.
I found it a little slow paced to start
However the characters definitely kept my attention the emotions you feel for the girls in this book are very real. I thought the story explained itself well and I liked the magical elements in this also.
Thank you so much for allowing me to read this

such a raw, haunting and gruesome story. my heart broke for all of those girls but the ending put the pieces back together. a whirlwind of a book but a phenomenal nonetheless.