Name: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls
Rating: 4.080645161290323 (31 reviews)
ISBN: 9781035030903

Grady Hendrix

Look out for the brand-new Southern Gothic horror from New York Times bestselling author of How to Sell a Haunted House and The Final Girl Support Group. Coming summer 2024.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

I was captivated from the beginning. I'm so impressed that a childless, middle-aged man captured the experience of a pregnant teenage girl in the late 60s so well. I highly recommend this one. 

Haley Papan

A dark historical book about strength from within.

The social commentary runs deep in this book. When you decide to send your daughter to a home instead of giving her the support only a family can provide, you're putting things in motion that will never be able to be stopped. But who has the power? Can any single person change the course that has been laid out for them?

Fern, Rose, Holly and Zinna give it their best shot to change fate, power and more as they all experience teen pregnancy together. The sad true of this book, is that many of the happenings still happen today. Holly's story is still a truth that we read in the news far too often.

There are twists that are unexpected, and outcomes I didn't expect but overall an interesting read. I personally felt the ending was a bit lackluster, the time jump was needed but also a bit of a drag as all of the excitement of the story happens within a few specific chapters.

It's a hard read, there's a lot of sad, depressing stories from each of the girls in the home. The ending didn't bring comfort or tears of joy, just more sadness for all that was lost for the girls all because of the judging eyes of society. Like what a crap sandwich.

All the characters are well written, and you can really see the state of the world through their eyes. Feels very Girl, Interrupted. Felt like I was right there with them in the 70s. Depressed and oppressed.

You'll enjoy this book if you love historical points in time to mix with witchcraft, or paranormal.

Sabetha Danes

A dark historical book about strength from within.

The social commentary runs deep in this book. When you decide to send your daughter to a home instead of giving her the support only a family can provide, you're putting things in motion that will never be able to be stopped. But who has the power? Can any single person change the course that has been laid out for them?

Fern, Rose, Holly and Zinna give it their best shot to change fate, power and more as they all experience teen pregnancy together. The sad true of this book, is that many of the happenings still happen today. Holly's story is still a truth that we read in the news far too often.

There are twists that are unexpected, and outcomes I didn't expect but overall an interesting read. I personally felt the ending was a bit lackluster, the time jump was needed but also a bit of a drag as all of the excitement of the story happens within a few specific chapters.

It's a hard read, there's a lot of sad, depressing stories from each of the girls in the home. The ending didn't bring comfort or tears of joy, just more sadness for all that was lost for the girls all because of the judging eyes of society. Like what a crap sandwich.

All the characters are well written, and you can really see the state of the world through their eyes. Feels very Girl, Interrupted. Felt like I was right there with them in the 70s. Depressed and oppressed.

You'll enjoy this book if you love historical points in time to mix with witchcraft, or paranormal.

I’ve loved other books by Grady Hendrix, but this book was not what I expected. I went from disliking the story until the end, stick with it if you can. The present day storyline brings everything back beautifully. 

Erik Wallace

Heartbreaking. Exhilarating. Powerful. I could not put this book down. It was so outside my comfort zone genre-wise that I wasn’t sure what to expect. Saying that I loved this book doesn’t feel quite right but it definitely left an impact. I’ll be thinking about this story for a very long time.

This book was clearly well-researched and it was remarkable to me how well the author captured the voice of a teenage girl while handling such heavy topics. The witchcraft was just spooky enough to make you believe in it without taking you out of the very real world setting. Overall, I foresee this book being at the top of my recommendations list for a long while.

Alissa 


Heartbreaking. Exhilarating. Powerful. I could not put this book down. It was so outside my comfort zone genre-wise that I wasn’t sure what to expect. Saying that I loved this book doesn’t feel quite right but it definitely left an impact. I’ll be thinking about this story for a very long time.

This book was clearly well-researched and it was remarkable to me how well the author captured the voice of a teenage girl while handling such heavy topics. The witchcraft was just spooky enough to make you believe in it without taking you out of the very real world setting. Overall, I foresee this book being at the top of my recommendations list for a long while.

I long for the day when I can pick up a Grady Hendrix book and keep it around for more than a few days, but this is not that day, and this is not that book.

I devoured Witchcraft for Wayward Girls just like I've devoured every one of Hendrix's books. Pregnancy and childbirth terrify me, and my mother did go through some of what the book outlines when she was a teenager, so I found every part of the novel fascinating and horrifying. 

I do find it strange that a childless, middle-aged man would write this book, but Hendrix pulls it off, and he's very aware of his position going into the subject matter. He handles it incredibly well and doesn't shy away from any aspect of teenage pregnancy. The book doesn't feel voyeuristic or trite or preachy, it just feels like the truth.

Jonnie

I long for the day when I can pick up a Grady Hendrix book and keep it around for more than a few days, but this is not that day, and this is not that book.

I devoured Witchcraft for Wayward Girls just like I've devoured every one of Hendrix's books. Pregnancy and childbirth terrify me, and my mother did go through some of what the book outlines when she was a teenager, so I found every part of the novel fascinating and horrifying. 

I do find it strange that a childless, middle-aged man would write this book, but Hendrix pulls it off, and he's very aware of his position going into the subject matter. He handles it incredibly well and doesn't shy away from any aspect of teenage pregnancy. The book doesn't feel voyeuristic or trite or preachy, it just feels like the truth.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls follows young, unwed mothers who are sent to the Wellwood Home to be hidden and have their babies, giving them up for adoption and forgetting it ever occurred. Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home for ‘wayward girls’  in 1970, pregnant and scared. Along with other girls in the same predicament, Fern is stripped of her rights and autonomy and forced to live under the watchful eye of the austere Miss Wellwood. The girls carry our mundane chores while hostile doctors control everything they consume, trapped until after they have given birth. That is until they meet an eccentric librarian who shares an occult book about witchcraft. Viewing this as salvation, the girls feel empowered for the first time and plan to escape; however, power has a price to pay, paid in blood.

Grady Hendrix has based Witchcraft for Wayward Girls on the horrifying history in which young, pregnant girls were shunned from society, forcefully locked away and forced to give up their babies. This poignant horror highlights the harrowing aspect of women’s history as a result of conservatism, religion, and patriarchy.

Eleanor 

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls follows young, unwed mothers who are sent to the Wellwood Home to be hidden and have their babies, giving them up for adoption and forgetting it ever occurred. Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home for ‘wayward girls’  in 1970, pregnant and scared. Along with other girls in the same predicament, Fern is stripped of her rights and autonomy and forced to live under the watchful eye of the austere Miss Wellwood. The girls carry our mundane chores while hostile doctors control everything they consume, trapped until after they have given birth. That is until they meet an eccentric librarian who shares an occult book about witchcraft. Viewing this as salvation, the girls feel empowered for the first time and plan to escape; however, power has a price to pay, paid in blood.

Grady Hendrix has based Witchcraft for Wayward Girls on the horrifying history in which young, pregnant girls were shunned from society, forcefully locked away and forced to give up their babies. This poignant horror highlights the harrowing aspect of women’s history as a result of conservatism, religion, and patriarchy.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

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