Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix is historical fiction/horror in 1970 Florida at a wayward house. What is a wayward house? You might be asking. A wayward house is a place where unwed pregnant teenagers would stay. The mothers would remain until the baby was delivered and adopted. The mothers would never see the baby again and return to their “normal lives”. This process ensures that the mother will abandon all rights to the child. Meanwhile, the wayward house receives payment for the adoption. The young mother feels helpless until witchcraft is introduced. The wayward house is a character in the novel and an interesting one. Every time the novel moved away from the house setting I was sad. The novel works best when at the house, I didn’t even need the supernatural element when I was there. The wayward house is filled with a lot of dread about the future, but the bonds girls form are unbreakable. The themes are about powerlessness and control. Even when witchcraft appears, the girls soon realize they have power but no control. This makes them feel powerless. This novel is a character piece and the characters for the most part are intriguing. The pace was slower than I expected from the two other Grady Hendrix novels that I read. But the slower moments involve the wayward house and I was interested. The humor that I usually count on from Grady Hendrix was very muted. There is humor here, but Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is his most serious work. The witchcraft was way less than I was expecting, but it did keep the reader on their toes in anticipation. I believe some readers might lose interest due to the lack of witchcraft. Nonetheless, there are two awesome scenes of witchcraft power. I would have wanted to see more, but was only slightly disappointed. The ending has a crazy scene of witchcraft that I was all about. Hendrix pays off the reader for the lack of witchcraft with a big scene. The epilogue is written very well and ends on a line that sums up the whole novel. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls will be published on January 14, 2025. Thanks, Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for the read.

Plot Summary: Neva is a pregnant 15-year-old in 1970 from Alabama. She rides in a car to Florida with her disappointed father who has signed her up to stay at Wellwood Home. A place for unwed pregnant teens to have the baby without the neighborhood knowing. Neva learns that she must go by a different name, all the girls go by flower names since their flower was taken. Neva is now called Fern. Fern meets all the other girls and sees the horrors of childbirth firsthand. She makes friends with her roommates Holly, who is the youngest girl and a mute, and Rose, who is a loud Hippie who is determined to keep her baby she named Blossom. Later Zinnia, a refined black girl will move in and be Fern’s best friend. Fern just wants everything to go back to normal and is tired of getting pushed around. At Wellwood Home, she is told what to eat when to sleep, and what to read. She meets a librarian from a mobile bookmobile. The librarian sees something in Fern and gives her a book on witchcraft. Fern starts reading it and sharing it with the roommates, they form a coven and do little spells empowering them. They soon learn that the book wasn’t just a gift but a promise and find they have no power.

What I Liked: The Wellwood Home was interesting. I did not mind the lack of witchcraft at the beginning since the home was so interesting. I liked the history of the home and what happens at the end of it. I do like how Roe v. Wade eventually enters the story. I do like two awesome scenes we get of witchcraft. Both scenes were intense but the end one was fun. This book has a main character, Fern. I enjoyed her character, but she is supported by many great supporting characters. Rose was my favorite, followed by Zinnia, Holly, Hagar, Miriam, and the first Hazel. I love what the girls shout as someone leaves the home, meaning cross your fingers and your legs. I have not talked about how emotional the book is. There are some hard truths in how the girls got there and the pressure to give your baby away. This book does have two intense birth scenes that make this reviewer glad he is not a birthing woman. A pretty funny moment occurs when the doctor watches the salt, iron, and sugar intake of the pregnant girls. It’s all for the health of the baby. But since the story takes place in 1970, smoking cigarettes is totally fine.

What I Disliked: The story gives the background of Mrs. Wellwood but nothing is done with it. I thought we would get a scene about it later when we learned it. This was especially expected with Holly. The lack of witchcraft in the novel. This was a choice but there was so much potential to elevate scenes. I feel it was a missed opportunity. There were two scenes that I was reading. I was surprised they were played straight without any witchcraft added. There’s a point in the story where the girls get protection from the witch. Yet, it lasts way too long. There were many opportunities for it to get taken away by someone who doesn’t know any better.

Recommendation: I thought Witchcraft for Wayward Girls could and should have more witchcraft scenes. Despite this, I liked this book. The story went places I could not predict and was a fun ride. Witchcraft for Wayward Witches is the first book I have read published in 2025 and it is a strong start. I recommend my followers read Witchcraft for Wayward Girls.

Rating: I rated Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix 4.1 out of 5.

Ranking: I have read three Grady Hendrix books and rated them all 4 stars on Goodreads and Amazon. I ranked them from favorite to least favorite: 1) Final Girls Support Group, 2) Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, and 3) My Best Friend’s Exorcism.