Book Review: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

 


My book review of Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix.

Title: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

By: Grady Hendrix

Genre: Paranormal / Thriller

Pages: 496

Release Date: January 14th, 2025

Rating: ★★★★☆

 

Summary from Goodreads:

There’s power in a book…

They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to the Wellwood Home in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened.

Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. Under the watchful eye of the stern Miss Wellwood, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. There’s Rose, a hippie who insists she’s going to find a way to keep her baby and escape to a commune. And Zinnia, a budding musician who knows she’s going to go home and marry her baby’s father. And Holly, a wisp of a girl, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one-knows-who.

Everything the girls eat, every moment of their waking day, and everything they’re allowed to talk about is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know what’s best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and it’s never given freely. There’s always a price to be paid…and it’s usually paid in blood.

 

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Review:

Grady Hendrix's Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is a darkly whimsical tale that masterfully combines his signature sharp wit with a deeply unsettling exploration of friendship, betrayal, and the eerie power of long-forgotten rituals. The story’s pacing is brisk, pulling readers into a web of sinister nostalgia as its flawed, compelling characters confront the secrets buried in their past. Hendrix excels at weaving humor into horror, though some twists feel more predictable than others. While the narrative occasionally sacrifices depth for speed, the evocative writing and clever commentary on the nature of teenage alliances make this a thoroughly entertaining and thought-provoking read. A solid 4-star spellbinding delight!


Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

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