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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"Witchcraft for Wayward Girls" follows 15 year old Fern. The book starts off with her father barely speaking to her and him driving her to St. Augustine, Florida. We find out that Fern is pregnant and she's been taking away from her aunt's home (where she had been sent) after she refused to stay i the house hidden. Now Fern is going to a home for other girls like her who will be kept hidden until they give birth. When Fern meets a librarian that is more than she seems, her life, and the lives of the other girls changes too.
This was just okay y'all. I kept waiting for more horror, more danger, more something. It just didn't have the oompfh his other books had in my opinion. It just felt like there was a story there that Hendrix wanted to tell, but it got bogged down with too much. I loved that this book takes places in the late 60s in the U.S. and shows the world before Roe V. Wade (which has come again sadly).
I just wish that we had gotten more insights into the witches, the pair of sisters that do "root work" and just have that be the main focus. I think the pregnant girls having to deal with real-life horror (being lied to, raped, and everything in between) and then being forced to give up their children maybe should have been a separate book. Everything felt squished to me.
I also didn't really buy the evolution of Fern. She comes to the home and is barely able to speak, is very ashamed, and then somehow becomes the leader of her group of four? It just didn't have enough build-up for me.
And the other girls we don't get to spend too much time with. But we know that all of a sudden everyone wants to help one girl that we don't really get a good sense of (Holly) until we get the info-dump of what had been happening to her. Rose and Zinnia feel barely developed, but we get some explanation that the girls are not to discuss their real names, lives, or anything with each other, except when they do.
And the witches...I really wish we got more time with them too.
I just don't think everything hung together well and then the ending happened and read very tacked on to me.
I read this for cbrbingo17, "Black: The cover of the book has the color black on it."It's in row 1, square 3.
This was just okay y'all. I kept waiting for more horror, more danger, more something. It just didn't have the oompfh his other books had in my opinion. It just felt like there was a story there that Hendrix wanted to tell, but it got bogged down with too much. I loved that this book takes places in the late 60s in the U.S. and shows the world before Roe V. Wade (which has come again sadly).
I just wish that we had gotten more insights into the witches, the pair of sisters that do "root work" and just have that be the main focus. I think the pregnant girls having to deal with real-life horror (being lied to, raped, and everything in between) and then being forced to give up their children maybe should have been a separate book. Everything felt squished to me.
I also didn't really buy the evolution of Fern. She comes to the home and is barely able to speak, is very ashamed, and then somehow becomes the leader of her group of four? It just didn't have enough build-up for me.
And the other girls we don't get to spend too much time with. But we know that all of a sudden everyone wants to help one girl that we don't really get a good sense of (Holly) until we get the info-dump of what had been happening to her. Rose and Zinnia feel barely developed, but we get some explanation that the girls are not to discuss their real names, lives, or anything with each other, except when they do.
And the witches...I really wish we got more time with them too.
I just don't think everything hung together well and then the ending happened and read very tacked on to me.
I read this for cbrbingo17, "Black: The cover of the book has the color black on it."It's in row 1, square 3.
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Pedophilia
Moderate: Sexual assault
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this and I found myself flying through it much faster than anticipated given how long it is. There were certainly some moments where the story slowed down, but the suspense of it all did help carry me through. And I wasn't even bothered by a man writing about pregnancy and childbirth, so that speaks to Grady Hendrix's ability to write without coming across as ignorant or totally unrealistic.
The major horror element of this book revolves around the body horror of the pregnancies/birth scenes, rather than the witchcraft itself, which was surprising but not unwelcome. It was a LOT of pregnancy so if that is not your cup of tea, then you'll probably want to pass on this one. But the tragic reality of the situations of the young girls in this story is so sad, and it was nice to read about a few of them being able to take some of that power back for themselves.
The audiobook was largely done very well, there were moments, especially during the scenes involving the spells OR the agonizing birth/pain scenes, where the narrator gave a PERFORMANCE and was fully howling in my ear. The problem is that even at 3x speed, some of those scenes were delivered much slower and there were still massive pauses. This made the book feel even longer. And after it happened a few times I was getting frustrated because it throws off the pacing of reading/listening.
The major horror element of this book revolves around the body horror of the pregnancies/birth scenes, rather than the witchcraft itself, which was surprising but not unwelcome. It was a LOT of pregnancy so if that is not your cup of tea, then you'll probably want to pass on this one. But the tragic reality of the situations of the young girls in this story is so sad, and it was nice to read about a few of them being able to take some of that power back for themselves.
The audiobook was largely done very well, there were moments, especially during the scenes involving the spells OR the agonizing birth/pain scenes, where the narrator gave a PERFORMANCE and was fully howling in my ear. The problem is that even at 3x speed, some of those scenes were delivered much slower and there were still massive pauses. This made the book feel even longer. And after it happened a few times I was getting frustrated because it throws off the pacing of reading/listening.
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I’m not sure why but it feels a bit odd trading a book about motherhood and birth written by a man. I feel like The Grace Year handled these similar themes a lot better