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A review by books_with_caity
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
3.5
It took me a long time to write this review, I had such mixed feeling upon finishing this book that I really had to sit with it for a while before attempting to write anything.
The book starts off with Neva, a 15 year old girl being sent to a home for pregnant teens by her family. When she arrives the woman who runs the Home changes her name to Fern for the duration of her stay. Stripping Neva of her identity. The girls, when they arrive at this home, get told they are there to give birth and give away their babies. While there they are subjected to horrible treatment from the staff, given restricted diets, and subjected to invasive medical exams without consent.
The first 40% of the book is very slow, mostly you are getting to grips with life at the home, and getting to know the 4 main characters, Fern, Zinnia, Rose, and Holly.
Once the witchcraft does kick in there still isn't much of it. I think Hendrix was attempting to show the real horror of the book is how unmarried pregnant girls were treated in the 70s which he does do fantastically. But in a book named Witchcraft for wayward girls, I really wanted a lot more witchcraft.
This book is very dark, sad, and quite honestly a struggle to read. I had to put the book down many times due to graphic birth scenes, descriptions of miscarriage, and just the horrible treatment of the girls in this book.
As much as I enjoyed this book I recommend it with extreme caution. If you enjoy pregnancy horror you may love this but if graphic birth and miscarriage are upsetting for you then definitely give this one a miss.
The book starts off with Neva, a 15 year old girl being sent to a home for pregnant teens by her family. When she arrives the woman who runs the Home changes her name to Fern for the duration of her stay. Stripping Neva of her identity. The girls, when they arrive at this home, get told they are there to give birth and give away their babies. While there they are subjected to horrible treatment from the staff, given restricted diets, and subjected to invasive medical exams without consent.
The first 40% of the book is very slow, mostly you are getting to grips with life at the home, and getting to know the 4 main characters, Fern, Zinnia, Rose, and Holly.
Once the witchcraft does kick in there still isn't much of it. I think Hendrix was attempting to show the real horror of the book is how unmarried pregnant girls were treated in the 70s which he does do fantastically. But in a book named Witchcraft for wayward girls, I really wanted a lot more witchcraft.
This book is very dark, sad, and quite honestly a struggle to read. I had to put the book down many times due to graphic birth scenes, descriptions of miscarriage, and just the horrible treatment of the girls in this book.
As much as I enjoyed this book I recommend it with extreme caution. If you enjoy pregnancy horror you may love this but if graphic birth and miscarriage are upsetting for you then definitely give this one a miss.