maludee 's review for:

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
3.0
I liked the way that the author mixed fantasy horror (witches) with real horror (maternity homes in the 70s) but the pacing and story felt uneven. I couldn't keep track of what the main character's motivations were, and what I was supposed to be focused on as a reader. The writing felt solid, descriptions vivid and strong dialogue but I think just the plot never gained steam the way it usually does over the course of a story. I've read a few of this author's books and he usually goes quite far with body horror, but in this case he leaned a lot on childbirth without too many extra magical / horror elements (with a few exceptions) which was an interesting choice.

SpoilerThe transition at the very end of the story from the weekly baby milestone chapter openings (for example - "40 Weeks - Baby is full term and ready to be born!") to the heading "2,817 Weeks - Baby is 54 years old this week! When was the last time you saw their face?" was a really impactful way to convey what the main character had lost in just a few lines.