Witchcraft for wayward girls

by Grady Hendrix

496 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2026

About the author

Grady Hendrix is the author of the novels Horrorstör, about a haunted IKEA, and My Best Friend's Exorcism, which is like Beaches meets The Exorcist, only it's set in the Eighties. He's also the author of We Sold Our Souls, The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, and the upcoming (July 13!) Final Girl Support Group!

He's also the jerk behind the Stoker award-winning Paperbacks from Hell, a history of the 70's and 80's horror paperback boom, which contains more information about Nazi leprechauns, killer babies, and evil cats than you probably need.

And he's the screenwriter behind Mohawk, which is probably the only horror movie about the War of 1812 and Satanic Panic.

You can listen to free, amazing, and did I mention free podcasts of his fiction on Pseudopod. He also does a podcast called Super Scary Haunted Homeschool.

If you're not already sick of him, you can learn all his secrets at his website.

Reviews

[Léna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐ for me.
trigger warning: blood, gore, graphic births.

It is really well-written and is a page-turner. However, I wasn't ready for just how graphic this novel would be. This hardcover version comes with a really nice blood effect on the side, and I should have known from that alone that this was going to be a hard read... But I was too stupid and too enthralled by how giddy the first chapters were. So consider yourself warned: if giving birth is one of your fears (like it is mine), please be advised this is a tough read.

Overall, the plot and the story unfold at the perfect pace but some of the scenes didn't make total sense to me and were way too cheesy (final scene was just a bunch of WTFs🤔). Without spoiling it too much, I would say that Fern does things without explaining her reasoning, despite the book being in her point of view, and at times, it feels odd and lazy.

All in all, I'd encourage anyone to read that book because the story is so interesting.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am in absolutely awe of Grady Hendrix writing, I balled my eyes out for the hole second half of this book and when I wasn't crying I was so angry I had to fight the urge to throw the book at the wall!

This book is one that will stick with me for a long time, it highlights the shame and guilt which these girls where surrounded with, the lack of support they faced and the importance of S*x education, accessible contraception and ab0rt*on rights.

I have to disclose that I have never been pregnant. I have not had a baby and so I cannot comment on the accuracy of how this is portrayed. But I can say that the book carries through it a deep empathetic and emotive understand for the situations that these children where forced into. How the blame always settles on the girl even though it takes 2 to tango... Something that unfortunately still very much remains today.

I know this book will stick with me for a very long time and I am excited to venture into more of Grady Hendrix work.

[Nono · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took me through a wide range of emotions, but anger was definitely the strongest. At times, I genuinely forgot that it was written by a man, which says a lot about how sharply these themes are handled. The horror doesn’t really come from the witchcraft itself, but from the lack of control these young girls have over their own bodies, the medical violence, and the abuse they endure. That’s what’s truly terrifying. What makes it even more unsettling is how real it all feels, because versions of this still happen today. The real horror here is grounded in reality, not the supernatural.

[Anna Morrish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in just one week. It's the fastest I've ever read a book. It kept me hooked the whole way through. I was invested in the characters and the events that take place.

It's well written and well paced. When there's excitement the pace picks up and when there's tension it slows down to make the reader linger and digest what's being told.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Horror meets historical fiction and female rage. The writing felt a bit over the top for me which might have been compounded by the narration of the sounds and chants in the audio book. I did enjoy parts but the writing just wasn’t for me overall.

[Erin Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not exactly Horror, but I did really enjoy both the witchy aspect, but also the historical nature of the unmarried mothers.