Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix Summary

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix is a 2025 horror novel about pregnant teenage girls sent to a maternity home in the 1950s-60s era, where they're forced to give up their babies and return to society as if nothing happened. The story follows young women who discover dark witchcraft as a means of reclaiming power in a system designed to shame and control them. The novel blends historical fiction with supernatural horror to expose the brutal treatment of unwed mothers.

Grady Hendrix is a New York Times bestselling author, screenwriter, and journalist known for his contemporary horror fiction. Born in South Carolina, he has written acclaimed novels including Horrorstör, My Best Friend's Exorcism, The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, The Final Girl Support Group, and How to Sell a Haunted House. His books have sold over two million copies and been translated into more than 20 languages. Hendrix also won the Bram Stoker Award for his nonfiction book Paperbacks from Hell.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is perfect for horror fans who appreciate emotionally complex narratives that tackle social injustice. Readers who enjoyed Hendrix's previous works like The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires will find his signature blend of historical detail and supernatural terror. This book appeals to those interested in feminist horror, body horror, and stories about women reclaiming agency in oppressive systems. It's ideal for readers who don't mind intense, uncomfortable scenes that serve the narrative's deeper themes.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls has received widespread critical acclaim and is considered one of the best horror novels of 2025. Critics describe it as "frightening, infuriating, beautiful and sad," praising Hendrix's complex character development and emotional depth. Reviewers note the book's power to evoke strong emotions, with some readers nearly in tears by the end. The novel's exploration of historical injustice against women, combined with supernatural horror, creates a deeply relevant and haunting reading experience that stays with readers long after finishing.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls explores the mistreatment and hypocrisy surrounding unwed mothers in mid-20th century America. The novel examines themes of female agency, bodily autonomy, and the double standards that punished girls while boys faced no consequences. It delves into power dynamics between women and patriarchal institutions, showing how society's "wild abhorrence of wayward young women" shaped cruel policies. Additional themes include sisterhood, the cost of rebellion, and how marginalized women create their own forms of resistance when traditional systems fail them.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls delivers atmospheric horror that blends body horror with historical terror. The most disturbing elements include graphic childbirth scenes that can make readers feel physically unwell, with one reviewer describing nearly passing out from the visceral detail. The supernatural witchcraft practiced by the girls is dark and comes with significant costs, not the gentle, helpful magic often seen in other books. However, many readers find the real horror lies in how these young women were treated by society and institutions designed to punish them.

The witchcraft in Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix is dark, consequential magic that comes with a steep price. The girls begin with small test spells before progressing to bigger, more dangerous rituals that give them power they never had before. This isn't lighthearted or helpful magic—it's a desperate form of supernatural rebellion with serious consequences. The witchcraft serves as both a literal plot device and a metaphor for the ways marginalized women seek agency when all traditional avenues of power are denied to them.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls portrays maternity homes as institutions that strip pregnant girls of their humanity and agency. The novel shows how girls were sent away, forced to give birth in dehumanizing conditions where they're referred to as "patients" rather than people, then expected to return home as if nothing happened. Hendrix reveals how little these girls understood about sex and their own bodies, highlighting the failure of adults to educate or protect them. The adults and institutional systems emerge as the true villains, hiding information and perpetuating trauma.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls stands out in Grady Hendrix's bibliography for its direct confrontation with historical women's issues and reproductive rights. While Hendrix's previous works like The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires and How to Sell a Haunted House blend horror with social commentary, this novel tackles the mistreatment of unwed mothers with particular nuance and care. At over 450 pages, it's one of his longer works, using extensive exposition to build context for later events. The historical setting and focus on systemic injustice make it especially relevant to contemporary conversations.

Critics have praised Witchcraft for Wayward Girls as a triumph and potential best horror novel of 2025. The New York Times Book Review called it "frightening, infuriating, beautiful and sad" and "a perfect horror for our imperfect age". Reviewers highlight Hendrix's complex character development, easy-going prose, and captivating narrative that examines society's "unspeakable attitudes towards women". The Minnesota Star Tribune praised how Hendrix mixed "tropes of terror" in ways that "exceed the sum of their parts" while using history and witchcraft to expose hypocrisy.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is over 450 pages with small font, which might seem daunting to some readers. However, multiple reviewers report the book flies by despite its length, with some saying they could have easily read it in one or two days. The pacing balances slower, exposition-heavy sections that establish historical context with intense, fast-moving horror sequences. Hendrix uses the length purposefully—all the exposition adds crucial context and reasoning for events in the latter part of the book, making the payoff more powerful.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls resonates powerfully in 2025 due to ongoing debates about reproductive rights, bodily autonomy, and women's healthcare. The novel's exploration of how institutions controlled pregnant women's bodies and forced them to give up their babies mirrors contemporary concerns about government interference in reproductive decisions. Critics note the book is "deeply relevant" and "unsettling" because the issues it addresses—double standards for sexual behavior, punishment of women while men escape consequences, and society's control over female bodies—remain urgent today. The historical setting serves as a cautionary reflection of present-day struggles.