Welcome to Litsy!

I was really excited to read this, but, like the reviews have indicated, not so much witchcraft vibes. I am putting this book aside for now as well. I am officially in a book slump after all my anticipated new year releases have been 3 stars at best and quite a few I can't get into. Sad.

Initially, I planned to save this book for an Oct ‘25 read before reminding myself a similar ‘24 plan created a TBR of well over 60 books that I still haven‘t completed. I‘m glad I read this sooner because the horrors in the 1970 setting of this story have little to do with witchcraft. And how is Grady Hendrix not a female author!

I‘m up to page 209 out of 395. I‘ll be finished this week. #Witchcraftforwaywardgirls

Book 5📚 4⭐️

I very much enjoyed this book! Howeverrrrr…. I feel like it was missing the signature Hendrix weirdness? It had a bit of it with the “eels”. But I kept thinking there was going to be more and there wasn‘t.

Now don‘t let that turn you off! Cause it does a great job in jts own, very real, way!🤰🏼

Grady Hendrix is my can‘t miss horror writer for a reason and this book didn‘t disappoint. How he tackled topics like homes for pregnant girls, misogyny, women‘s power was impeccably done. I just love his writing and will continue to be a faithful fan.

Grady Hendrix just never fails to deliver. Here, in a home for pregnant teens in 1970, some of the girls discover witchcraft. Honestly though, the real horror of the story is how the girls were treated. This is a few years before Roe v. Wade so there were very few choices.

Cannot wait to see his show on the 29th!

I loved this group of spunky teens fighting the patriarchy and learning how the world works. These wayward girls were shunned and thrown away until there was no evidence of their pregnancy, and they only had each other to lean on. Grady Hendrix is masterful.

I literally jumped up and down like a child when this book arrived. I preordered back in June, and it was released last Tuesday, but several mishaps caused it to be delayed. It is finally mine, and it is absolutely gorgeous in person. I started reading late last night but had to force myself to put it down so I could get some sleep. Can‘t wait to get into it! ❤️❤️

Started this one this morning! I‘ve seen great reviews!

Reading in honor of Sharon @sharread 🕯️ ❤️

#Sharreadathon

CJ Leeds went on The Books in the Freezer podcast and said that most of women‘s horror is basically reducing the woman to just being a vessel for childbirth. And there was a neon sign of her statement in here. But Grady Hendrix does such a great job of humanizing these young girls who are basically shunned and dropped off at a home for pregnant girls in the late 1960s. It‘s very readable, it‘s light on the witchcraft for me but I didn‘t care.👇🏼

I love this author‘s unique blend of horror and social commentary. Given the current political climate this book felt even scarier to me. I spent a significant amount of the book all hopped up on blind rage at how the girls were treated. I wasn‘t nuts about the depiction of the witches - that felt as it played into the stereotypes that got women burned to me. But once again, as is so often the case in his books, the humans are the problem.

My local indie bookshop with the first of (hopefully many) genre events! Just got my ticket! In the past I‘ve only been to comic artist/writers events so this will be a 2025 first for me!

Power and control. These elements are explored in multiple ways from various angles in Witchcraft for Wayward Girls. Teen pregnancy, 1970s lingo, witches and zealots. Forces pressuring until-pop!-love and loss and anger and independence create, within our heroines, a powerful control: the knowledge that they are in control. Hendrix hits it out of the park again!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book was billed as horror, and there were very graphic birthing scenes, but really, I thought it was also quite a touching tribute to women and motherhood. I was surprised it was written by a man. It seems like he did his homework. I thought it was beautiful.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-folklore-podcast/id1135039882?i=100068... One of my favourite podcasts speaking to the man of the moment. Enjoy.

Bubble tea and Grady Hendrix! 📖💕🧋

Oh yeah! Hendrix delivers way more than a horror novel with this one. It‘s an indictment of the treatment of pregnant teens prior to the 1990s couched in a horror framework. He empathetically tells the story women forced to relinquish their children. When four of these teens meet a witch at the bookmobile, they get more than they bargain for while enacting revenge on the owners, doctors, and staff at this home for weyward girls. Flew through this!

I am such a fan of Grady Hendrix's books, they're always so unique and thought out. You just never know quite what to expect. This was no exception. It was a dark and twisty, suspense filled ride. Its a little slow to get going as the scene is being set but the drama soon ramps up and I was gripped. The plot was clever, creepy and heartbreaking at times. I really liked Rose but had a true soft spot for Holly and all she went through. #Netgalley 4*

Another one of my preorders came in! Im really excited for this one!

5⭐️ It‘s hard to formulate words for this one in a small space. The horror elements are less about the witchcraft and more about the horrors these “wayward girls” had to endure. They had no bodily autonomy nor free will in decision-making. Hendrix did such good work here with generational and religious traumas. He also paid great care to the labor, delivery, and postpartum process (L&D nurse here). My thoughts are LARGE, it‘s so astoundingly good.

“There‘s power in a book” is a great way to describe this spoke, highly uncomfortable story about young girls reclaiming their power in a society intent on silencing them. I loved it enough that I wanted b by to read it slower to stay in that story longer. s, they burned women.” - witch hunts were never about witches, but about silencing women.

OMG IT‘S HERE!!!!!!‘ Alas, I will have to start you tomorrow BUT you‘re here and that‘s all that matters. 🖤🖤🖤

It‘s arrived!!!!!!!!!!! 🤩🥳🤩🥳🤩🥳

YASSSSSSS! Happy Pub Day to these two! They just arrived in the mail and I couldn't be more excited! The Grady Hendrix is one of my most anticipated reads of 2025! 💕📚

Excited!

@Blueberry

Waiting for the livestream to begin. #Witchcraftforwaywardgirls #gradyhendrix

Is there anything more satisfying than buying a book by a beloved author on the day of its release? Probably... but not much!

So far, I am 41 pages into this book. It‘s really sad things haven‘t changed much in terms of people‘s attitudes towards the idea of a teenage girl getting pregnant. People still think that it‘s all her fault. Man, this book is really good! #GradyHendrix #WitchcraftForWaywardGirls

Hendrix mixes horror with social issues in this latest book. Pregnant teens learn witchcraft to fend for themselves and each other. Definitely recommend.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

Pub date is 1/14/25
#ARC #Netgalley