There’s power in a book…

They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to the Wellwood Home in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened.

Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified, and alone. Under the watchful eye of the stern Miss Wellwood, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. There’s Rose, a hippie who insists she’s going to find a way to keep her baby and escape to a commune. And Zinnia, a budding musician who knows she’s going to go home and marry her baby’s father. And Holly, a wisp of a girl, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no one knows who.

Everything the girls eat, every moment of their waking day, and everything they’re allowed to talk about is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know what’s best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and it’s never given freely. There’s always a price to be paid…and it’s usually paid in blood.

This was my second book by this author, and it left me disappointed. I expected a lot more magic, suspense, and true horror elements, but it fell short in all those areas.

I listened to the audiobook, and I have to say that the narrator did a fantastic job. The chanting, screaming, and even the childbirth scenes were all performed with impressive intensity. But while the narration was engaging, the story itself didn’t quite deliver what I hoped for.

This book gave me Girl, Interrupted vibes, but set in the 1970s at a home for pregnant teen girls. The setting and time period were vividly described, and Hendrix really nailed the oppressive, sweltering Florida summer. It also had some vibes of The Craft, but unfortunately, the witchy elements were minimal. If you’re looking for a book filled with magic, spells, and dark, supernatural thrills, this isn’t it. Instead, the story is more about a blood oath gone wrong and the consequences of trying to break it.

At 16 hours long, the audiobook felt way too drawn out for what actually happens. The pacing is slow, and while I usually enjoy a slow burn, there wasn’t enough payoff at the end to justify the length. The story is immersive and detailed—sometimes too detailed. Some of the descriptions, particularly the graphic childbirth scenes, were brutal and hard to get through. (Definitely check trigger warnings if you’re a sensitive reader.) There’s definitely body horror, but not much actual horror. I wanted more tension, more scares—something to make me feel uneasy. Instead, it read more like historical fiction with some dark elements sprinkled in.

I did enjoy the themes of female empowerment, and I liked the friendships between the girls, almost like a sisterhood (or coven). But most of the characters didn’t stand out, and I doubt I’ll remember them down the road.

Overall, this was fine, but it didn’t live up to its potential. If you enjoy historical fiction with a touch of fantasy and some body horror, you might like this. But if you’re looking for a true horror/thriller with heavy witchcraft elements, you may end up disappointed like I was. I’ll probably give Grady Hendrix another try, but so far, his books have been just okay for me.