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Positive tags
Protagonist archetypes
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Synopsis
*‘I did an evil thing to be put in here, and I’m going to have to do an evil thing to get out.’* They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to the Wellwood House 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. There, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. Rose, a hippie who insists she’s going to keep her baby and escape to a commune. Zinnia, a budding musician who plans to marry her baby’s father. And Holly, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one-knows-who. Every moment of their waking day 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.
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls: content & age rating
Intended for adult readers (18+).
Dark historical fantasy with mature themes including teen pregnancy, institutional abuse, and occult horror. Contains strong violence related to witchcraft and blood magic, plus frank treatment of unwed mothers in 1970s reform homes.
What to know going in
This book has strong violence, moderate sexual content, and moderate language. Content notes include sexual assault, child abuse, emotional abuse, institutional abuse, and captivity (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teens in a 1970s home for unwed mothers discover witchcraft and fight back against the adults controlling their lives.