In the sweltering summer of 1970, fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the Wellwood Home in Florida, a place where unwed mothers are sent to have their babies in secret before being forced to give them up for adoption. Isolated from the world, Fern finds herself among other girls in the same predicament—strong-willed Rose, who dreams of escaping to a commune with her child; determined Zinnia, who believes she’ll return home to marry her baby’s father; and delicate, silent Holly, whose pregnancy is shrouded in mystery. Under the strict rule of Miss Wellwood, the girls’ lives are tightly controlled, their pasts erased, and their futures decided for them. But when a librarian slips Fern a book on witchcraft, the girls begin to grasp a power they’ve never known. What starts as a glimmer of hope soon spirals into something darker, because power is never given freely—it comes at a cost, one that may be paid in blood.
Hendrix does a great job capturing the suffocating reality these girls faced, showing just how desperate they were to have a say in their own lives. The book’s horror elements (especially anything pregnancy-related) are intense and unsettling, so if that’s a sensitive topic for you, consider this a warning. The real horror, though, comes from the way these girls are treated, and that’s what makes the story hit hard.
That said, the pacing is a bit of a struggle. It takes a while for things to really get going, and even after the witchcraft elements kick in, the story moves in waves, some parts are gripping, while others drag. The characters are also hit or miss. Side characters like Rose and Zinnia bring some much-needed energy, but Fern, as the main character, feels pretty bland until the very end. There’s also the issue of how Black characters are written.. several moments feel tropey, and they’re mostly used to serve the white characters’ stories, which didn’t sit right with me.
By the end, the story ties itself together well, leaving you with plenty to think about. But the slow pacing, uneven character development, and the book’s own uncertainty about its message on witchcraft make it a bit of a mixed bag. If you’re into slow-burn horror with deeper themes, you might enjoy it, but if you’re looking for something fast-paced and witchcraft-heavy, this might not fully deliver.
⭐3/5 stars Not the best I’ve read from him but definitely not the worst.
