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I'll Watch Your Baby
Not yet published
Expected 26 May 26
A suffocating and sharp narrative horror novel for fans of Victor LaValle and The Reformatory, I’ll Watch Your Baby is a haunting reimagining of Linda Taylor -known as the original Welfare Queen - pursued, scrutinized, celebrated and vilified, and the impact her image has had for generations.
1974. Lottie Turner is already infamous. Running a wheel of schemes and scams, she’s willing to work for what she wants in…creative ways. But no business is more lucrative than desperate families looking to adopt a child—and there’s only one way to procure children quickly.
And the only way to take what’s owed you is to cross the line no one else is willing to cross.
1994. Bless has finally found the family she deserved. After suffocating slowly with lackluster parents and a non-starter past, she’s found the friends that means everything to her. That she’d live and die for. As they make their way across the country, one smash and grab at a time, Bless is used to acting fast and thinking on her feet.
But someone is playing a long game. Someone has unfinished business. Soon Bless is trapped in a web of horrors past and present, where the only escape hatch is a path only she can walk, if she finds the courage to take it.
1974. Lottie Turner is already infamous. Running a wheel of schemes and scams, she’s willing to work for what she wants in…creative ways. But no business is more lucrative than desperate families looking to adopt a child—and there’s only one way to procure children quickly.
And the only way to take what’s owed you is to cross the line no one else is willing to cross.
1994. Bless has finally found the family she deserved. After suffocating slowly with lackluster parents and a non-starter past, she’s found the friends that means everything to her. That she’d live and die for. As they make their way across the country, one smash and grab at a time, Bless is used to acting fast and thinking on her feet.
But someone is playing a long game. Someone has unfinished business. Soon Bless is trapped in a web of horrors past and present, where the only escape hatch is a path only she can walk, if she finds the courage to take it.
336 pages, Paperback
Expected publication May 26, 2026
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9479 people want to read
About the author
Neena Viel
2 books325 followersNeena is a horror writer who lives in a cabin in the Washingtonian woods with her husband. She has a canine assistant who fundamentally disrespects the creative process.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Reading for review in the April 2026 issue of Library Journal. Issue will also feature an interview with the author.
Three Words That Describe This Book: physically upsetting, generational trauma of systemic oppression, possession
This book is physically upsetting on so many levels. Readers are angry, frustrated, sympathetic to the trauma and horror inflected upon all of th characters, mad and their choices, frozen knowing it is systemic oppression, terrified, and you can feel it all in your body.
It is also original, visceral, terrifying. It is a direct and emotional response to the harm inflicted upon generations of black women who were villainized for having to get help through welfare even though systemic oppression and violence against them and their bodies is what put them there. The anger and revenge that is wanted at all costs. How this turns them against themselves. How it is cycle that may not be able to be broken, etc....
And it is all wrapped up in a very entertaining horror package.
The white flies that are used throughout the book and across story lines to unite the supernatural haunting is a nice touch. They appear at key moments -- sometimes a few and sometime MANY-- but they are a nice bridge between the timelines to unite the timeless story Viel is telling, They are the psychical manifestation of the real life horrors inflicted upon black women and their bodies over time.
This story is much about getting revenge over the harmful welfare queen stereotype-- owning it and controlling the narrative, taking it away from the white media and politicians-- as it is a chance for the current generation of black women -- like Viel herself-- come to terms with their own shame of growing up in a family who accepted welfare-- she speaks about this with honest emotion in the Afterword.
4 parts-- alternating between the story of Lottie-- a fictionalized version of the welfare queen-- in 1971 and Bless in 1994. Both stories are told on a tight timeline with flashbacks. It alternates Lottie, Bless, Lottie, Bless. As part 2 gets going, readers can see the storylines overlapping and it keeps the pacing compelling.
Lottie and Bless are characters readers want to follow. Both are flawed, both are technically criminals and readers know that. But Viel builds sympathy for them. Especially Lottie. She is both awful and charming. Bless you feel badly for but she gets her autonomy as the story goes on. As a reader you don't identify with these women, but you sympathize with their circumstances and more importantly, you want to keep watching to see what happens.
Haitian god of Legba is invoked. And the recurrence of a field in TN, the dirt, the bugs....these details repeat in a way that readers can feel the grime, see the space, and feel the lingering trauma in their own bodies as we see it affecting characters bodies.
I like Viel's debut and this is a very good second book. I will keep reading her work for sure.
For fans of Tananarive Due, Catriona Ward, Caitlin Starling, and Hailey Piper.
Three Words That Describe This Book: physically upsetting, generational trauma of systemic oppression, possession
This book is physically upsetting on so many levels. Readers are angry, frustrated, sympathetic to the trauma and horror inflected upon all of th characters, mad and their choices, frozen knowing it is systemic oppression, terrified, and you can feel it all in your body.
It is also original, visceral, terrifying. It is a direct and emotional response to the harm inflicted upon generations of black women who were villainized for having to get help through welfare even though systemic oppression and violence against them and their bodies is what put them there. The anger and revenge that is wanted at all costs. How this turns them against themselves. How it is cycle that may not be able to be broken, etc....
And it is all wrapped up in a very entertaining horror package.
The white flies that are used throughout the book and across story lines to unite the supernatural haunting is a nice touch. They appear at key moments -- sometimes a few and sometime MANY-- but they are a nice bridge between the timelines to unite the timeless story Viel is telling, They are the psychical manifestation of the real life horrors inflicted upon black women and their bodies over time.
This story is much about getting revenge over the harmful welfare queen stereotype-- owning it and controlling the narrative, taking it away from the white media and politicians-- as it is a chance for the current generation of black women -- like Viel herself-- come to terms with their own shame of growing up in a family who accepted welfare-- she speaks about this with honest emotion in the Afterword.
4 parts-- alternating between the story of Lottie-- a fictionalized version of the welfare queen-- in 1971 and Bless in 1994. Both stories are told on a tight timeline with flashbacks. It alternates Lottie, Bless, Lottie, Bless. As part 2 gets going, readers can see the storylines overlapping and it keeps the pacing compelling.
Lottie and Bless are characters readers want to follow. Both are flawed, both are technically criminals and readers know that. But Viel builds sympathy for them. Especially Lottie. She is both awful and charming. Bless you feel badly for but she gets her autonomy as the story goes on. As a reader you don't identify with these women, but you sympathize with their circumstances and more importantly, you want to keep watching to see what happens.
Haitian god of Legba is invoked. And the recurrence of a field in TN, the dirt, the bugs....these details repeat in a way that readers can feel the grime, see the space, and feel the lingering trauma in their own bodies as we see it affecting characters bodies.
I like Viel's debut and this is a very good second book. I will keep reading her work for sure.
For fans of Tananarive Due, Catriona Ward, Caitlin Starling, and Hailey Piper.
December 19, 2025
Thank you to edelweiss for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Actual rating 4.5. I’ll be the one to say I loved Listen To Your Sister. Low rating means nothing to me. I enjoy Neena Viel’s writing and this was just as interesting as her last book.
I’ve actually not really heard of Linda Taylor and this book had me doing a lot of research. I loved how the author was able to spin this real life event into a horror story. In the beginning I wasn’t sure how the two plot points would merge but the way it did was so good! I’ll admit I wasn’t sure if I really hated Lottie. She was bad of course like kidnapping kids and babies and ripping them from their families is devastating but also she was real and loyal to Filly. I wanted her to lose and win at the same time. Bless I identified with a bit. Wanting so bad to have friendship and connection. I was a bit surprised she got so attached after only 3 months but I guess it was trauma bonding.
There were a few things I was confused about with the timeline. Were Lottie’s parents around during slavery? How old was she if the originally story was in 1974? Or maybe I just didn’t understand it all the way. Also, what happened to Manny? He just disappeared never to be seen again. I was hoping he’d pop up and never did. And another question I had was about Wayne and why he never showed back up again. The ending felt off to me and I wasn’t a huge fan but I loved the build up till the end.
This story gripped me and I was focused till the end. This type of slow horror that builds up is great if done well. I’m going to say I loved this book and as the first review I’ll tell everyone to read it. Might not be everyone’s thing but who knows! Neena Viel I’ll be your reader for the next book!!
Actual rating 4.5. I’ll be the one to say I loved Listen To Your Sister. Low rating means nothing to me. I enjoy Neena Viel’s writing and this was just as interesting as her last book.
I’ve actually not really heard of Linda Taylor and this book had me doing a lot of research. I loved how the author was able to spin this real life event into a horror story. In the beginning I wasn’t sure how the two plot points would merge but the way it did was so good! I’ll admit I wasn’t sure if I really hated Lottie. She was bad of course like kidnapping kids and babies and ripping them from their families is devastating but also she was real and loyal to Filly. I wanted her to lose and win at the same time. Bless I identified with a bit. Wanting so bad to have friendship and connection. I was a bit surprised she got so attached after only 3 months but I guess it was trauma bonding.
There were a few things I was confused about with the timeline. Were Lottie’s parents around during slavery? How old was she if the originally story was in 1974? Or maybe I just didn’t understand it all the way. Also, what happened to Manny? He just disappeared never to be seen again. I was hoping he’d pop up and never did. And another question I had was about Wayne and why he never showed back up again. The ending felt off to me and I wasn’t a huge fan but I loved the build up till the end.
This story gripped me and I was focused till the end. This type of slow horror that builds up is great if done well. I’m going to say I loved this book and as the first review I’ll tell everyone to read it. Might not be everyone’s thing but who knows! Neena Viel I’ll be your reader for the next book!!
Want to read
January 7, 2026this sounds good!
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Special thanks to Goodreads for providing me with a physical ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: May 26, 2026
“Listen to Your Sister: A Novel” author Neena Viel has delivered a sharp and haunting story with her new novel, “I'll Watch Your Baby”, a compelling and immersive re-imagining of Linda Taylor, the original Welfare Queen.
1974- Lottie Taylor is known throughout the country, albeit with different names (and hair styles). After running scam after scam in one town, she leaves quickly before she can be discovered and arrested. What starts as a simple welfare scam gets more complicated when Lottie realizes the price infertile couples are willing to pay for a baby, no matter where the child comes from.
Twenty years later, Bless is desperate for a family. After being raised by harsh, judgmental, religious parents, Bless finds comfort and love with her new young friends, led by the charismatic Sasha. With no home besides each other, the group takes what they need through robbery and break-and-enters, until the one day they stumble across the home of someone who isn’t just going to sit back and let it happen.
“Baby” is a dual-timeline, dual protagonist story, narrated by Bless and Lottie in their respective time periods. Initially, there is no obvious connection between the two women but as the story plays out, readers learn more about the women, their pasts, and their ancestry. Both are young, multi-racial women, trying to find a place in a world that never quite seems to fit, finding instead a life of crime, and one true friend who has more secrets than anyone knows about. The characters are resilient, smart and sassy, and readers will no doubt connect with one, or both, of these powerhouse protagonists.
Viel is a gripping storyteller, her writing style creative and her language poetic and influential. Both Bless and Lottie face dark monsters, of various kinds, and Viel brings readers along for the ride. There are numerous twists and turns that circle back and form a cohesive, spell-binding and satisfying ending.
I loved “Sister” by Viel, so reading the next novel by her was always going to be a no-brainer for me. “Baby” takes a real-life story that I was previously unfamiliar with, that of Linda Taylor, and builds a fictional framework around her and I always love a novel I can both enjoy and learn from. Viel’s writing is refreshing and modern, and “Baby” is a thought-provoking examination of racism and marginalization, told in an in-your-face terrifying way.
Expected publication date: May 26, 2026
“Listen to Your Sister: A Novel” author Neena Viel has delivered a sharp and haunting story with her new novel, “I'll Watch Your Baby”, a compelling and immersive re-imagining of Linda Taylor, the original Welfare Queen.
1974- Lottie Taylor is known throughout the country, albeit with different names (and hair styles). After running scam after scam in one town, she leaves quickly before she can be discovered and arrested. What starts as a simple welfare scam gets more complicated when Lottie realizes the price infertile couples are willing to pay for a baby, no matter where the child comes from.
Twenty years later, Bless is desperate for a family. After being raised by harsh, judgmental, religious parents, Bless finds comfort and love with her new young friends, led by the charismatic Sasha. With no home besides each other, the group takes what they need through robbery and break-and-enters, until the one day they stumble across the home of someone who isn’t just going to sit back and let it happen.
“Baby” is a dual-timeline, dual protagonist story, narrated by Bless and Lottie in their respective time periods. Initially, there is no obvious connection between the two women but as the story plays out, readers learn more about the women, their pasts, and their ancestry. Both are young, multi-racial women, trying to find a place in a world that never quite seems to fit, finding instead a life of crime, and one true friend who has more secrets than anyone knows about. The characters are resilient, smart and sassy, and readers will no doubt connect with one, or both, of these powerhouse protagonists.
Viel is a gripping storyteller, her writing style creative and her language poetic and influential. Both Bless and Lottie face dark monsters, of various kinds, and Viel brings readers along for the ride. There are numerous twists and turns that circle back and form a cohesive, spell-binding and satisfying ending.
I loved “Sister” by Viel, so reading the next novel by her was always going to be a no-brainer for me. “Baby” takes a real-life story that I was previously unfamiliar with, that of Linda Taylor, and builds a fictional framework around her and I always love a novel I can both enjoy and learn from. Viel’s writing is refreshing and modern, and “Baby” is a thought-provoking examination of racism and marginalization, told in an in-your-face terrifying way.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Lottie started life on a plantation, but found a way to leave. On her own, she managed to figure out the "system" of welfare and use it to her advantage. Multiple names, addresses, and credit cards are only part of what she gathers. She also gathers children. Lottie manages to abduct children from inattentive parents. Childless people will always pay top dollar for a "child of their own". At a church social, Lottie meets a friend and her whole world changes. Sasha, Manny, Devin, and Bless are travelling around making money by robbing wealthy homes. A botched robbery forces them to hide. Sasha leads them to a dilapidated shack on an overgrown plantation inhabited by a very ill woman. Why would Sasha bring them to this location?
Horror oozes from this story. Flies, maggots, sweat, blood, ghosts, and demons torment the characters of this story, but why? What makes these people the targets of evil? As we learn about the characters, we also examine how they are in such an awful predicament. Do you inherit evil? Do your actions attract evil? Can you plan for evil? All these questions are explored as we follow Lottie, Sasha, Manny, Devin, and Bless as their paths cross, culminating in an epic battle for the continuation of evil.
I enjoyed the premise of this book. However, there are several times the conflict and battle with evil carry on for far too long. This slows the story down and nearly caused me to stop reading the book. While some readers might enjoy the prolonged conflicts, I did not.
Horror oozes from this story. Flies, maggots, sweat, blood, ghosts, and demons torment the characters of this story, but why? What makes these people the targets of evil? As we learn about the characters, we also examine how they are in such an awful predicament. Do you inherit evil? Do your actions attract evil? Can you plan for evil? All these questions are explored as we follow Lottie, Sasha, Manny, Devin, and Bless as their paths cross, culminating in an epic battle for the continuation of evil.
I enjoyed the premise of this book. However, there are several times the conflict and battle with evil carry on for far too long. This slows the story down and nearly caused me to stop reading the book. While some readers might enjoy the prolonged conflicts, I did not.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
"I'll Watch Your Baby" presents a strong and important idea at its core, but for me, the way it was told felt more average than exceptional. I liked how it tackles the harmful stereotype of the "welfare queen" through a horror lens, connecting it to issues like generational trauma and racism, specifically regarding how society often controls the lives and choices of Black women. The imagery of white flies, the use of two timelines, and the gradual building tension are all smart ways to show the impacts of systemic violence. However, where it didn't quite work for me was in terms of enjoyment while reading. The back-and-forth structure felt more confusing than engaging, and I didn't connect with the plot as deeply as I hoped, even though I appreciated what the book was trying to convey. I could relate to the characters Lottie and Bless on a surface level, but I didn't feel that deeper emotional bond that would have made the horror more impactful. The themes are powerful, and the atmosphere is solid, but my overall reading experience was a bit mixed.
"I'll Watch Your Baby" presents a strong and important idea at its core, but for me, the way it was told felt more average than exceptional. I liked how it tackles the harmful stereotype of the "welfare queen" through a horror lens, connecting it to issues like generational trauma and racism, specifically regarding how society often controls the lives and choices of Black women. The imagery of white flies, the use of two timelines, and the gradual building tension are all smart ways to show the impacts of systemic violence. However, where it didn't quite work for me was in terms of enjoyment while reading. The back-and-forth structure felt more confusing than engaging, and I didn't connect with the plot as deeply as I hoped, even though I appreciated what the book was trying to convey. I could relate to the characters Lottie and Bless on a surface level, but I didn't feel that deeper emotional bond that would have made the horror more impactful. The themes are powerful, and the atmosphere is solid, but my overall reading experience was a bit mixed.
Review of advance copy received from Indie Reviewers
I won this book from goodreads as an ARC book : I’ll Watch Your Baby is beautifully written, and I really appreciated the author’s style and the care put into the atmosphere. Neena Viel clearly knows how to craft a sentence and build tension. That said, the storyline just didn’t connect with me the way I hoped it would. The premise was intriguing, but I never fully clicked with the direction the plot took.
This is very much a “it’s not you, it’s me” situation — the book has a lot of strengths, and I can easily see it resonating with other readers. It just wasn’t the right fit for my personal tastes.
This is very much a “it’s not you, it’s me” situation — the book has a lot of strengths, and I can easily see it resonating with other readers. It just wasn’t the right fit for my personal tastes.
January 28, 2026
I was hoping for more from this book being compared to “The Reformatory” but unfortunately it fell flat for me. The premise was interesting to me at first but I found it confusing at times flipping back and forth. It was hard to keep my mind focused on the storyline.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
VERY GOOD STORY
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you netgalley for the gifted copy. this was my first time reading this author and I enjoyed this read.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews