I'll Watch Your Baby

by Neena Viel

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.

Genres: Horror, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Adult, Historical, Horror Thriller, Halloween

336 pages, Paperback

Expected publication May 26, 2026

About the author

Neena 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.

Reviews

[veerali · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you netgalley and st. martin's press for the eARC—all are thoughts are my own!
✦ publication date: may 26, 2026

i don’t usually read horror books, but this year i decided to go diverse. i'll watch your baby taught me a lot, especially about a real person i had never heard of before: linda taylor, the woman who was called the “welfare queen.” the author turned her story into a horror tale, and i learned why she became such a famous (and controversial) figure.

the novel follows two main characters, lottie and bless, who live in different time periods. both of them do things that aren’t good. even though they make bad choices, i still felt sorry for them because the world around them is so harsh. the book shows how black women are often blamed and treated as villains just for trying to survive. 

at first i wondered how the writer would connect the two timelines. the parts jump back and forth, and for a while it felt confusing. but as i kept reading, the pieces fell into place. when the two stories finally meet, the twist hits hard. everything i thought i understood changes, and the ending left me shocked and thinking about the whole story long after i turned the last page.

you should pick up this novel when it’s released. neeva viel is definitely a writer to watch, and i recommend this book to anyone who wants a thrilling read that also matters.

⤿ historical fiction
⤿ horror/thriller
⤿ generational trauma
⤿ systematic oppression
⤿ possession

౨ৎ ⋮ more by neena viel
— listen to your sister

[Becky Spratford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review in the April 2026 issue of Library Journal. Issue will also feature an interview with the author: https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/...

Three Words That Describe This Book: physically upsetting, generational trauma of systemic oppression, possession

Draft Review: Viel (Listen To Your Sister) returns with an original, visceral, and terrifying tale of revenge against the harm inflicted upon generations of black women, stigmatized for needing the help of welfare, even though systemic racism and violence against their bodies is what put them in this unending cycle of oppression in the first place. Told by two unforgettable narrators– Lottie in 1974, a Welfare Queen, villainized by the media and sought by law enforcement and Bless in 1994, a troubled young woman on the run with a group of friends– readers will quickly and eagerly follow these fully realized, extremely flawed, but undeniably sympathetic women as their stories overlap and supernatural forces (and oh so many white flies) lead them to a conclusion that is upsetting on many levels. Exploring a range of very real emotions from intrigue to repulsion, anger to frustration, victimization to freedom, Viel boldly reclaims the Welfare Queen narrative in what is sure to be one of 2026 most unforgettable horror novels.

Verdict: With her second novel, Viel has quickly become a must read horror author, especially for fans of the imaginative, thought provoking, and unsettling work of writers like Tananarive Due, Catriona Ward, Caitlin Starling, and Hailey Piper.


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.

[Raaven💖 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!!

[Janereads10 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in one sitting. It's not my favorite. I couldn't stop anyway.

I had never heard of the Welfare Queen before this book. I went in blind, having loved Neena Veil's Listen to Your Sister, expecting a wild ride. I wasn't wrong. It started off thriller-esque, a woman I initially thought was helping mothers out. Boy was I wrong about that too.

The timeline shift was where things got more interesting for me. The group of friends robbing the elder woman had me wishing someone would have a change of heart and leave her be. Well, the twist in the situation surprised me. The supernatural and social horror elements gripped me, and watching everything connect between the timelines was satisfying. The characters were unlikable, but that was the draw. The ending was ambiguous, which worked for the story.

It kept me turning pages even when it unsettled me.

The Vibe: Nightmarish, Sassy, Crime-Gone-Wrong
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Thank you St. Martin’s Griffin and Netgalley for my review copy. All opinions are my own.

[Christina C · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ll Watch Your Baby had an interesting premise, and I did appreciate the addition of Lottie’s backstory—it added some depth and gave the story a bit more intrigue. Her history was easily the most engaging part for me and made me want to keep going, hoping the rest of the book would build on that momentum.

Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with the writing style. It felt a bit flat and didn’t fully draw me into the story or the characters. Because of that, I found it hard to stay invested, even when the plot had potential.

Overall, while there were a few elements I liked, especially Lottie’s character, the writing just didn’t work for me, which made this a disappointing read.

⭐️⭐️ (2/5)

[Thebiblioholic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this. I was completely immersed from start to finish. The author gives us morally gray to pitch-black characters we somehow can’t help but root for. Watching their development and reckoning was deeply unsettling but addictive.

The story unfolds through dual POVs, Lottie and Bless, across two timelines set decades apart. I loved how the narratives slowly intertwined, allowing me to piece everything together bit by bit.

Lottie and Bless are women behaving badly. Lottie, cast into the public spotlight and branded “The Welfare Queen,” is inspired by a real-life figure who carried the same title. But the author takes that foundation and builds something far more layered. Lottie isn’t just committing welfare fraud. She is entangled in murder and child trafficking. Then there’s Bless, a young runaway who joins a group of misfits plotting to break into an elderly woman’s home to steal her settlement money. Both storylines lead to an inevitable reckoning neither can outrun.

This book is gritty, grimy, and deeply disturbing. The horror elements, especially the ghost story aspects, are uniquely executed and genuinely creepy. The atmosphere is tense, and the descriptive scenes are vivid and beyond the eerie horror, the story explores loyalty and friendship, both the beauty and toxicity of it, and opens up conversations about how media can easily target a demographic of people by using one terrible example for all. That depth and thought-provoking element will stay with me for a long time.

The ending feels intentionally open, and I am fully hoping for a sequel because I have so many questions and would love to see where this story goes next.

I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Eros Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

“She’s so pretty when her eyes are full of malice.”

THIS is how you write gothic horror!

If you are looking for a suspenseful slow burn horror novel for your TBR then this may be exactly what you’re looking for.
This was a beautifully written blend of southern gothic horror with historical fiction elements and unapologetically Black characters.

-early 40s FMC
-“The Welfare Queen” reimagining centering Linda Taylor
-dual timeline
-multiple POVs
-hilarious, relatable narration
-Black motherhood
-poverty & systemic racism
-generational trauma and revenge
-disturbingly captivating
-vivid descriptions
-spirits, ghosts, & haunting
-complex relationship dynamics
-based in 1970s-1990s Chicago

This is a novel to take your time with.
It is multilayered, complicated and raw in a way that will have you enthralled in Lottie’s story from start to finish.
The “scary” elements didn’t emerge quickly. There was a blind-siding blend of funny commentary and story building that has you completely unaware of the horror that awaits you.

Everything came together seamlessly by the end. This felt like a movie.
Neena Viel’s writing style is beautifully immersive and captivating.
I will never not read what she writes.

[Ladiami · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a hard read for me. From the very beginning, I felt confused and struggled to find my footing in the story. There were moments where I thought I was finally starting to understand Lottie’s schemes and Bless’s journey, but that clarity never lasted. Instead, the plot became more tangled, and I found myself feeling more lost as the story moved between timelines and revealed darker truths. I had such high hopes for this book because the premise was intriguing and full of potential, but it often felt like the author was trying too hard to be complex and shocking rather than letting the story unfold naturally.

That said, the book wasn’t without promise. The ideas behind the characters and their motivations were interesting, and there were glimpses of what could have been a powerful and haunting story. Unfortunately, it never fully came together for me, and the emotional impact didn’t land the way I expected. The ending was great, mostly because it meant the journey was finally over and I could step away from the confusion. Overall, while the concept was strong, the execution came up short, leaving me disappointed in what could have been a much more compelling read.

Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC and opportunity to provide an honest review.

[Trisha]

this sounds good!

** UPDATE - ARC REC'D THANK YOU!! **

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

[She’s Stranger Than Fiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll Watch Your Baby is based on Linda Taylor, the woman behind the welfare queen mythos. In 1974, Lottie Turner is a woman on the make. She likes nice things and beautiful clothes, furs, wigs, and makeup. Get what you can however you can. She makes her money by procuring and selling children and has a multitude of looks and aliases. Lottie was only looking out for herself until she met Filly. Filly is a dear friend, and Lottie loves her.
Twenty years later, Blessyn falls in with a group of petty criminals and ends up in a filthy, hoarded up antebellum house in the middle of Tennessee. Sasha has gathered them together for a very significant reason.
This book is a love story, a revenge story, a ghost story, a story of families found and lost. It examines poverty, government assistance, political theater, and race and shines a light on the struggles faced by Black mothers eking out a living for their families in a world that pushes them down and shames them if they seek help. The stories of Lottie, Filly, Bless, and Sasha are interlaced with a supernatural, insectile horror. If bugs, flies, or creepy crawlies are a hard no for you, you should probably sit this one out.
Now, for those who of us who love horror and don’t mind entomology, Viel’s writing is sharp, unapologetic, and evocative. She shows her characters to us in all of their messiness. No rose colored glasses. No excuses. Both the bad and the good. As a result, these characters become living, breathing human beings you won’t soon forget.

This is a review of an uncorrected digital galley. I would like to thank Neena Viel, St.Marten’s/Griffin Publishing, and NetGalley for this opportunity. The thoughts and opinions expressed in the review are my own.

May you read in peace.✌️

[Adam Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Neena Viel’s first novel, Listen to Your Sister, and her second novel is even more assured, layered, brilliantly written and complex. Viel tackles a difficult and controversial subject and turns it into a scary, visceral, and compulsively readable book. Lottie Turner, based on the infamous “welfare queen” that Ronald Reagan vilified in his rise to the presidency, is one of the most difficult to pin down characters I’ve read in a long time. Sometimes you hate her, sometimes you enjoy her, but you always understand her and she’s always honest about who she is, and that is fascinating to read. The book skips around in time and requires your attention, something her first novel required as well, and I for one love that, as it does not fit into a cookie cutter narrative and reads as a mix of literary and horror fiction, doing both brilliantly well.

[From The Reader’s Nest · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really good! At first, you think it’s very surface level, but it’s actually quite deep and we’re digging so far back in time for when a lot of these horrible tropes and social villains are created namely the welfare queen.

I really enjoyed how this book essentially reclaims that power and says you want to see a welfare queen... I’ll show you a welfare queen!!

And then the book goes in a direction that I didn’t intend for it to go and it’s one that I really enjoyed. I love how the author brought this story full circle and tied everything together.

There’s so many descriptions in this book that I don’t think we’ll leave my brain of just from the character development itself.

This is certainly a book that I would like to write a paper on or have a very intellectual book club discussion about because there are so many aspects of this book that deserve to be discussed and as per usual, the author creates something that is so rich!

[Emily Poche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I’ll Watch Your Baby by Neena Viel is the bloody, haunting story of Lottie, and, years later Bless. Despite somewhat different paths they’ve both found themselves to be in a similar predicament; they’re both living lives of crime that have been interrupted by something dark. This dark entity is insidious, violent, and powerful. Reading on, it turns out there’s more linking Bless and Lottie together than the supernatural.

Firstly, this author deserves all their flowers for writing some scenes that were truly visually frightening. The words in certain scenes at Filly’s house were jumping off the page and onto the movie screen in my head. It’s really good when the author can create horror moments that are experienced so strongly that they are visceral, cerebral, and strongly imprint on you.

Something that I did love about this story was Viel’s ability to create complex characters. Bless is literally breaking into homes with a group of friends to commit fraud and Lottie is involved in all manner of schemes. Engaging in, among other things, benefit fraud, she is considered to be a “welfare queen” and is demonized by the news and law enforcement. Viel is talented and able to show that Lottie has a point. Her life has been stacked against her, there’s a huge bias, and she’s doing what she has to to get ahead. Viel is so talented at crafting charming Lottie that it’s easy to lose track of the child trafficking she’s doing. even that gets a final backward glance in the final pages as it shows how Lottie has a fundamentally broken worldview from her own trauma. Does it cross out the harm? Surely not, but it does keep the reader wildly trying to make a judgement call on her, one that’s often more nuanced than it appears.

What I thought the book fell flat on was the establishment and explanation of the welfare queen role. While we are told in forwards and the afterward that this is a fictionalization of a real woman, it actually doesn’t feel as deeply important to the story as anything else. We see the news headline and the specter of being caught, the night in jail, but ultimately it does feel like it’s just the setup for the rest of the story. Maybe that was the intention, that it actually is a meaningless part of her story, but on the other hand I feel like a little more detail would have strengthened the background and the character. We know she does it, but we see very little of it. It’s sort of a weird telling rather than showing in a book that is otherwise really descriptive.

Ultimately I did like this book. The horror sequences were jumpy and bloody, and there’s a gross fly motif that runs throughout. I think that the social elements of the story could have been teased out a little more clearly, but it’s a very good horror choice. 4/5 stars.

[Riti · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I tried my hardest to really like this book and I did. Part 1 and 2 I was really into it, however part 3 is when I got lost and never seemed to jump on the right train back. I’m fairly disappointed that I didn’t quite grasp the book as I thought I would, due to the fact the plot was enticing. Like we are talking about baby kidnapping/traficking and that’s a plot I’ve never read about before.

Now I want to get into the main characters bless and Lottie.

Lottie is the welfare queen and even I had respect for her and was amazed. However, the progression of the story and flies and a ghost? I got more lost and tbh wish I didn’t only cause I loved her. Second bless is part of a friend group, Devin, manny and Sasha. And I thought she was the leader at first but she isn’t. As the story progressed you get to see why the kids (the gang I mentioned earlier) and Lottie are related and the dual pov is necessary.

But man I was ANNOYED with Sasha and bless, she kept reminding us she hates the meaning of her name. Also, I need to understand the authors obsession with Manny and the fact he is Punjabi and the obsession with his aunties. I swear his idenety came up just as much as bless’s did.

I want to thank St. Martin’s essentials for providing me with an ARC.

[Chelsea Pittman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like it. The concept and inspiration were really interesting to me. I think the title and cover are eye catching.

Unfortunately, I don’t do well with this kind of writing. I found myself getting confused and disinterested because I couldn’t follow what was truly happening in the story.

I think with different writing the characters and story would be very entertaining. But ultimately, the writing is the writing and for someone else this style is perfect. We are all different! Just cause I didn’t love it doesn’t mean you won’t!

Thank you to NetGalley, Neena Viel, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read it. I have written this review voluntarily and honestly.

[Hijabi_booklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

*I’ll Watch Your Baby* had me holding my kids a little tighter — no matter how old they are. This book was an absolute wild ride from start to finish. The suspense kept building, and the story really taps into every parent’s worst fears. It’s honestly terrifying to think about how scary the world can be and the lengths some people will go to. The twists kept me hooked, and I couldn’t put it down. Definitely a tense, unsettling read that will stay with me for a while.

[The Noire Anthology · Rating 3 out of 5]

Neena Viel’s I’ll Watch Your Baby is a historical horror novel that mixes Southern Gothic haunted house elements with a sharp look at the myth of the “welfare queen” and the ways Black motherhood has been policed and exploited. The story moves between the 1970s and the 1990s, following two main threads. One centers on Lottie Turner, a Black woman loosely inspired by the real life figure Linda Taylor, who moves through multiple identities while scamming the welfare system and secretly trafficking children through illegal adoptions. The other follows Bless, a young thief whose crew hides out in the home of a dying woman and instead finds strange white flies, ghostly figures, and the lingering fallout from Lottie’s earlier crimes. Even while the story nods to the media spectacle around “welfare queens,” Viel refuses to make Lottie a simple stereotype. She is written as charismatic, sharp, and deeply morally compromised, someone who constantly builds her own legend while hiding the damage she causes.

At its core, the novel is about how the legacies of slavery still shape the treatment of Black women’s bodies and motherhood. Lottie’s child trafficking makes the exploitation painfully literal, echoing the history of Black children being treated as property. Her welfare scams are almost a distraction compared to the deeper horror of turning children into commodities. The haunted house that connects both timelines acts like a storage place for all that harm and secrecy. It draws in a supernatural force, suffering that has turned into something vengeful that follows Lottie and later the younger characters. The horror here is not just ghosts or creepy imagery but the idea that violence and exploitation do not disappear. They linger and keep resurfacing.

Lottie herself is both disturbing and fascinating. She fits the role of the “unlikeable” Black woman who refuses the expected image of gentle motherhood, which exposes how heavily those expectations fall on Black women. She is clever despite having little formal education and knows how to use colorism, religion, and charm to get what she wants. At the same time, she carries the weight of a lonely childhood in Tennessee and the feeling that something dark has always followed her. Bless and the other young thieves represent a later generation trying to survive poverty and build their own found family, only to realize their lives are tangled up with Lottie’s past. Through them, the book shows how cycles of harm and survival strategies pass from one generation to the next.

Genre wise, the novel sits between historical fiction, horror, and mystery thriller. It pulls from real histories of welfare policy, media demonization of Black women, and systems that have controlled their lives, while also using classic horror tools like a haunted house, restless spirits, and eerie infestations. The robbery gone wrong setup and the slow reveal of who the younger characters really are keep the story moving, even when the writing slows down to build atmosphere. Most importantly, the supernatural is not just decoration. It is the way the novel shows how buried harm and ignored histories eventually come back to demand attention, making the book a strong example of how modern Black horror uses the genre to challenge both past and present systems of oppression.

[Erin Clemence · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Prof. Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll Watch Your Baby by Neena Viel is a haunting and visceral horror novel that left a lasting impression on me. From the very first page, the story’s sharp, suffocating narrative grabbed me and refused to let go. Viel skillfully intertwines two timelines—Lottie in 1971 and Bless in 1994—building a compelling dual narrative that gradually reveals how their stories are deeply interconnected. The pacing is tight, with flashbacks and overlapping scenes creating a sense of growing suspense and dread.

What struck me most was how the novel confronts the long and painful history of systemic oppression against Black women, particularly those vilified as welfare queens. Viel’s depiction of Lottie’s manipulative schemes and Bless’s desperate attempts to carve out a better life feel raw and authentic, yet the supernatural elements—especially the recurring white flies—serve as powerful metaphors for the trauma and violence inflicted across generations. These symbols are not just haunting imagery; they act as a physical manifestation of the systemic horrors faced by Black women, making the horror feel immediate and personal.

The characters are complex and deeply sympathetic despite their flaws. Lottie, with her charm intertwined with her terrible actions, is both repulsive and human, which makes her story all the more compelling. Bless, on the other hand, is a character I rooted for—her resilience and desire for autonomy shine through her mistakes and struggles. Viel’s writing makes you feel their pain and anger without ever trivializing it, creating a sense of empathy that lingers long after the book ends.

The horror scenes are unsettling and often physically upsetting, which I think is intentional. Viel doesn’t shy away from depicting the grime, dirt, and bugs that recur throughout the story—details that ground the supernatural elements in real, tangible trauma. The invocation of Haitian god Legba and the recurring images of dirt and bugs add layers of cultural depth and symbolism that enrich the narrative.

This book is also a powerful commentary on the stereotypes surrounding welfare and Black womanhood. It’s an emotional response to the systemic violence, media vilification, and societal shame that have been inflicted over generations. Viel’s honest reflection on her own experiences growing up in a family that used welfare adds authenticity and personal stakes to the story.

Overall, I found this book to be a bold, original, and emotionally intense read. It’s not an easy book—its rawness and horror can be distressing—but that’s what makes it so impactful. It’s a story about revenge, resilience, and reclaiming agency in the face of systemic cruelty. I highly recommend it to readers who can handle a challenging, thought-provoking horror that stays with you long after you turn the last page. I’ll definitely be exploring more of Viel’s work in the future.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’ll Watch Your Baby by Neena Vale — ALC Audiobook Review
Thank you Netgalley and McMillan Audio for the opportunity to review it.

If you’re dipping your toes into gothic horror, this book feels like a full initiation. Neena Vale builds an atmosphere so thick and unsettling you can practically taste the dread. This was only my second or third gothic horror read, and I was fully locked in.

🕰️ Dual Timelines That Snap Together
The story moves between:
- Lottie in 1971
- Bless in 1994

It’s structured in four parts, alternating

Lottie → Bless → Lottie → Bless.

I won’t lie, the switching threw me for a second. But once the rhythm clicked, the overlap between the timelines became one of the most compelling parts. The pacing stays tight, the tension stays high, and the way the two stories start to mirror each other is so smart.



🪰The White Flies — Creepy, Symbolic, Unforgettable
The recurring white flies are such a brilliant touch. They show up at key moments sometimes a few, sometimes a full swarm , and they act as a supernatural thread tying the timelines together.

But they’re also symbolic. They feel like the physical manifestation of generational harm, especially the violence and control historically inflicted on Black women’s bodies. It’s eerie, effective, and adds a layer of meaning that sticks with you.

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👑 Reclaiming the “Welfare Queen”
One of the strongest themes here is how Vale takes the “welfare queen” stereotype a racist, misogynistic political weapon...and flips it. She reframes it, reclaims it, and gives it back its humanity. The book becomes a kind of narrative revenge, a way to take back a story that was never told honestly in the first place.

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🖤 Lottie & Bless — Messy, Flawed, Impossible to Look Away From

Lottie
Magnetic, manipulative, charming, terrible and somehow you still want to follow her. She’s a character you watch through your fingers.

Bless
Soft, scared, trying to survive and slowly finding her footing. Her arc feels grounded and earned.

Why You Root for Both
Neither woman is innocent. Both make choices. But Vale writes them with such layered humanity that you can’t help but stay invested. You don’t necessarily relate to them but you understand them, and that’s what keeps you listening.

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🎧 Audiobook Experience
The audiobook adds so much atmosphere. The narrators Chanté McCormick; Keylor Leigh give each timeline its own texture, and the tension hits harder when you hear it performed. It’s immersive in the best, creepiest way.

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Final Thoughts
Haunting, layered, and emotionally sharp. This is gothic horror with purpose a story about harm, survival, reclamation, and the ghosts that refuse to stay buried. Neena Vale did what needed to be done.

[Mac S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book (expected publication date of May 26th, 2026) in exchange for my honest feedback!

Lottie is taking control of the narrative. If society expects her to be some conniving fraudster, a welfare queen, that’s exactly what she’ll be. They expect her to have a dozen different identities, she’ll have dozens. They expect her to lie about working, she’ll cosplay as employees in various different occupations to scam people. They expect her to lie about the number of dependents she claims, she’ll say she has ten kids. And hey, that last one isn’t exactly a lie! Because, in addition to scamming the government, Lottie has a side hustle: she traffics children.

One of Lottie’s schemes to make money is kidnapping children to sell to wishful parents. Yes, really. But she isn’t all bad. She does abide by a strict (albeit convoluted) moral code. The children she steals are well taken care of—she makes sure their dwellings are bug-free, they are well-fed, and they even have around-the-clock care.

She doesn’t want to harm the children (well, you know, other than kidnapping them). She wants them to be well cared for. Is that because she really cares about them, or she wants to protect her assets? Who’s to say? But, she was never wronged by children, so she doesn’t view them as a malicious and dangerous group to seek revenge on. White men have historically wronged her at every turn. Lottie reduces people to their observable traits, she stereotypes. That’s why she can manipulate and con people—all white men have wronged her, and have no qualms with wronging her further, so why shouldn’t she wrong them back? They view her as nothing more than a pathetic welfare queen, so she owes them nothing. They only care about her for how they can use her to advance their own needs (sexual, financial, political), but children are not corrupt yet, and deserve to be taken care of.

This book was incredibly well-crafted. The 2nd part was genuinely terrifying, and the 3rd part was incredibly stressful. Looking back, the amount of foreshadowing was sublime, without feeling obvious or forced.

That said, the writing style itself was rather confusing, and I found certain parts hard to follow. I had to keep going back and rereading passages to really get what was happening. And lots of small details were omitted that would’ve helped the reader visualize the scene. Additionally, the character development of one character in particular (Bless) felt very unearned, and out of nowhere (although the photo she keeps finding was an absolutely brilliant detail).

Overall, it was a very memorable book, and I loved how it reclaimed the welfare queen trope. I just wish the writing style was easier to follow.

[Wyatt Flett · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC via NetGalley. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for this copy.

I’ll Watch Your Baby is Neena Viel’s take on the “welfare queen” narrative, offering her perspective on the women behind the label rather than the caricatures shaped by media bias. Through dual perspectives, Viel introduces two women who are flawed yet layered, both trying to survive their circumstances while continuing to build the lives they want.

In one timeline, there is Lottie, who is trying to make a living through elaborate scams and child trafficking in the 1970s while maintaining a complicated friendship with Philly. That friendship soon leads to deeper trouble through unnatural interference. In the other timeline, we have Bless, who is running with a robbery crew. During a break-in at a widow’s house, she unearths secrets that cause her to question the motivations of her own “friends.”

Both Lottie and Bless are criminals in their own ways. However, through Viel’s prose, we come to understand how their bad decisions are shaped by selfishness, desperation, and survival. In contrast to the one-note media imagery of the “welfare queen” and the other racist, biased narratives the novel critiques, Viel humanizes these women through their relationships. Lottie cares for Philly, while Bless cares for Devin, Manny, and Sasha, even as frustration and fear test those friendships.

Their frustration is directed at rampant systemic classism, while their fear of supernatural forces becomes more evident as their stories merge into a gothic tale about long-term damage that has been ignored for too long. When that damage is finally acknowledged, the timelines come together in a decent ending.

The gothic atmosphere is handled well throughout the narrative, with the symbolism of white files and blood contributing to a visceral effect that makes the ruined houses feel unclean without becoming excessive. These places serve as the origins of ruined lives and disturbing consequences, giving the horror a sense of rot that lingers beneath the story’s social commentary.

My main criticism would be the religious elements woven into Lottie’s storyline. While they tie into a creepy situation, I felt they were underdeveloped, as they were only briefly mentioned and their relationship to the folklore was not strengthened enough. Nevertheless, I enjoyed what Viel created in her dreadful reimagining of Linda Taylor’s legacy. With layered, morally grey characters and excellent commentary on unfair and unequal standards, I’ll Watch Your Baby becomes a raw, real haunting tale.

[Alison Faichney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went back and read my review of Neena Viel’s first, Listen to Your Sister and soooo much of that review applies here. This was such a dope read. I couldn’t believe that LtYS was a debut and similarly, it’s wild this is only her second. She’s another writer who doesn’t believe in always coloring within the lines with a cohesive, straightforward narrative. This book weaves in and out of memories, time periods, dreams/nightmares and makes for such a vivid read. I’ll Watch Your Baby is loosely based on the tale of the OG “welfare queen,” Linda Taylor, who spent time in prison in the late 70s for welfare fraud. Viel takes Linda’s ingenuity, hustle and complete lack of giving a fuck and creates Lottie Turner. Lottie has spent time in various regions of the US and kind of slips in the nooks and crannies of society to not just live but live well. She also steals children to sell (¯\_(ツ)_/¯) and this causes complications in her only true friendship. We are also given Blessyn’s narrative, roughly two decades after Lottie’s decisions affect the one person she truly cares for. Bless has left a lackluster home life and has fallen in with a group who becomes her family but things go awry when they choose to target an elderly woman for an expected financial settlement.

This book tackles so much and it’s the type of read I’d have to pause every so often to absorb. The characters are well done and Viel has an incredible ability to make them feel tangible. Wayne was the best (“I hate you too!”) but everyone was well written. IWYB also hit home for me considering I have biracial kids who often come across as ethnically ambiguous to people who haven’t experienced much of the world. Simply put, I loved it. Lottie’s life was fascinating and as everything unfolds the book becomes this wretchedly beautiful collision of resentful spirits, human horrors and the lens that is often placed over culture and history to compel a softer narrative. Blessyn was a dope character and the way Viel smashes everything together created an incredible read. If you vibe with weird horror that touches on sociological themes then I’d highly recommend. This book meanders quite a bit but the ascent is worth the view.

[Christi Jensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a huge fan of Listen to Your Sister, so when I saw I’ll Watch Your Baby, I knew I had to read it.

The book starts with Lottie in 1974- the welfare queen and baby snatcher extraordinaire. She’s in the midst of being caught, having stolen 2.4 million dollars worth of benefits all while wearing a mink coat paid for by the very people who she feels owe her for the misfortunes of her life. As she’s arrested, she realizes they don’t know she’s also been snatching babies- and her best friend Filly bails her out just in time for her to make a run for it- but she loves Filly and she could never leave her.

The second part of the book follows Bless- short for Blessyn- who has fallen in with a crowd of delinquent teens breaking and entering to make ends meet in the 90s. They decide to break into a house and steal a check that will make them all able to stop suffering, and they intend to stay in the house with the decrepit old lady who lives there until the check arrives.

There’s a problem for both Lottie and Bless, though. Something is tethering them both to where they are, and they have far more in common than they could possibly realize.

I really loved parts of this book- the insect horror and entities are right up my alley in subgenre for horror- but at times it felt disjointed and hard to decipher.

Veil does an amazing job in the 3rd part of the book bringing the characters together, and the way the horror plays out toward the ends is fabulous. For me, the writing and the story at the beginning made this a hard book to continue reading. I held on trying to will myself through it, having to go back and reread many parts to make sure I was understanding what was occurring.

Around 70% I finally felt like I was in the book, and enjoying the plot.

Had this not been an ARC, I would have likely DNF’d due to the inability to stay connected and invested in the story- but I’m glad I held on and was able to enjoy the stellar ending as much as I did.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the privilege of reading this ARC in exchange for an honest review

[✩｡°⋆ Lala ⋆｡°✩ · Rating 3 out of 5]

✦•┈๑⋅⋯ I’ll Watch Your Baby by Neena Viel ⋯⋅๑┈•✦

➝ • 3.5/5 ☆ •

✧ I’ll Watch Your Baby takes the real world legend of Linda Taylor and reshapes it into something sharp, unsettling, and hard to pin down. Viel splits the story across two eras, following women who refuse to play by anyone’s rules but their own. When it works, it’s gripping. And then there are moments where the rhythm shifts and everything gets a little tangled, like the story is reaching for too much at once.

Lottie is the center of it all, a survivor with a spine of steel and a moral compass that only really points toward survival. Her sections feel grounded and intense, while the 1994 storyline has a scrappier, more chaotic energy. The themes land hard: race, class, motherhood, systems that fail people, and what happens when there is no safety net left to grab onto. The atmosphere leans into discomfort in a way that works, not jump scare horror, but more slow wrongness.

The writing style is bold and will probably divide readers. Some passages are sharp and emotionally loaded and hit exactly how they should, while others feel dense or a bit messy in a way that makes you have to slow down and re read. It’s not really about dialect or anything like that, it’s more that the structure itself feels jagged, like it is pushing in a few directions at once. It makes the reading experience compelling but not always smooth.

Still, the core story is strong, the characters are messy in ways that feel intentional, and there is something real underneath all of it. It swings big, and sometimes it connects cleanly and sometimes it grazes the edge, but you can feel the ambition the whole time. A socially charged, atmospheric horror leaning story that is not trying to comfort you, and that is kind of the point. ✧

If you like:
✔️ dual timelines
✔️ morally gray women
✔️ systemic oppression themes
✔️ paranoia driven tension
✔️ messy ambitious storytelling
✔️ characters who are one bad day from feral

📅 Pub Day: May 26 2026 📚
💌 ARC gifted via NetGalley from St. Martin's Press. All opinions are my own.
🗣 QOTD: If a system is built to fail people, do you think survival still counts as morality or just necessity?

[Kimberly Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This dual timeline story of notorious "welfare queen" Lottie Turner from 1974 and adoptee Bless from 1994 is chaotic, disturbing, and, for me, very hard to follow. The blurb pulled me in by describing this as horror for fans of The Reformatory by Tananarive Due, and Victor LaValle. I am fans of both so I had high hopes.

The character of Lottie Turner was very compelling. She was written with depth and substance, not at all a one dimensional hero or villain. Her motivations were murky which made me want to keep reading to find out what was really going on here. The character of Bless was less well fleshed out, but still interesting. The history of both main characters was revealed slowly, which was also a bonus for me. The horror elements involving insects was consistent throughout and was not overly gratuitous. My favorite element of this story was the relationship between Lottie and Filly. I just loved the complexity and evolution of their feelings for and about each other and the intense bond that developed between the two women.

Unfortunately, this book overall lost me. I found this very hard to follow. The writing style shifted from a relatively normal narrative to fever dream to hallucination back to narrative so quickly that my head was spinning. I was never sure whether I was reading a scene that was actually happening, a flashback, or just the rabid thoughts of the character. There was an element of posssession that I didn't catch on to until almost the end and I always felt like I was missing something. Also, due to the nature of each character, they were referred to by multiple names which made it very confusing to follow who was who.

I would still recommend this book based on the characters and the serious themes of race, family, and systemically flawed systems. Readers who are looking for something unique and chaotic could really love this one.

Thank you to NetGally and St. Martin's Press for the eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Pamela Shrewsbury · Rating 2 out of 5]

📚 BOOK REVIEW
I’LL WATCH YOUR BABY
Neena Viel • Publishes 5/26/26
⭐️⭐️

Thank you to @netgalley, @stmartinspress & @neenaviel for the ARC.

I’ll Watch Your Baby follows two women on a collision course: Lottie, a calculating schemer running adoption cons and crossing lines most people wouldn’t dare look at, and Bless, who’s finally found her chosen family until someone’s unfinished business drags her into something dark and inescapable. The story is rooted in the legacy of Linda Taylor, the real woman Reagan weaponized into the “Welfare Queen” myth, and the generational damage that image left behind. It blends historical horror with social commentary on exploitation, systemic racism, and survival.

I didn’t enjoy this one much. It was strange, fragmented, and often hard to follow. I thought about DNF’ing more than once, but I try not to when I’ve been given a review copy. It’s marketed as historical fiction and horror, and while the themes are definitely there, I kept wondering what the actual story was supposed to be.

The Lottie storyline was the strongest part for me—sharp, compelling, and grounded. But just as I was getting invested, the narrative abruptly shifted to Bless, and from there the writing felt disjointed. I kept flipping back to see if I’d missed something. The concept is genuinely fascinating, and I can see the potential for a powerful novel, but the execution didn’t land for me.

It’s angry, raw, and intentionally suffocating, but also overlong and repetitive (white flies, white flies, and more white flies). I struggled to emotionally connect with anyone on the page. Some readers will absolutely connect with its brutal social‑horror approach, but ultimately, it wasn’t for me.

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✅ WHAT WORKED

• The Linda Taylor reimagining
• The gritty, unsettling atmosphere
• Themes of exploitation, identity, and generational trauma

❌ WHAT DIDN’T WORK

• The dual narrative never fully cohered
• Bless’s storyline took too long to connect
• Pacing issues in the middle third
• Horror payoff felt diffuse
• Wanted more Linda Taylor

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel reimagines the story of “The Welfare Queen.” It follows her as she kidnaps children to sell to adoptive parents as one part of her scheme to make money and escape the poverty of her childhood in Tennessee. What we learn through her story and a parallel story happening twenty years in the future is that something dark is lurking in the shadows.

This is a tale of possession, crime, SO MANY INSECTS, and the horror of chattel slavery in the US. The atrocities committed in the US are a fitting subject for a horror novel, and this one traces some of its lasting effects and the continuing systemic oppression and racism Black people face. Still, this story had so much heart despite its dark subject matter — Lottie is a complicated, multifaceted character who actually cares deeply for those she loves despite all the abuse she has experienced in her life as a mixed race child in the South. She is also a HOOT. Her voice really came through and made the story extremely entertaining (when it wasn’t just absolutely hide-under-a-blanket gross and scary!)

I appreciated the author’s note at the end that explained this reimagined history. There hasn’t been another “Welfare Queen” because Linda Taylor (the real woman) was a singular criminal. Most people on welfare are not Black, and yet most Americans think they are. In an ironic twist, Lottie asks why shouldn’t she take what she can from a country and government that hates her? It’s certainly a very interesting way to reclaim power against institutions that consider her life to be of less value than the white women around her. The author goes on to explore what the consequences of the Welfare Queen potentially kidnapping and rehoming children could have been — and ties all the stories together in a heart-pounding conclusion that is worth it if you can stomach all of the insect horror. (I was not expecting so. Many. Bugs.)

I thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t thank NetGalley enough for the ARC.

[Janet Halsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll Watch Your Baby by Neena Viel is not what I expected. From the title, I was thinking this would be a book about a nanny that steals the children she is caring for and selling them off to the highest bidder. However, that is only a small portion of the story. In 1974 Lottie Turner is dodging the law for welfare scams and other nefarious plans to con the system out of money. While she is running a ring stealing children from under their parent’s noses, the true horror of this story is the thing that is plaguing her friend’s house, making her sick and twisted. Lottie will stop at nothing to save her friend from this evil.

Fast forward to 1994, and we follow Bless who is living a life of crime on the run with her friends. Her found family is all that she needs, but their last job leaves Bless feeling like her friends are keeping things from her. When they hide out at a remote home, isolated from all civilization, horrors from the past stalk the group. Something evil is hunting them and with no one around to hear them scream, Bless and her friends are easy prey to be picked off one by one.

I really enjoyed this book despite it not being what I expected. It took a turn from Lottie stealing children (horrible in of itself) towards a horror story of an evil entity haunting the characters of the book. There were gory scenes that were well written. Tense moments kept me turning the pages to find out the fate of Lottie and Bless. Lottie is a character that you love to hate. She’s morally gray in that she cares about her friend even though she’s secretly stealing and selling children. She’s abusing the government assistance program with little to no remorse. The dual timelines between Bless and Lottie collide nicely at the end. While I’m not 100% sure I loved the ending, I did enjoy the ride that got us there. Fantastic horror read.

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read and review an ARC of I’ll Watch Your Baby by Neena Viel.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Prose: descriptive
Pacing: episodic
Scary: creepy and off-putting
Gore: very
Character Development:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Atmosphere: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

'I'll Watch Your Baby' is at its core a story about a woman with a spiritual attachment and how misogyny, racism, neglect and revenge called that attachment and shaped the fallout from that. This book is a strange combination of 'A Head Full of Ghosts' by Paul Tremblay and an autobiography of Linda Taylor. If you like gritty, smart character driven horror this is for you. Morally grey villains are my favorites but in this case many of our characters were morally black. Lottie and Bless were beautifully complex and richly written. 'I'll Watch Your Baby' by Neena Viel is a traumatic, domestic crime thriller and possession horror that pulls no punches. The main characters have strong flawed personalities that absolutely transported me and the Nonlinear Timeline, while not easy to follow, is marked in the chapter headers so you at least know who you are with and when. The story jumps between main characters Lottie and Bless back and forth until the timelines merge. You do have to fight through the first half of the book's confusing story before it comes together. I totally got what the author intended to write and appreciated every bit of it. Vividly penned prose, for the time periods in which they're set, launch the narrative. Viel, who is also the author of 'Listen to Your Sister' uses imagery and symbolism to tie all the chapters together into one extremely creepy horror offering. As a fan of the supernatural, I found the story to be original, scary and expressly disturbing. Trigger warnings for violence and SA are in effect for this book. It isn't meant to be a feel good story but instead a thought provoking, probing book with hidden depths and I loved it! It will be on my best books of 2026 list.