I’ll Watch Your Baby by Neena Viel
St. Martin’s Press (May 2026)
Reviewed by Haley Newlin
Somehow, I missed Neena Viel’s debut, and Bram Stoker-nominated novel, Listen To Your Sister. After reading Viel’s new supernatural and historical horror novel, I’ll Watch Your Baby, I can’t fathom being a horror fan and not experiencing her work. It’s sharp, poignant, and terrifically terrifying.
I’ll Watch Your Baby is an informative and evocative horror novel for fans of Tananarive Due, Catriona Ward, and Victor LaValle. It’s a thrilling reimagining of the story of Linda Taylor, aka the original “Welfare Queen,” whose media portrayal and extensive coverage affected generations of black women and fed an apathetic narrative that still exists today. In her new novel, Viel conjures a wicked and unforgettable plot of vengeance for this oppression.
Lottie, a “Welfare Queen” in 1974, who is being pursued by law enforcement and scrutinized in the media, is a complex character that will both delight and infuriate readers. She’s cunning and constantly scheming, which makes her an incredibly entertaining narrator and the reason I had trouble putting this book down. She can charm and fight her way through anything. She’s fought for all she has for as long as she can remember and will take what is owed to her by any means necessary…really, any means, even kidnapping.
Bless, a young woman on the run in 1994 with a pretty sketchy group of friends, made for a compelling alternate point of view that will leave readers anxious to uncover her true identity and connection to Lottie. The slow reveals within her chapters were an excellent way to build dread and unease.
Together, the two created a well-paced, rhythmic tale that sustains its grip on readers from start to finish. I was so angry for both of these women, and the women in their lives, but loved the way they reclaimed and even stole power that was owed to them, all while dressed in luxurious fur.
The symbols of cotton and white flies throughout not only added a layer of terror, but also reiterated themes of suffering, isolation, and possession. There’s a particular scene with these white flies that will haunt this reader for years to come. Another excellent and chilling detail was the reappearing photograph and the increasing number of children pictured in it.
I’ll Watch Your Baby also contains important commentary on childcare and systemic oppression in the United States that made me think of another one of my favorite 2026 book releases, The Curse of Hester Gardens by Tamika Thompson. If you enjoyed Thompson’s book or were as enthralled with it as I was, you’ll appreciate I’ll Watch Your Baby.
If you like horror stories with dual timelines, historical influence, morally complex characters, and that give a middle finger to oppressive systems, you have to pick up I’ll Watch Your Baby.
