Rating: 3.5/5 stars, rounded up

The line between the normal anxieties of new motherhood and dangerous delusions blur in this sophomore horror-thriller by Katrina Monroe. Dark, tense and impossible to put down once I got started; I deliciously devoured this in less than 2 days, but was left with a slightly bitter aftertaste by the aftertaste.

Synopsis:
Being a new mother can be plenty scary on its own right, and yet Olivia and her wife Kris have more to worry about than your average couple. Olivia was the victim of an attempted murder by her own mother when she was only 4 months old. Suffering from what was assumed to be post-partum psychosis, her mother became convinced that the baby she was taking care of wasn’t her daughter Olivia, but instead a changeling, swapped out by a black-haired woman who has been lurking at the edge of her vision ever since she gave birth. The only way to get her real daughter back, is to do the unthinkable to the changeling.
Saved in the nick of time by her grandmother, Olivia grows up without contact with her institutionalized mother, never knowing her side of the story of what happened that day, but never feeling the need to find out. That changes, when soon after giving birth to a daughter of her own, Olivia finds herself stalked visions of a black-haired woman herself. Has she inherited her mothers mental illness, or is something more happening here?

What I loved:
“Motherhood-horror” is a trope that seemingly gets me every time, and Katrina Monroe delivered even more so than she did in her debut They Drown Our Daughters. Graveyard of Lost Children truly managed to unnerve and disturb me, not only with its eerie imagery, but more so with its terrifying roots in reality. This needs to be said (and I’m glad the author herself does so on page 1): strong trigger-warnings for postpartum-depression/psychosis and subsequent thoughts of harm to self- and baby. Being inside Olivia’s mind as she begins to question if she’s losing her grip on reality is terrifying. I wasn’t able to find out if Monroe is speaking from a point of close experience herself, but her depiction of these difficult topics feel respectful and genuine. Her character work is impeccable here: she manages to portray Olivia as a likable and simultaneously unreliable narrator; a combination that is difficult at the best of times. She also keeps her sympathetic and (sort of) relatable, despite the very dark inner demons she wrestles during the story. The same can be said for Kris: I loved her character and the way their relationship was portrayed.
Because I came to care for the characters, I was tense throughout the entire story almost up until the ending.

What I didn’t love:
By the 275-page mark or so, I begin to worry that the book would fail to wrap up all its threads before the end, and unfortunately that was indeed the case. The ending feels rushed and leaves a lot of questions and problems unresolved. I’m personally the kind of reader who loves when the answer isn’t spelled out, but able to be puzzled out or interpreted by the reader in a satisfactory way. That isn’t the case here: no matter which explanation (view spoiler) you believe leaves plot holes and unresolved issues.
I’m also a little conflicted on my thoughts on the representation mental-health, outside of Olivia’s character. I didn’t like the depiction of the mental health-institution Shannon is committed to, ór that of her fellow inpatients. Mental health facilities are not prisons, and depictions of hysterical women being strapped to gurneys do not belong in the 21st century. You could argue that it’s a reflection of the way Shannon experienced it, or that it’s due to the storyline being set 30 years ago. It still felt like a big contrast to Olivia’s excellent portrayal. Psychosis can lead to violence in its victims, but it’s luckily very rare, and we need to retire the “Shutter-island-trope” of mental health facilities being filled with violent criminals, locked up there for life. Because of the excellent portrayal of some of the other characters, it kind of balanced things out for me, but there were moments where the Shannon’s story definitely was toeing a line I didn’t like.
Overall, a wonderfully tense and gripping story that I thoroughly enjoyed about 80% off, and was ready to give a 4/5-star rating. The weak ending leaves it stuck at a 3.5, but still one I’d recommend if you’re in for a tense ride.

Readalikes: The Nesting and The Ghost Woods by C.J. Cooke.

Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I knew where this book was heading, but boy was the journey a hard and uneasy one. Let me put it this way: I don’t let other people drive when it comes to curvy mountain roads or bad conditions. I need to be in control of the car or else I feel completely wracked with nerves and jumpy the entire time, bracing myself to leap into action at any time and the words, “Pull over and let me drive before you crash the car,” on the tip of my tongue for the entire drive. That’s the kind of feeling I had the entire time I was reading Graveyard for Lost Children: I felt like I was watching a train wreck happening right in front of me and I just wished I could reach inside the pages and take control of the situation before it got to where I knew it was going.

Part of this comes from me strongly identifying with the book’s protagonist, Olivia. Like Olivia, I wasn’t quite ready to be a mom when I had my first child, but I was pressured into going through with the birth. Don’t get me wrong–I don’t regret it one bit. I love my older kid more than anything in the world and never experienced the type of mental issues Olivia did regarding childbirth. But when it came to my second child, who was planned (unlike the first), I was pressured into breastfeeding, had a ton of issues surrounding the matter, and felt everything from shame to rage toward everyone in my life, including my baby and myself. While it wasn’t postpartum depression or psychosis (I am bipolar and wasn’t properly diagnosed at the time, so that certainly could’ve played a part into my state of mine back then), I spent that first year of my second (and last) child’s life resenting every time I had to feed him, put lanolin ointment on myself, soaked through the pads I placed in my nursing bra, or times I had to stay home because he couldn’t go more than an hour or two without feeding.

What I appreciated about this book was how author Katrina Monroe used the themes of parental abandonment and the way mothers tend to feel a loss of self-identity when their children are born to bring the elements of gothic fiction to life in this novel, both with Olivia stuck at home with her daughter Flora and with Shannon as she writes her “memoirs” down in her journal while imprisoned at a psychiatric institution for her daughter once she gets her back. Both are stuck within walls, feeling trapped there by people who are supposed to love them while they wither away to nothing. I found it to be a brilliant way to approach a gothic theme and I related so much to it.

In general, the feelings of shame surrounding motherhood are pretty universal. Almost every new mom questions whether or not they’re going to be a good mom. They question it before they get pregnant. They question it during pregnancy, and they doubt themselves constantly in the early days. The bad news? It never goes away. Sure, it calms down some over the years, but my kids are 20 and 22 and I still wonder if I did right by them and if I’m a good mom. I have a feeling I’ll be wondering that same thing on my deathbed. Katrina Monroe takes these near-universal feelings of shame and doubt and crossbreeds them with the mythology of the changeling, a story present in many cultures wherein a human baby is stolen by supernatural or demonic entities and a substitute baby is placed into the parent’s care instead. Depending on the culture, the changeling serves a different purpose and most of the time that purpose isn’t benevolent. In this book, the changeling mythology serves to exacerbate both Olivia and Shannon’s shame and doubt surrounding whether or not they are good mothers, or deserve to be mothers at all.

I don’t know how people who aren’t parents or mothers will feel about this book or how it will resonate with them. I only know how it resonated with me. It was creepy. It made me uneasy. I had to put it down a few times and go hug my kids. I needed to go for a short drive to get some air. It brought up some long-repressed feelings regarding those early days of being a mom. It also made me feel sad for those mothers who don’t have a support system and feel too ashamed to ask for help.

I have to admit the first half of the book was a better read to me than the latter half, but I can admit that others may not read it the same way I did. It doesn’t matter in the long run because it’s a terrific book. Just maybe don’t read it in the middle of the night while rocking your kid to sleep.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: LGBTQ Fiction/Gothic/Occult Horror/Horror/Ghost Fiction/Body Horror/General Fiction

I felt it was a bit too slow, and I was expecting a scarier narrative based on the description. That said, as the pace picked up toward the middle I did start to enjoy it more. I would definitely try something else by this author.

Y’all. THIS BOOK!!!

As someone who does not want to have children, I appreciated this book sO MUCH. It’s basically all of my greatest fears about child bearing and rearing manifested. And I’ll imagine reading this book as a parent is an even wilder experience!

But this is just so, SO GOOD. What a well written, haunting tale. I read this a lot at night, in the dark on my kindle, and there were times when I’d have to read just a few more chapters before I could comfortably sleep without this book seeping into my dreams.

Ghost stories (or some ~version of them) always get me, y’all. And this is soooo creepy and well done! Can this also be a movie, like, immediately? It would be even scarier on screen and I am here for it!

So. Loved this. I’ll definitely be thinking about the black haired woman, uh, forever???

I also just loved the ~way this was written. I’m not usually a huge fan of dual timelines but it really worked for this story. I appreciated both Olivia and Shannon’s stories and liked them equally. So. This was just all around well done! Could not recommend this more highly! If you’re looking for a good little horror number, please pick this up!!

And thank you to NetGalley & Poisoned Pen Press for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks so much to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the e-arc I received in exchange for my honest opinion.

Graveyard of Lost Children is the first book I’ve read by Katrina Monroe. It is about new mom Olivia and her new baby Flora and Olivia’s belief that Flora is a changeling. Olivia herself survived being murdered as a baby by her own mother who felt the same way about her. Now Olivia is seeing a dark haired woman everywhere, is she real or inside her head and what does she want?

Reviewing this book is a bit difficult for me. Part of me wants to give it 2 stars for being a bit too long and not being scary but also 3 stars because I’m not a mother. I didn’t dislike it but did not love it because I think to find it the least bit scary you need to be a mom or at least a parent which I am not. I can only imagine how exhausting being a new mom must be with this little tiny being who is 100% dependent on you for everything. While I found this book lacking in supernatural scares I did find it an interesting depiction of what postpartum depression and psychosis must feel like.

I’m not sure I will read another book by the author.

Almost as soon as Olivia gives birth to Flora she feels that her new baby isn't hers. Her wife, Kris, isn't the supportive and caring partner she needs. The twist, however, didn't quite work for me. The plot of the book was well thought out, but the supernatural side of the book felt convenient. I also struggled to connect with the depiction of PPD. As someone who struggled with it following the birth of my youngest daughter, I also felt the mixture of mental health and supernatural just infuriated me more than entertained me.

I appreciate access to this ARC.

New mom, Olivia Dahl, thinks something is wrong with her daughter. She tries to fake her way through new-mommy-hood, but no one seems to see or understand Olivia's concerns. She begins to slowly deteriorate, not even her wife, Kris, can ease Olivia's mounting paranoia. Soon, she becomes plagued by waking nightmares of a black-haired woman, Olivia turns to her own mother, Shannon, who was committed after attempting to kill Olivia at four-months-old, but had experienced the same hallucinations.
Told in alternating POV of Olivia (in 3rd person) and Shannon (through journal entries in 1st person), this book is creepy and utterly dark as Katrina Monroe explores postpartum depression (PPD) woven with supernatural elements. The use of alternating POVs adds to the element of fear, suspicion, and paranoia for the reader (what part of the narrative can we actually trust? Who is sane?) without losing the credibility of both narrators. Monroe is masterful in describing gore and viscera that literally made my skin crawl.
Overall, this was a psychological horror with supernatural elements that kept me up at night! It was very realistic that Olivia tries to solve her mental health crisis alone as it is difficult to reach out to trusted resources safely. The ending was a bit rushed in terms of resolution, in particular, in regards to the shady psychiatrist, which didn't match the pacing of the book as there are also instances that feel repetitive. A solid 4!

This book is toll from two different points of view wanna Shannon the mother and the other is Olivia the daughter both have given birth to children and ultimately suffer from some form of mental disorder. Olivia lives with her wife Chris and their new baby flora as Olivia unravels her wife Chris tries to be supportive encouraging in even tense to the baby to let her get some rest but it seems Olivia has too much time on her own she is hallucinating and paranoid and knowing that her mom Shannon suffered from the same debilitating illness she is also worried about what this may mean for her in Little Flora. when Olivia was in college she found out about the devastating actions that put her mom where she is today and threw letters we find out from her mom‘s point of view what happened this book truly has a Gothic feel and I kept waiting for something to happen but mostly felt like this was much to do about nothing, but having said that I feel like I am under selling the book. It is a good intriguing read that holds your attention in anticipation but I didn’t feel the payoff was worth the long read. I think this may have more to do with the reader than the writer because I kept waiting for the Gothic feel to flow into the horror I am used to and although they had aspects of that I guess I was more disappointed than anything else but I still continue to read and wanted to finish the book. As a literary fiction book with slight aspects of a Gothic feel and A slight sample of horror I was interested in the ending as a mom who hallucinated that I had bugs coming out of my skin I could totally understand the turmoil a baby can put a woman’s mind and body through I only think God it only lasted 42 days and went away seemingly instantly as opposed to the suffering the moms in this book went through I would definitely say this book deserves four stars because at no moment what are you rolling your eyes are shaking your head in disbelief because all of it was believable because I know this to be all too true it was totally tragic as well I guess I just was expecting more than I got but still a definite solid read. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

I think readers who have children or want children will be able to relate to this book but I really couldn't relate to this one and couldn't bring myself to enjoy it. Even though it was in the horror genre and there was some creepy stuff going on there was also the idea that it could be strictly post partum issues so it leaves the reader to decide. This story was heavily focused on children and motherhood and I just didn't enjoy it even when there were some weird unexplained things going on.

This book was so good!! I didn’t know what to expect going into it, and I haven’t seen it around Bookstagram much. But I was hooked pretty much instantly.

I loved the ghost story vibes of this one. It left me wondering what was real and what wasn’t, and it took me until the end of the book to fully understand what was going on. But I really liked that because it made the story more ominous.

The author takes the concept of postpartum depression and turns it into something else entirely. I could relate to so many things that were talked about in the beginning…but then the wild ride started and I’m happy to report that I couldn’t relate as much anymore.

Definitely recommend this one if you’re in the mood for something a bit spooky and unsettling!

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for my gifted copy!

I was enraptured with Katrina Monroe's talent since I discovered her debut novel, THEY DROWN OUR DAUGHTERS. Her newest, GRAVEYARD OF LOST CHILDREN (Release May 9), is equivalently stunning and I predict will touch the hearts of every mother and grandmother, and anybody who feels! Olivia and Shannon and even Shannon's mother (a tougher lady to admire) elicit empathy even as they err and sometimes fail. I think GRAVEYARD OF LOST CHILDREN will be especially poignant for new mothers; but then, what mother forgets those early days? So, apropos for us all!

Even though the theme of mental health (postpartum depression, Imposter syndrome--where the newborn is viewed as a changeling) is strong throughout, and heartwrenching, as a number of young mothers strive to work through loss and grief and their own troubled minds, there is also an ongoing thread weaving through that could be considered Paranormal (and I, of course, choose to do so), with the mysterious, elusive, recurring, mostly undesired, "black-haired woman" (which I continually noted as "black-eyed"). I think this is a case when the reader can choose for herself: is it strictly psychological? Is it psychological fomenting by Paranormal? Or is it solely Paranormal?

Mommy dearest…

One of the reasons I love the thriller/horror genre is that it allows for deeper messages to be embedded in pacey, suspenseful plots.

Monroe tackles postpartum depression in her latest novel, Graveyard of Lost Children. Don’t let the title spook you, there isn’t a literal dead baby field.

The book is told in two timelines and in two POVS.

The first is Olivia, who’s a new mom to hell child Flora. Kris, her wife, is doing the best she can to support Olivia but she believes her wife is becoming unhinged. Olivia is convinced that Flora isn’t really Flora and that she is literally sucking the life from her breasts.

We then learn that Olivia was almost killed by her mother as an infant. Olivia hasn’t seen her mother since she was committed. Shannon, Mommy Dearest enters the chat.

We learn in Shannon’s POV what led up to the attempted murder of Olivia. The two stories convene in the present day with baby Flora in the middle of it all.

The writing, pacing, plot and character development are all fine and good. I think this is a case of me not the book. I just recently watched the movie Abandoned on Amazon Prime and it has a similar plot. There’s A LOT of content dissecting this subplot and I think I’m just mommy’d out.

I’m childfree and there are a lot of books about motherhood I enjoy like The School For Good Mothers, but this one is so technically and emotionally linked to motherhood that I just couldn’t latch.

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for this advanced copy!

I requested this one off Netgalley on author’s name alone. If I hadn’t read Monroe’s work before and thought highly of it, it’s difficult to tell whether this book would have attracted me by description alone. I tend to stay away from mommy thrillers aka books with main focus being on mothers’ relationships with their children, mothers trying to have children, mothers mothering children, etc. at all costs.
But then you give the theme to someone talented enough and they’ll do something wild, strange, and original with it. Like here.
In Monroe’s book, motherhood is a nightmare. Because really it is. If you take the hormonal mushiness out of it and view it objectively, it’s terrifying. And this book is so very good at highlighting all those terrors an exhausted (and post-partum) brain might weave.
The plot centers around a first-time mother who is slowly driven mad by her baby. Isolated and turned essentially into a feeding machine for a voraciously hungry creature she doesn’t know how to love, with no real support from her wife or family, the woman starts suspecting madness. It is, after all in her genes. Time to track down her long-locked up mad mother and ask? Yeah, just how well that’s going to play out, you think?
The real success of this book is in its claustrophobic atmosphere and vividly rendered slow psychological unraveling of a person.
I read it during the same week I watched Rachel Weisz spectacular remake of Dead Ringers and the combination was horrifyingly awesome. If that doesn’t put people off motherhood, nothing will.
But of course, the thing is…NOTHING WILL. Doesn’t matter the complications, dangers, or ramifications. Mommyhood always comes through, all shining and desirable. Even in stories like this. Presumably because the authors are mothers themselves and once that drive kicks in…
So the ending is something of a letdown. Or rather a softening of an otherwise razor-sharp blade of a novel. But otherwise, it’s a really good read. For fans of dark psychological fiction. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

Such a horror book and loving this book!! I was not very disappointed. This book is fully loaded with horror, thriller, mystery, depression, fear, and anxeity.

While reading through the book, all the characters were great. It was such a dark and horror story. It gives me goosebumps. Literally!! Creepy! I definitely love this book. It wasn't boring. It was very entertaining!

Five stars and definitely recommend to read this book!

Thank you to Katrina Monroe, Netgalley, and Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC! All opinions are my own.

I think I was drawn to this book because it was sapphic and also because I hadn’t read a horror in awhile. Unfortunately, I DNFed this for the most petty reason. I guess I didn’t really read the description when I first heard about this book, because I didn’t realize there was childbirth and children involved. As someone who is child free by choice, I rarely gel with books where the main character has a child.

I love a good psychological thriller and this one is nothing short of just that. A tale of love, loss and postpartum depression. An exploration of mental illness and the idea that sometimes it may just be something more sinister.

In this story we meet Olivia and her partner Kris. Olivia has just given birth to a daughter, Flora and almost immediately feels that something just is off. While this is supposed to be a time of rejoicing, Olivia is not feeling that at all, instead all she feels is dread.

Olivia herself has a very dark past. At the age of 4 months old her mother tried to murder her because she believed that she had been taken by who she calls "The Black-Haired woman" and replaced with an imposter. Her mother has been committed to a local asylum for her entire life but as Olivia learns more, she realizes that the same thing is happening to her. The Black-Haired woman has come for her and her child. Olivia believes herself to be going crazy and is afraid to tell anyone for fear of being committed herself, but she is convinced that her daughter is an imposter, and she will do anything it takes to get the real Flora back. Can she unravel the mystery before it's too late and get back her daughter?

This story is told from two different perspectives. On the one hand we have the view from Olivia, her new adventure into motherhood and dealing with all that comes with that. On the other hand, we have the view from her mother Shannon as she appears to be writing in a journal to Olivia, recounting her story of how she got pregnant, ended up in the woman's asylum and her own dealings with The Black-Haired Woman. This book has a different take on postpartum depression-setting it as a horror story. The book giving postpartum depression a physical form and an interesting take at that one. The story asks hard questions about what it means to be a mother. It explores all the expectations that come along with motherhood as well.

Overall, it's a solid story. Exploring mental illness and what that means not only in today's society but also what it means as mothers. Often, we feel pressure to be the "Pinterest mom" or the Instagram worthy mom. We push aside the notion that we might be struggling and then become overwhelmed and hopeless. Despite the mental illness fads, we often see on social media, there is still a stigma regarding mental health. There are ramifications for either seeking or not seeking help, especially when children are involved. I received this book free from NetGalley for an honest review.

I loved Monroe’s They Drown Our Daughters and Graveyard of Lost Children has the same dark gothic feel.

Olivia, a woman whose mother suffered from terrible delusions when she was born is now suffering the same as her baby girl is born. A black-haired woman appears to Olivia, as she did before to her mother, bringing up old and new traumas.

Lord have mercy! This book! There’s a sinister undertone throughout and I was never quite sure if there was something supernatural occurring or if it was a case of PPD or generational trauma or a mixture of both.

Thoroughly enjoyed this one! Putting Katrina Monroe on my auto-read list!

Graveyard of Lost Children by Katrina Moore is a haunting tale of a women facing deep postpartum depression. This book was unputdownable. The Black-Haired Woman she saw was horrifying and haunted my dreams for sure. Loved the book!!
Thank you NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Katrina Moore for the ARC for my review.

Graveyard of Lost Children by Katrina Monroe
Other Books by this author: They Drown Our Daughters
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/9781728248233
Release Date: May 9th, 2023
BISAC Categories: Ghost, Horror - General, LGBT - Lesbian, Occult & Supernatural, GothicThrillers - Supernatural, Women, Feminist

Sub-Genre/Themes: Reads Like a Thriller, Mystery, Human Monsters, Strong Women, Psychological, Folklore, Cursed, Haunted, Motherhood, Family Drama, Institutions, Postpartum Depression, Changelings, Secrets & Lies, Mental Illness

Writing Style: Intricately plotted, Multiple POV, Descriptive/Detailed

What You Need to Know: I think it’s important to know that this is a plot-driven story. Even though the central characters, Olivia (present-day POV) and her mother Shannon (past POV) have all this page time with the reader, I still felt detached from them, less like authentic people going through trauma and more like general women in a larger narrative. Not necessarily a bad thing, just a good thing to know in order to set early expectations. And of course, every reader’s mileage may vary. Also, the “black-haired woman” mentioned in the synopsis felt cliched at first due to iconic, horror movie imagery of black-haired female ghosts, but I still find it scary. It worked on me.

My Reading Experience: This book is a psychological thriller dealing with themes of postpartum psychosis as a generational affliction but with some welcomed horror elements.
There are dual timelines, Olivia and her partner with their new baby, Flora, and a look back on the events in Olivia’s mother’s life leading up to Shannon being institutionalized for throwing baby Olivia into a well. Sometimes, when there are dual timelines, I will favor one storyline over the other which makes me want to hurry through one of the timelines just to get back to the other one I find more intriguing and that was the case with Graveyard of Lost Children. I preferred the present-day story. Some of the chapters with Shannon at an institution were confusing. I lost the threads of the story a few times.

Olivia’s mental health crisis is disturbing and terrifying. There were times I felt like I shouldn’t read the book at night. The whole “black-haired woman”/ bent-neck lady imagery from movies is scary and this book plays with the trope well. I also enjoyed the way the author explored the stigma of teen pregnancy in some families. As Olivia’s postpartum condition worsens I enjoyed questioning her reliability.

As things escalate toward the climax/ending, everything straightens out and I appreciated the way the author ties things together but I’m not sure I liked where we wound up. A Deus Ex Machina.
The overall message and the introduction of motherhood folklore as a symptom or causation for postpartum psychosis. I feel like it crossed a boundary. I can’t really say too much about it with spoiling some major plotlines, so I’ll have to wait until more people have read it.

Final Recommendation: I absolutely love motherhood themes in horror and I will be recommending this one in big lists of books to read if you enjoy them too. This book is compelling, entertaining, and pretty scary at times. Unsettling and creepy. I definitely wouldn’t read it if I was a first-time mom–the newborn/changeling stuff would freak me out.

Comps: Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage, The Push by Ashley Audrain, Beneath Cruel Waters by Jon Bassoff

I struggled with Monroe's Graveyard of Lost Children, which was a bit of a disappointment considering how much I enjoyed They Drown Our Daughters last year. I do want to make it clear that this is not at all a reflection on Monroe's writing abilities. The writing was lovely, the emotions palpable. But the middle section of the book was slow and a bit repetitive, and I could feel myself losing interest.

I don't know, this one might be one me. I think I need to just opt out of horror books about motherhood/birth trauma at this point. Lately they feel more like a miss than a hit.