Well damn, this book was dark. It was a dark place to go to as a mom of an infant. But it was still a riveting horror story. I can’t get over how hauntingly beautiful the writing was.

Thank you Net Galley for the free ARC. I am afraid that this book really was not for me. The basic premise is post partum depression in two different generations. I did not care for any of
the characters.

3.5 stars. Olivia gives birth to her daughter Flora and finds herself flailing, overwhelmed by motherhood and its many unique facets. Some of the things she's experiencing, though, are unnerving — borderline horrific, even — and she starts to wonder if she's losing her grip on sanity. This fear is confounded by the fact that her mother was committed to a mental health facility when she was still an infant. Is instability genetic? Or is someone really trying to take her child?

I am not a mother. I don't have children, don't want them, and don't really spend much time around them. I still found this book interesting, but I think mothers will be better prepared than I to appreciate the small nuances and the overall message of the story. I found the horror components to be successful; I was thoroughly creeped out by the vivid imagery and depictions of the black-haired woman! One of the smaller twists was obvious to me from the beginning, but there were several other small surprises along the way that I enjoyed.

Overall, I liked this book. I couldn't personally relate to the allegorical component (postpartum depression and mommy guilt) but it worked nonetheless. Thank you to Katrina Monroe, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

It took too long to get where it was going. It felt repetitive and drawn out so it eventually became a slog. Can’t lie, I was confused for a good portion of the book, it felt disconnected and convoluted. Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the advance reader copy of this book.

Man, this book was something. It originally took me a while to get into it. BUT once I was sucked in, the book did not let go. A great, scary read.

I requested a digital copy in order to sample the prose on my phone (since I don't have a eReader) before requesting a physical copy for review. My review will be based on the physical ARC I read (if I qualify)

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC.

This book was DARK and CREEPY, but soooo good!

This book is told from the perspectives of Olivia and Shannon, who both after birth suffer issues with postpartum depression and mental heath. However, there is also the dark haired women who is seem by both women. This book has you wondering if there is a dark presence taking over the women, or is it mental health?

I highly suggest this book if mental health and post partum depression are not triggers.

This was so dark and I loved it so much. It captured me wholly. I couldn't put this story down for anything. Dinner? Who is she? I can eat this Kindle, I'll be fine.
It's creepy and heartbreaking!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Wow. Katrina Monroe has written an extremely dark, chilling, creepy novel heavily based on postpartum depression and mental health issues.

There is definitely a build up of suspense in this book but for me it wasn’t ‘edge-of-your-seat-need-to-keep-going’ thrill. I found there to be some sections that were quite dull but overall the pacing was okay.

Told from two perspectives, Olivia and Shannon, both after birth of their children and the issues they have faced. This book makes you confront mental health issues and really makes you wonder if something more sinister is going on. Definitely recommend if PP depression is not a trigger for you!

Graveyard of Lost Children is a spooky story about the post-partum hauntings of a teenager who gave birth to a child and that child's own hauntings when she gives birth to her own daughter. In the mix is a doctor who is also trying to understand the trauma her own mother experienced. The novel follows up with discussion questions for readers. A good read for horror fans and book clubs that want to explore the genre.

Trigger warnings for: postpartum depression, psychiatric hospitalization, paranoia, mental health issues, anxiety, death, self-harm, suicide attempt, graphic description of childbirth, attempted murder, manipulation.

Well, Graveyard of Lost Children is a very heavy and creepy book, but very good. It's the kind of book you start reading and can't stop. It is divided into two POVs: Olivia in present times and Shannon, her mother, when she was young.

There are some things that I didn't like, for example, some parts are kinda slow-pacing, repetitive and dull and ends up making the book too long.

But overall it's a very good book, a biting-my-nails book, disconcerting and scary. I found the ending quite interesting and innovative because it's not one of those "everything worked out perfectly and everyone lived happily ever after" endings, it's realistic and relatable.

This book was something else! This is the first book I’ve ever read that falls into the horror/thriller category and it was AWESOME. I highly suggest reading the trigger warnings before reading this book. Especially if you are a mother or recently had a child. This book will really mess with you mentally. With that said, I loved this book! Olivia, the main character was VERY relatable. It really makes you question your sanity, especially as a mother. This book is a dual POV with switching timelines so some points are hard to keep up with at first but once you get into the groove of the story it’s very easy to move through it. This book will definitely be on my list to suggest to those who love a good scary story. I could not put it down and I love that this was my first book in this genre. Great job to the author! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!

My goodness this was a dark read! It's relatable and representative of the LGBTQ community which makes it even more gripping. I had to take a berak several times to breath. Thoroughly creepy and unsettling in the best possible ways.

This book was an interesting read for me. I am not a fan of horror types of books. This story was scary in so many parts. The book was very very descriptive.

The story is told from two perspectives. The first is told from Shannon and is a mix of the past but in different times. Shannon got pregnant at the age of 16 and started seeing a black haired woman. She is struggling with extreme mental issues and postpartum depression. She unsuccessfully tries to kill her daughter, Olivia. After this, she is committed to a mental health institution.

The second perspective is Olivia, she is a new young mother and also sees the black haired woman. She is struggling with mental health and likely postpartum depression as well. She is struggling with her past and the present.

Overall, this book was enjoyable.

I really enjoyed the book. It was pretty scary at certain parts. I couldn’t put my kindle down. I had to finish it from beginning to end. I couldn’t get enough of this book. I’m definitely going to recommend this book to others

I think this was objectively good, I just am not the target audience for horror allegories about postpartum anxiety/depression. My one major complaint was that I think the "abrupt ending with a time jump epilogue to wrap things up" is a lazy way to end a thriller/mystery/horror book. But I would recommend this to moms that like horror!

Before getting started on this review, we need to preface that there are several trigger warnings for this book. This book contains a lot of mental health issues, particularly postpartum depression. Suicide, self-harm, and graphic depictions of childbirth are also noted.

Once we are past that, we dive into the story of 16 year old Shannon, who gets pregnant with her daughter Olivia. Shannon attempts to murder infant daughter Olivia and is sent to a mental health treatment facility. We see Shannon’s story unravel from past to present throughout her chapters.

Shannon’s daughter Olivia is now having a daughter of her own. Olivia is worried about having the same responses to motherhood as her own mother, and as postpartum depression sets in, her fear heightens.

Both women in this story believe that their children we’re taken and switched with another child. The concept of this was confusing throughout the story and was hard to connect at times. I wish the book had more focus on mental health and postpartum depression without the changeling concept. I did, however, find that the writing, character development, and twists were strong. I give this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!!

A disturbing story to say the least but one that kept me turning the pages quickly to find out what was going to happen.

This story is told from two different perspectives - that of Shannon and that of Shannon's daughter, Olivia. Shannon has Olivia as a teenager and there is something that isn't right...she believes that Olivia is a changeling. After seeing the dark haired woman and seemingly losing her mind, she is sent to stay in a psychiatric facility leaving Olivia to be raised by her grandparents.

Olivia seems to be leading a normal life, married to her wife and pregnant. When she has Flora it is one of the happiest days of her life. But soon she realizes that something is wrong with her baby. Something only she sees. And the only person that might be able to understand is her mother who she has never spoken to. Why is the black haired woman around all the time? What is her significance? And where is her true baby, not the infant that everyone else thinks is normal but Olivia knows is not.

An interesting take on motherhood and what pregnancy can do to you, I really enjoyed the story and what the black haired woman truly represented. A lot of suspense which is one of my favorite things. Were these infants human or not? Were the mothers crazy or was something more sinister going on? You'll have to read to find out!

4.5 Stars
This book was hard to put down. It was dark, eerie and unsettling. Told from two perspectives, Mother and daughter, you start to wonder if there is something paranormal going on or if there is a heredity mental illness. This book sucks you in and keeps you guessing. It is confronting and uncomfortable at times, but so is post-natal depression and this is what this book focuses on. A fantastic page turner.

Another stunning and spellbinding novel by Katrina Monroe. Kept me awake for nights on end, turning the pages and keeping the night light on.. Couldn't ask for a better book to help occupy the long nights. Scary and satisfying.