This book was absolutely creepy and dealt with so many triggering topics for myself and others, I'm sure. The story features pregnancy, miscarriage, stillbirth, maternal death,animal death, and reanimation. That needs to be said first and gotten out of the way before I talk about my opinions.

I enjoyed many aspects of this book. The half seen reanimated animals, and the glimpses of the house's past were creepy and a great addition. This story seemed to have good bones but wasn't completely fleshed out. The characters outside of Irene were a little one-dimensional, and Irene herself wasn't very likable at all. It's understandable that she would be bitter and angry, but her antagonistic nature was off-putting.

Ultimately, this book had a ton of potential but left so many unanswered questions. Because of this, I'm giving it 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

"The Garden" by Clare Beams is a mesmerizing and haunting novel that kept me spellbound from start to finish. Beams' exquisite prose and intricate storytelling transported me to the isolated house-cum-hospital in the Berkshires, where the secrets of the garden and the quest for motherhood intertwine in a tale of gripping suspense and emotional resonance.

Irene Willard's journey, fraught with the pain of past miscarriages and the desperate desire to fulfill her husband's dreams, captivated me from the very beginning. Beams delves deep into the complexities of motherhood, childbirth, and the female body, exploring themes of control, manipulation, and the longing for autonomy in a world where women's bodies are policed and manipulated.

The atmosphere of the novel is rich with tension and mystery, reminiscent of the works of Shirley Jackson and the eerie suspense of "Rosemary's Baby." The discovery of the secret garden with its unknown powers adds an additional layer of intrigue and enchantment to the narrative, drawing readers deeper into the story with each turn of the page.

"The Garden" is a masterful blend of psychological thriller and literary fiction, with its thought-provoking themes and compelling characters leaving a lasting impression. This is a book that kept me up at night, pondering its profound insights and unraveling its mysteries long after I had finished reading.

Clare Beams has crafted a five-star masterpiece that is sure to resonate with readers and linger in their minds for years to come.

When I read this book's comparison to <i>The Secret Garden</i> I was sold. A darker, grown up, and creepy version of a favorite childhood book? Yes, please!

Unfortunately, however, my final impression was lukewarm. This almost mash-up between Frances Hodgson Burnett's <i>The Secret Garden</i> and Stephen King's <i>Pet Semetary</i> teases creepy but delivers strange. The horror factor of this book rests on the insect and small animal apparitions, a ghastly spectral grandfather, and an old garden where those things that once were live again on the cusp of reality. However, the greater horror is the knowledge that these women are gathered in a hospital after suffering multiple miscarriages and stillborn deaths. They live in silent hope that their current pregnancies will stick and hang the entirety of their hopes on experiments and advice from the wife and husband team - Dr. Bishop and Dr. Hall - without knowing that the cure for their troubled pregnancies will produce far greater woes down the line. That is the horror. The insects and bloody mice, ghostly figures, and secrets buried in the garden were a distraction from the more stirring terror right in the reader's face.

I wanted so much to love this book, but I didn't quite get there.

Thank you NetGalley and Doubleday for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars.

This book had a unique and interesting premise, and I typically enjoy stories about motherhood, especially with a feminist perspective. However, the plot was slow and just not my cup of tea overall.

This is a historical fiction novel set in the 1940s about a group of women struggling with infertility and miscarriage who are sent to a clinic to help them successfully birth their baby. There are sinister elements with regard to the husband and wife physician pair who run the clinic, as well as paranormal plot twists, which were never really explained. It seemed like the author did not know what genre of book she wanted to write, so the story did not end up with a strong voice.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and DoubleDay Books for the e-book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the Southern Gothic feel of this book, however I could not get into it for the life of me. While I was still able to finish it, it definitely wasn't my favorite book that I've read. I definitely think you need to be in a certain headspace when reading this because of the dark themes, in fact there were many times I had to take breaks when reading this. The writing was elegant and precise, and I think the novel itself was very cohesive.

The Garden by Clare Beams is dark and bone-chilling. The story follows Irene when she enters an experimental medical house in the Berkshires, where women like her are making a last-ditch effort to carry a baby to term. Every move the women make are scrutinized and controlled by the clinic.

The story is a very slow burn that has the reader's mind wandering long after the book is finished. Beam's descriptions of the clinic and the garden are beautifully written.

Thank you to NetGalley and DoubleDay Books for the eARC.

TW: miscarriage, medical abuse

This was a really cool concept, and it was well done, but I couldn't finish the book. I didn't think I would be so affected by the description of miscarriage as I was, but that's a testament to Beams's writing! It was heart wrenching. I would recommend this book, but be aware of the triggers.

THE GARDEN is a tale of miscarriages, difficulties in pregnancy, hallucinations, experimental medical treatments, mental stress

I loved the first few chapters of this book: the eerie house, the gender dynamics, Irene's thoughts and memories, the horrible recollections of miscarriage, the desperation, the creepy crossovers between dead animals and Irene's pregnancy.

But overall, I felt like it didn't deliver on a lot of its promises. The ending of the book was far too straightforward for me; I felt like there were some suggested horror elements from earlier in the book that weren't delivered on ("delivered," lol). Irene had had a lot of ambiguous feelings about pregnancy and motherhood that ultimately weren't borne out ("borne," lol). I didn't think there was much of a payoff around Dr. Bishop and her grandfather, or Dr. Bishop and Dr. Hall. The house ultimately didn't... do a lot, or even feel like it was doing a lot? I don't know, it felt like there was a lot of setup with a lot of things that didn't go anywhere.

I LOVED Irene, though. Loved her for the whole book. Her prickliness, her motivations. Loved her the whole way through.

I would recommend this to anyone who's interested in a slightly offbeat, well written novel about the trials and tribulations of pregnancy, but overall I personally wanted it to be a lot more offbeat.

I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

TW: heavy, heavy trigger warning for pregnancy loss

Please be in the right mindset if you are sensitive to pregnancy loss.

This book is very different from what I normally read but it was so GOOD! From the very beginning I was sucked in. I didn’t trust anyone and let me tell you now- you’re not gonna wanna put this book down. A one sitting read FOR SURE! Thriller girlies you will love it!

Overall rating: 4 stars

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

If you are triggered by pregnancy, trying to conceive, or reoccurring pregnancy loss do not read further.

This was eerie and the synopsis made this one feel right up my alley. At the same time it was quite triggering and heartbreaking. It kind of gave the vibes of the handmaids tale in that it felt like men against women and experimental uses of getting women pregnant. With that being said, it was hard to swallow some of the content about stillborn babies.

This was graphic and had me fuming with hatred towards misogynistic fictional men. If you’d like to trigger your feminist rage please give this story a go and prepare to be captivated yet disturbed.

I’m going to say for now 3.25 stars - intriguing concept but I may not have been in the best mindset to digest the scenes in this one.

While there are some interesting elements concerning the pressure and pain of miscarriage and fertility struggles, the plot is overshadowed by eerie elements that don't particularly add up to much. Unfortunately, I enjoyed this book much less than I expected to.

This boom is very hard to describe, and I’m not even sure I know how I feel about it. As described, there are definitely tones of classic Shirley Jackson writing that I loved, but I wasn’t fond of too many of the characters. The story itself was compelling and also hard to get engrossed it. I have the feeling that I will be thinking about this book for a long time, and that’s the point, isn’t it? Write a book that someone can’t forget? I’ll tell you, I won’t forget this one anytime soon.

This walks a thin line between horror and a well conceived tale about mental health and maternity. Irene is at Doctor's Hall in the Berkshires where she's hoping for a baby after multiple miscarriages but not all goes as she thought. For one thing there's the doctors who run the place and more importantly, there's a garden where, well-no spoilers from me. Others have found Irene unlikable and to an extent she is but give her a break because she's had a tough few years. This might make you question what's really happening and you might argue against certain things but it kept me engaged and entertained, Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

This one is tough for me to rate, because I'm probably not the intended reader.

The Garden is certainly creepy, keeps you wondering, but then....the ending happens and it's not what the book seems to be building toward.

This book is about a special hospital in an old estate for pregnant women who have trouble carrying to term. The characters and the house are all a little mysterious and a little haunted. I really enjoyed it.

I was drawn to this book by its amazing cover and the promise of a secret garden on the grounds of a gothic home for women with risky pregnancies. I assumed it would be more thriller or mystery with a promise of restorative herbs and flowers, but “The Garden” is really a dreamlike horror story about miscarriages and pregnancy loss. And therein is a huge trigger warning: I would not recommend this book to any woman who has had a miscarriage or a difficult pregnancy to read this. Even childless women should beware. Heck, even men might want to avoid this story.

Clare Beam’s writing is very ethereal and there are times when it’s hard to distinguish the supernatural from hallucination. Set in the 1940s, this had to be a terrible time for women who had multiple miscarriages (you are only admitted here of you’ve had three), when women would have doubted their self-worth if they couldn’t carry on the family name with an heir, would worry about be branded “barren,” and worry that their husbands would abandon them for fertile partners. The main character, Irene, is sometimes unlikable (even her husband notices that she tends to poison the joy of the other), but I felt for her — after 5 miscarriages, it’s OK to be bitter.

The story gets over involved with the backstories of the two doctors (the grandfather could have been jettisoned), and I never felt solidarity among the group of women in similar circumstances. Every pregnancy here seemed to end in terror, not joy, even successful outcomes were clouded by “what have I done to achieve this?”

I was happy to return to the 21st century where Miscarriage Awareness is now talked about and babies born after miscarriages are known as “rainbow babies.” (No rainbows are ever mentioned in this novel.)

Let's start out with a trigger warning for expecting parents or anyone with birth trauma. This would be a rough one for that, I think.

It’s 1948 and Irene signs herself up for a pregnancy ward/medical trial to try and combat her multiple miscarriages and hopefully finally bring a pregnancy to full term and give her husband the child he so desperately desires. She finds herself in an old mansion, isolated in the Berkshires, at the whims of a husband and wife doctor pair. With the physical and psychological demands, she’s not sure if she will make it out alive.

With shades of “the yellow wallpaper”, it was hard to decide if this was just a psychological thriller, or truly a horror story. It brilliantly walks the line of never knowing what is real and what is imagined. I felt like I was with Irene every step of the way in not knowing what was going on.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Its the 1940s. Irene has had multiple miscarriages and finds herself in a home with similarly situated women under the care of a husband and wife doctor team. Irene is pregnant again and is hoping the Drs will help her get to term with their medical treatment, both physically and psychologically. Irene stumbles upon a garden while out for a walk and that garden may just be what the women staying in the home need most.

This is a bit of a slow burn drama that drug a bit in the middle. Irene is antagonistic and almost like an addict in rehab with the level of her bitterness. While I did not like her, she was interesting. I also thought that the Doctors' back stories should have been developed better and would have added a lot. By the ending, I found the decisions that the 3 women faced to be interesting as well.

I am new to Clare Beams and while I gave this a 3.5 star rating, rounded up, I definitely will read her next book. Worth a read.

I love stories about pregnancy and motherhood because they are relatable to me. I also can't carry babies to term so I was all about learning how these doctors were going to help Irene.
The hormone shots seemed pretty normal. I had to do those with my twins. I love Irene's bad attitude. Same girl. Same. I love how the women are doing these little witchy experiments like preteen girl do when left to their own devices.
OMG that ending too!
Gorgeous creepy book!