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laura_cs's review
5.0
I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Baby-Sitter's Club meets Sabrina the Teenage Witch in this funny, thrilling read, just in time for Halloween!
There's not much to do in Esme Pearl's small Kansas town, and the only thing to talk about is football (which Esme would prefer to not, thank you very much, Dad). Fortunately for Esme, her nights are rarely boring with a best friend like Janis and her gig as the best babysitter in town. But when weird things start happening after her seventeenth birthday, Esme starts to worry that she's going insane--just like her mom. But when a new girl named Cassandra Heaven shows up at school and is desperate to join Esme's small (read: two person) babysitter's club, she doesn't think too much of it.
But then things start to get even weirder. Especially when Cassandra shows Esme a note her deceased mother left for toddler Cassandra: Find the babysitters. Does it have something to do with the fact that Cassandra can make fire appear at will? Or with Esme's own strange incidents? And what exactly does it mean to be a Sitter in this town?
A homage to shows and movies about teenage girls with magic powers taking charge as well as all the well-loved babysitters of fiction, "The Babysitters Coven" is a fantastic first book in a series. Wonderfully atmospheric and spooky in all manner of setting--place, season, mood, etc.--and often a little scary, Williams has crafted a tale of mystery and intrigue, with surprises around every corner. I eagerly await book 2 and the return to the adventures of the Sitters.
The Baby-Sitter's Club meets Sabrina the Teenage Witch in this funny, thrilling read, just in time for Halloween!
There's not much to do in Esme Pearl's small Kansas town, and the only thing to talk about is football (which Esme would prefer to not, thank you very much, Dad). Fortunately for Esme, her nights are rarely boring with a best friend like Janis and her gig as the best babysitter in town. But when weird things start happening after her seventeenth birthday, Esme starts to worry that she's going insane--just like her mom. But when a new girl named Cassandra Heaven shows up at school and is desperate to join Esme's small (read: two person) babysitter's club, she doesn't think too much of it.
But then things start to get even weirder. Especially when Cassandra shows Esme a note her deceased mother left for toddler Cassandra: Find the babysitters. Does it have something to do with the fact that Cassandra can make fire appear at will? Or with Esme's own strange incidents? And what exactly does it mean to be a Sitter in this town?
A homage to shows and movies about teenage girls with magic powers taking charge as well as all the well-loved babysitters of fiction, "The Babysitters Coven" is a fantastic first book in a series. Wonderfully atmospheric and spooky in all manner of setting--place, season, mood, etc.--and often a little scary, Williams has crafted a tale of mystery and intrigue, with surprises around every corner. I eagerly await book 2 and the return to the adventures of the Sitters.
holdenkillfield's review against another edition
2.0
This was the most tedious and uneventful story that dared to state it was for fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy is action, high-stakes, and a protagonist you like and root for. This book was a snoozefest and stayed at consistently low energy throughout the book. Not high stakes and honestly not enough of a moving plot. Of course, the author decides to throw in a super-hot boy for no apparent reason other than to have an unnecessary love interest that did nothing for the story. The premise was 100%, but the execution was a failing grade.
chaosandbooks's review
2.0
For a book set in high school, it felt immensely immature. The characters' personalities, their actions, and the writing all felt like it was targeted towards middle schoolers. This is made even more confusing by the book following the trend of the 90s aesthetic in modern times, where all the characters constantly reference and dress like characters from Titantic and Clueless. It felt all over the place and needed to figure out who it was targeting first.
The actual plot itself was interesting. Adventures in Babysitting meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer is pretty apt. There was a decent backstory with a solid promise for future books.
Cassandra is by far the worst character though. I love Esme and her sense of duty. Her best friend Janis is absolutely my favorite. She's witty and a good friend. Cassandra though. She's the second lead of this story and I just wanted to throw the book out the window any time she thought she could take advantage of her powers and drag Esme along for the ride. It's also kind of frustrating that by the end of the story, Esme doesn't really grow a spine and somehow Cassandra still pulls the ultimate sacrifice without any drastic character changes.
I probably won't bother reading the sequel, which is a shame since I was looking forward to the concept so much. It just didn't hit the mark.
The actual plot itself was interesting. Adventures in Babysitting meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer is pretty apt. There was a decent backstory with a solid promise for future books.
Cassandra is by far the worst character though. I love Esme and her sense of duty. Her best friend Janis is absolutely my favorite. She's witty and a good friend. Cassandra though. She's the second lead of this story and I just wanted to throw the book out the window any time she thought she could take advantage of her powers and drag Esme along for the ride. It's also kind of frustrating that by the end of the story, Esme doesn't really grow a spine and somehow Cassandra still pulls the ultimate sacrifice without any drastic character changes.
I probably won't bother reading the sequel, which is a shame since I was looking forward to the concept so much. It just didn't hit the mark.
situationnormal's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book has everything I love. Babysitters club meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets The Craft meets pop culture references. And the cover is to die for. What's not to love? It's funny, has a great audiobook, and I enjoyed reading this one immensely. I just wish we'd delved either a little less or a little more into the world in this introduction to it. Either way, I enjoyed the ride and loved Esme as a character. I can't wait to read the next one.
hermoonreads's review
3.0
This was such a fun read! It's a little slow at the start in terms of the magical elements, but I loved getting to see Esme go through the process of working out her powers! Its an easy to follow, amusing read which I really needed after some heavy books. (Also the cover is so cute!!)
Buffy is one of my favourite shows so all the references brought me joy. Really excited to see how the series will unfold as theres a lot of potential. Book two is already on the way in the mail!
Buffy is one of my favourite shows so all the references brought me joy. Really excited to see how the series will unfold as theres a lot of potential. Book two is already on the way in the mail!
ameccan's review against another edition
Confusing setting time wise. Very much reads like an adult trying to sound like a teenager which didn’t translate well.