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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
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:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
5 stars for Killer on the Road, 2 for the Babysitter Lives. So, 4? Idk how to rate two vastly different stories.
KILLER ON THE ROAD -
I’m still clutching my pearls, heart racing like I just outran a semi-truck driven by a serial killer with a vendetta. This deserves a whole constellation more than just five stars.
First off, let’s talk about Harper, our teen runaway who’s got the kind of moxie that makes you wanna cheer and also maybe send her a care package of better life choices. She’s out here hitchhiking along Route 80 in Wyoming after a blowout with her mom—relatable, right? Who hasn’t wanted to yeet themselves into the wild after a family spat? But then her two besties, her little sister, and her ex-boyfriend pile into this chaotic road trip intervention. It’s like The Breakfast Club decided to hit the highway, but instead of detention, they’re dodging a psychopathic truck driver named Bucketmouth. Yes, Bucketmouth. I cackled at the name, picturing some greasy dude with a physically massive mouth, but trust me, this guy is no laughing matter. He’s been trolling the interstate for years, and now he’s got Harper and her Scooby-Doo crew in his crosshairs.
Jones doesn’t just write horror; he’s out here conducting a symphony of dread with a side of Americana grit. The pacing is like flooring the gas pedal in a beat-up Chevy while a monster truck is tailgating you. I was reading this at bedtime, promising myself “one more chapter,” and suddenly it’s 2 in the morning, and I’m forcing myself to turn off my Kindle. Jones captures that desolate, middle-of-nowhere vibe where every gas station feels like it’s hiding a secret, and every trucker might be your doom. It’s Joyride meets Friday the 13th with a dash of Mad Max energy.
Let’s talk about Bucketmouth, because oh my gosh, this villain is a masterpiece. He’s not just a serial killer; he’s a force of nature, like a tornado with a CDL license. Jones gives him this charismatic menace that had me torn between “run, Harper, run!” and “okay, but tell me more about this creepy dude.” The way he weaves the road culture—truckers with their own code, the unspoken rules of the highway—into the horror is genius. It’s like the interstate itself is a character, all oil-slicked and vengeful, ready to swallow you whole.
Harper, bless her, is the final girl of my dreams. She’s tough, loyal, and ready to throw hands to protect her little sister, Meg. I was rooting for her so hard I nearly threw my book across the room when she faced off with Bucketmouth. Jones knows how to make you care about his characters, then put them through the wringer. I was emotionally invested, okay? Like, I was ready to adopt Harper and her whole messy crew.
The book’s only 250 pages, which is perfect because it’s like an espresso—short, intense, and leaves you wired. The gore is deliciously gross, the tension is tighter than my jeans after Thanksgiving, and the ending? Oh, it’s a wild ride that had me gasping and maybe a little teary. Jones has this knack for blending terror with heart, and it’s why I’m now a fangirl for life.
Killer on the Road is a bloody, pulse-pounding, pedal-to-the-metal screamfest that I couldn’t put down. If you love horror that feels like a high-speed chase through your nightmares, this is your jam. Five stars, a million heart-eyes, and a promise to never hitchhike on Route 80. Ever.
---------
2 STARS
THE BABYSITTER LIVES
Look, I wanted to love The Babysitter Lives as much as I did KotR. I really did. I’m a sucker for horror that takes classic tropes and gives them a fresh coat of blood-red paint. And Jones, with his knack for weaving Indigenous perspectives and gut-punch scares, seemed like the guy to deliver a babysitter-in-peril story that’d make me sleep with the lights on. But instead of a thrilling night in a creepy house, I got a fever dream that left me confused, annoyed, and checking my phone to see how much time was left in the book. Spoiler alert: too much.
The setup is promising enough. Charlotte, our plucky babysitter, just wants to cram for her SATs while watching the Wilbanks twins in a house that’s got “bad vibes” written all over it. It’s the night before Halloween, the kids are cute but weird, and the house has a history that screams “get out now.” Classic horror, right? I was ready for creaky floorboards, shadowy figures, and maybe a demon or killer clown or two. But then the story takes a hard left into what-the-hell-ville, and I spent most of the book feeling like I was trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube in the dark while someone kept changing the rules.
First off, let’s talk about the time loops. Oh, how I loathe time loops. I know some folks love the Groundhog Day gimmick, but for me, it’s like being stuck in a group chat that keeps pinging with the same meme. Jones leans hard into this device, and it’s not just a loop—it’s a labyrinth of loops, flashbacks, and maybe-dreams that had me muttering, “What tf just happened?” every ten minutes. One minute Charlotte’s dealing with creepy twins, the next she’s in some alternate reality where inanimate objects are getting frisky. I’m not saying I need my horror spoon-fed, but I’d like a map, or at least a breadcrumb trail, to follow the plot. Instead, I felt like I was babysitting my own sanity, and it was not going well.
Jones has a gift for vivid, unsettling imagery, but it’s like he threw every weird idea into a blender and hit puree. Spiders, animated objects, cryptic kids, murderous Grey killer kid—it’s a lot, and not in a fun, overstuffed burrito kind of way. More like a burrito that’s 90% cilantro, and that mess tastes like soap.
I kept thinking, “Did I zone out, or is this just gibberish?”By the end, I was exhausted, like I’d just run a marathon through a funhouse with no exit. The story doesn’t so much conclude as it does abandon you in the woods, waving vaguely as it drives off. I wanted to scream, “Stephen, come back and explain the spiders!” but no dice.
The Babysitter Lives is like a haunted house ride where the cart keeps breaking down, and you’re stuck listening to the same spooky sound effects on repeat. It’s got heart, some killer moments, and a main character you’ll root for, but the confusion and time-loop overload left me more frustrated than frightened. If you’re a Jones stan or love your horror trippy and ambiguous, you might dig it. Two stars—because Charlotte deserves at least that much for surviving this mess. I think she did anyway. Told you.
SGJ has literally never missed a day in his life (not 5 stars only because Buffalo Hunter Hunter set the bar so high idk if he’ll ever touch it again but this was great)
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This bind up of two long novellas is such a neat idea. The first one I read was Killer on the Road. I have to be honest I had to restart this story four times because I was so lost with what was happening. It’s a very fast paced story that has a lot of action and movement and if you aren’t paying close enough attention you will get lost. I did really enjoy our main character. She had a ton of heart and willpower to put up with everything she does throughout the story. Overall this one just didn’t work for me but I can see why so many people love it.
2/5 Stars
Next I read The Babysitter Lives. I was completely sucked into this story from the start. It’s so creepy and will have you second guessing everything you thought you knew. I felt like I was running through this story trying to help our main character get out of the hell she was in. I highly recommend this novella. It’s perfect for spooky season.
4/5 Stars
Overall I’m going to give this book 3.5 Stars. I had both a great time and a not so great time reading these novellas. I will still always pick up Stephen Graham Jones work. Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an arc copy in exchange for my honest review.
2/5 Stars
Next I read The Babysitter Lives. I was completely sucked into this story from the start. It’s so creepy and will have you second guessing everything you thought you knew. I felt like I was running through this story trying to help our main character get out of the hell she was in. I highly recommend this novella. It’s perfect for spooky season.
4/5 Stars
Overall I’m going to give this book 3.5 Stars. I had both a great time and a not so great time reading these novellas. I will still always pick up Stephen Graham Jones work. Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an arc copy in exchange for my honest review.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes