You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
2.94 AVERAGE
2.94 AVERAGE
This book has the best first chapter I have read in a long time possibly ever. I loved the writing in this book. Not a lot happens but I was still intrigued and excited to keep reading the entire time. Normally I don’t love jumping around in time but in this book it worked for me.
It was overly written in a way that doesn't work with thrillers so I got annoyed pretty early on. I know everybody is like "oh wow, such a character piece" but if you start off with a kid finding a DEAD BODY it's stupid to bring everything to a screeching halt right after that. You have our attention, so go somewhere interesting. I couldn't care less about the dumb babysitter wishing she could be friends with the 28 year old mom. This could have been communicated in a more succinct, interesting away then long, babbling paragraphs.
Anyway, I tried to find spoilery reviews and no one would just tell me who the damn dead body was so I went and skimmed ahead to find out. It's Sadie, the girl's babysitter from when she was a kid, in case you care. I made it as far as Sadie's introduction before I wondered if this was really worth the effort to continue and seeing the average was shockingly low, I decided to cut my losses.
Anyway, I tried to find spoilery reviews and no one would just tell me who the damn dead body was so I went and skimmed ahead to find out. It's Sadie, the girl's babysitter from when she was a kid, in case you care. I made it as far as Sadie's introduction before I wondered if this was really worth the effort to continue and seeing the average was shockingly low, I decided to cut my losses.
This is a throwback to the 90s where we have a babysitter in peril, children's lives at stake, and a cast of characters to be wary of because any of them could have nefarious intents.
Part thriller and part old school horror, this novel has all the vibes of that era you could want. VHS tapes, horror movie tropes, and not a cell phone in sight.
The protagonist is an anxiety ridden young lady who's babysitting for two children one night. A twelve year old girl who exhibits the typical bad attitude of that age and a younger boy who is generally quiet and introverted.
It doesn't take long for things to start getting creepy. As the reader, we know something bad is going to happen and the fun is in not knowing when or by whom this will happen. There has been a string of break-ins in this particular area recently and people are being more cautious.
Our protagonist takes her babysitting seriously though and really tries to bond with the kids. But plans for a peaceful night are soon interrupted by an unexpected visit from her boyfriend and some other young people. These characters are great at providing the "which one is evil" tension as any of them could be looked at with suspicion.
Creepy phone calls, a surprising and possibly deadly visit from the mother's ex husband, and strange noises all add up to the big reveal and the twisted reasoning behind what's going to happen.
I loved that whole nostalgic vibe from this book. All the tropes were present, which I always appreciate, and it has a crisp, sharp narrative that ensures you'll never get bored while reading. I definitely recommend it if you want some 90s throwback feelings.
Part thriller and part old school horror, this novel has all the vibes of that era you could want. VHS tapes, horror movie tropes, and not a cell phone in sight.
The protagonist is an anxiety ridden young lady who's babysitting for two children one night. A twelve year old girl who exhibits the typical bad attitude of that age and a younger boy who is generally quiet and introverted.
It doesn't take long for things to start getting creepy. As the reader, we know something bad is going to happen and the fun is in not knowing when or by whom this will happen. There has been a string of break-ins in this particular area recently and people are being more cautious.
Our protagonist takes her babysitting seriously though and really tries to bond with the kids. But plans for a peaceful night are soon interrupted by an unexpected visit from her boyfriend and some other young people. These characters are great at providing the "which one is evil" tension as any of them could be looked at with suspicion.
Creepy phone calls, a surprising and possibly deadly visit from the mother's ex husband, and strange noises all add up to the big reveal and the twisted reasoning behind what's going to happen.
I loved that whole nostalgic vibe from this book. All the tropes were present, which I always appreciate, and it has a crisp, sharp narrative that ensures you'll never get bored while reading. I definitely recommend it if you want some 90s throwback feelings.
I loved this! Did it stress me out? Yes. Was I terrified of a break-in the entire time I was reading this at home? Yes. Did I see the twist coming? No! This book surprised me and kept me engaged throughout. Also an excellent portrayal of someone with anxiety.
3.25/5, it is so lacking in horror elements and suspense that it’s justifiable to question if it’s categorized correctly. However, the main character is endearing, the time jumps are used well, and in general it’s actually an enjoyable little story.
This book was advertised as 90’s Halloween thriller and it did not deliver any of those tropes for me. It started out so strong then the whole entire book was several POVs that made it very obvious what the outcome would be. It wasn’t thrilling, and the only reference to Halloween or the 90s was the movie the babysitter was watching. It had no plot or 90s vibes and unfortunately I wouldn’t recommend this book. The majority of the book is stories that were supposed to be unnerving and they fell extremely flat and the only upside to the book is that it was a short read.
I will be coming back to this one! Just moved on to other books at the time being.
I enjoyed it. Had SO many horror movie references. The back and forth got a bit confusing when listening to the audio but once I was in everything made sense! Def recommend
Just boring, was not a thriller or a horror, there was no tension or dread. At a certain point I just didn't care.
Thank you to NetGalley, Emily Ruth Verona, and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for this ARC!
This book had all of the 90s nostalgic vibes that for me I know and LOVE. With multiple POVs, I thought the author was successful in portraying the personalities of each character.
I especially felt Ben was portrayed appropriately for his age and often this can be a really challenging thing to do!
Truthfully, I was a bit let down by some of the “twists” in this book and found myself reading back through after the end because the conclusion didn’t make sense to me. I went back and analyzed several prior chapters to see if maybe I missed something, but I don’t think it did.
Overall I enjoyed this book. The cover promotes 90s horror film vibes and the author absolutely came through on her promise! I’ll continue picking up books like this, my millennial heart just cannot resist!
3 ⭐️
This book had all of the 90s nostalgic vibes that for me I know and LOVE. With multiple POVs, I thought the author was successful in portraying the personalities of each character.
I especially felt Ben was portrayed appropriately for his age and often this can be a really challenging thing to do!
Truthfully, I was a bit let down by some of the “twists” in this book and found myself reading back through after the end because the conclusion didn’t make sense to me. I went back and analyzed several prior chapters to see if maybe I missed something, but I don’t think it did.
Overall I enjoyed this book. The cover promotes 90s horror film vibes and the author absolutely came through on her promise! I’ll continue picking up books like this, my millennial heart just cannot resist!
3 ⭐️