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percevale's review
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
farisandbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
4.75
chloeshawe's review
1.0
I am so happy to be done with this book! There was no real plot, I hated the writing style, I was sick of Hannah alternating between calling herself a terrible wife and mother and then saying that of course she’s an excellent Mommy to her kids (her favorite, Katya, most of all, but of course she would never admit that, a good Mommy would never admit she has a favorite.) I’ve said it before, but I can’t stand child abuse being a central focus of fiction. Finally, if I never see “him,” “his,” or “he” italicized ever again it will still be too soon. This is absolutely my least favorite book of the year.
ridgewaygirl's review against another edition
4.0
No one creates a sense of creepy dread like Joyce Carol Oates. In this latest novel, she leans on her strengths to tell the story of Hannah, the well-groomed wife of a wealthy businessman and mother of two small children in an upscale community north of Detroit during the 1980s. Hannah may be active in the kinds of volunteer opportunities available to well-off women and have a live-in nanny/housekeeper that allows ample free time and she may have a group of friends she meets for lunch, but she's still deeply insecure and lonely. Her marriage to a distracted and reactionary man who is likely sleeping with other women doesn't give her much in the way of support so when a powerful man indicates his interest in her, she finds herself trotting off to meet him in a Detroit hotel.
Which is where this story starts and quickly becomes, well, creepy in the most JCO way. Hannah lacks agency and when she does try to stand up against the men who order her around, she is quickly overwhelmed. There's a serial killer operating in the area as well, one who preys on children; although Hannah would rather not spend time thinking about that, the people around her, especially her husband, are fascinated. Hannah's behavior is frustrating throughout, with her inability to withstand even the slightest pressure. This is a book in which bad things happen, and then continue to happen, where the weak suffer and the powerful prey on those around them.
Joyce Carol Oates may not be breaking new ground with this novel published in her 84th year, but she's still writing novels that are worth reading and she's certainly playing to her strengths with this one.
Which is where this story starts and quickly becomes, well, creepy in the most JCO way. Hannah lacks agency and when she does try to stand up against the men who order her around, she is quickly overwhelmed. There's a serial killer operating in the area as well, one who preys on children; although Hannah would rather not spend time thinking about that, the people around her, especially her husband, are fascinated. Hannah's behavior is frustrating throughout, with her inability to withstand even the slightest pressure. This is a book in which bad things happen, and then continue to happen, where the weak suffer and the powerful prey on those around them.
Joyce Carol Oates may not be breaking new ground with this novel published in her 84th year, but she's still writing novels that are worth reading and she's certainly playing to her strengths with this one.
jyaremchuk's review against another edition
3.0
Masterful writing from Ms. Oates, and a master class in moving a short story to a novel. I enjoyed the shifting perspectives of the characters (particularly Hannah of course) and the same situation viewed differently by different characters. BUT - by 300 pages in I was so sick of Wes, Mr__R, YK, and especially Han-Nah. Too long.
daner's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
millen13's review against another edition
4.0
The backdrop maybe Babysitter, a real serial killer who has never been caught, however, the protagonist is almost as hair-raising. A white, entitled, rich woman who enters into an affair. This book comes with so many trigger-warnings. To mention them would give away too many spoilers, but think rape and racism.
Oates' writing is brilliant. I love her ways of storytelling. I didn't really like the ending, but thinking about it, it is so typical for entitled white people.
Oates' writing is brilliant. I love her ways of storytelling. I didn't really like the ending, but thinking about it, it is so typical for entitled white people.
brimccain's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
bobthebookerer's review against another edition
5.0
This book is a wild ride- one which made me scared, uneasy and disgusted in deep, visceral ways, but was incredible.
The title belies the cruelty at the heart of the book- a slew of children go missing, with the perpetrator being nicknamed, with horrible irony, the 'Babysitter'. In the midst of this, we get several plotlines of people who are caught up and complicit in what is happening, and others just trying to survive and make sense of something that seems vastly unknowable.
The opening scene feels like it almost resists the urge of a standard book covering these themes, with almost all the action taking place inside a character's head as she heads towards a hotel room, but in many ways it sets up the ghastly horror within so many of the characters.
The writing is unflinching, raw, and incredibly deft, often navigating especially tricky descriptions with exquisite mastery. Oates will often describe a character in one or two withering sentences, and then quickly move on to the action (a particular favourite was this description: "Upright rodent. Halfway metamorphosed into a man.")
This is a deeply uncomfortable read in many ways, and pretty much every content warning applies for this book, but this book held me in its deathly grip, and made me almost miss several train stations.
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
The title belies the cruelty at the heart of the book- a slew of children go missing, with the perpetrator being nicknamed, with horrible irony, the 'Babysitter'. In the midst of this, we get several plotlines of people who are caught up and complicit in what is happening, and others just trying to survive and make sense of something that seems vastly unknowable.
The opening scene feels like it almost resists the urge of a standard book covering these themes, with almost all the action taking place inside a character's head as she heads towards a hotel room, but in many ways it sets up the ghastly horror within so many of the characters.
The writing is unflinching, raw, and incredibly deft, often navigating especially tricky descriptions with exquisite mastery. Oates will often describe a character in one or two withering sentences, and then quickly move on to the action (a particular favourite was this description: "Upright rodent. Halfway metamorphosed into a man.")
This is a deeply uncomfortable read in many ways, and pretty much every content warning applies for this book, but this book held me in its deathly grip, and made me almost miss several train stations.
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.