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minimicropup's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Have you ever wondered what being the babysitter in a classic slasher would be like? If you can give up the slasher horror for ‘90s teen drama tropes embedded in a slow-burn character study, this may scratch that itch. It isn’t nearly as eventful as the synopsis makes it sound; it’s more retro fiction with spooky moments and an unhinged ‘Big Bad.’ I enjoyed most of it, but the plot devices and the ending didn’t quite connect for me.
Energy: Self-effacing. Diligent. Harsh.
Scene: 🇺🇸 A modest family home in New Jersey one evening in October 1993.
Perspective: We follow a 17-year-old babysitter with a backstory about her experience with babysitters when she was 11. We also occasionally get the perspective of the 6-year-old boy she is currently babysitting.
🐺 Growls: The narrator made the 6-year-old boy’s voice sound so deep I kept picturing him as 14 or older. The villain and the red herrings, even during the high-stakes danger bits, didn’t make me feel tense or anxious—I can’t figure out why.
🐕 Howls: The classic horror fandom and references were not threaded throughout but discussed at specific parts of the book that sometimes felt out of place or forced. The same was true for the commentary on why an anxious person would find comfort in horror tropes. Although it wasn’t story-breaking it felt like the spoon-feeding of mostly relatable situations I’d expect from a YA book.
🐩 Tail Wags: The character development of Amy, Mira, and Ben. Amy’s flashbacks to the different types of babysitters she encountered. Nostalgic ‘90s setting. The house being a ‘normal’ home instead of a suburban mini-mansion setting.
🤔 Random Thoughts:
- There are 90’s caricatures and scenarios, to the point it felt like a sitcom theme sometimes (misogynistic jock, virginity peer pressure and cool girl posturing). I didn’t get why the “party crashers” were older and had their own places, yet they chose to hang out in a house with kids and a parent who could return anytime.
- Anxious and terrified, frozen, not calling the cops is real. The fear of overreacting or feeling stupid, if it is nothing at all, is so relatable. However, as things escalated and lives were obviously in danger, those decisions didn’t make sense anymore and went against what we were told about Amy’s character and condition.
- Nothing much happens except for the high-stakes unhinged stuff near the 60% mark that often felt contrived (I lost interest). Most of it is night-in-the-life stuff (I liked those parts).
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🎬 Tale-telling: Direct, reflecting, musing style. Scenes slowly unravel, and the vibe is set. Then, we explore a related tangent to give background to the characters’ thoughts and actions before returning to the scene.
👥 Characters: Cute, relatable, a little naïve but also self-aware. I felt for Amy craving friends who shared her interests-she had no way of joining movie sprints with online friends so was stuck trying to convert the jerks!
🤓 Reader Role: Telepathic ghost in the middle of things. Watching the scene unfold, listening to private conversations, and overhearing thoughts and memories through the third-person POV.
🗺️ World-Building: Mostly vibes. It was uneasy, gloomy, and slightly claustrophobic, set through character dialogues or inner thoughts and observation. It captured the 1990s without info-dumping or pointing out all the things.
🔥 Fuel: Up to the 60% mark, the challenges in babysitting unfold, but overall, it's uneventful. What’s going on with 12-yr old Mira? Is she just trying to be grown up or something more? After the 60% mark, the fuel is high-stakes fight-for-your-life survival. Will Amy survive? Can she protect the kids?
📖 Cred: Suspended disbelief, go with the flow and don’t overthink the villainy or character choices.
🚙 Journey: Staying up late Friday night snuggled with a mix of Sweet Valley High and Baby-Sitters Club mystery books.
Mood Reading Match-Up:
- Lounging by the TV light, kitchen linoleum, landline phone ringing, microwave ding, pizzas and plates, pizzicato and waterphone effects, nail polish, door slams, siren strobes at night
- Grown-up ‘The Baby-Sitters Club’ drama and conundrums
- Nostalgic character study and commentary on anxiety, responsibility, loyalty, safe spaces and safe people.
Content Heads-Up: Sexual harassment (peer pressure, comments). Home burglary. Home invasion. Generalized anxiety. Panic attacks. Domestic abuse (graphic; brief). Abusive parent. Stalking. Blood/body horror (brief but descriptive).
Rep: Jewish and Ambiguous Americans. Cisgender. Heterosexual.
📚 Format: Everand Audio
My musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Stalking, Mental illness, Blood, Domestic abuse, Body horror, and Panic attacks/disorders
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