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kendragaylelee's review against another edition
3.0
I grabbed Babysitter thinking it would be a faux true crime thriller. Not sure precisely why I thought that. The cover perhaps? I thought it might be scary. And it was. But not for any of the reasons I had suspected.
This is a novel about misogyny and racism. About being trapped by both. About privilege and vulnerability. It is a novel about being completely out of choices. And maybe a novel that questions how many choices some of us have to begin with.
None of the characters are likable. Many of the scenes filled me with abject rage. Or disbelief. Or a disorienting cocktail of the two. Sometimes it's almost impossible to discern exactly what is happening in the narrative--what is real, what is perception, what is fantasy. And the narrator is damaged, complicated, privileged, and so very broken that I'm not sure if I'm meant to believe anything at all she says or thinks. Which makes the narrative as a whole hard to get a grip on.
But mostly Babysitter, which was set in 1977, left me wondering if we've made any progress on the front of racial justice and women's rights at all.
This is a novel about misogyny and racism. About being trapped by both. About privilege and vulnerability. It is a novel about being completely out of choices. And maybe a novel that questions how many choices some of us have to begin with.
None of the characters are likable. Many of the scenes filled me with abject rage. Or disbelief. Or a disorienting cocktail of the two. Sometimes it's almost impossible to discern exactly what is happening in the narrative--what is real, what is perception, what is fantasy. And the narrator is damaged, complicated, privileged, and so very broken that I'm not sure if I'm meant to believe anything at all she says or thinks. Which makes the narrative as a whole hard to get a grip on.
But mostly Babysitter, which was set in 1977, left me wondering if we've made any progress on the front of racial justice and women's rights at all.
felkyo_grey's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bethchatsbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I think this wasn’t the right book at the right time for me. I absolutely love the true crime element of The Babysitter case and I would have liked more on that. I found Hannah was a frustrating and naive character to follow but I think that was the point. I hated the perspective of the ponytail etc characters and completely skipped those chapters. I also found Hannah and her fascination/ affair with this Y.K character confusing and i lacked interest in the development of that plot point. I really respect JCO as an author and want to read all her back list. Maybe this novel needed me to read it much slower and reflect upon it more. Or maybe it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I think I will return to this book in physical form one day and find out.
chloew94's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
angus_mckeogh's review against another edition
2.0
This one was rough. Not even remotely as interesting as the inner flap would suggest. Was this a book about a serial killer? A wife having an affair with a blackmailer? A young thug falling in love with a suburban housewife? A dysfunctional marriage? An abusive clergyman? All of the above? Or none of the above? Fever dream or flashbacks after death? Who knows. I should’ve known upon seeing that the novel was pieced together from shorter works published 20 years ago in mystery magazines that it would be too sketchy to be good. What would’ve been called a fix up novel back in the day, or a mosaic novel in the present. Very close to being my first 1-star read of the new year.
harrietthacker85's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
bookscatsbooks's review against another edition
[SPOILERS]The writing style does not jive with me. It appears to start with a death and implies a Groundhog Day-esque repeat but not at the same time. I’m going to try another of her books to see if it’s just how she is or if this one was poorly written.
b_fruits's review against another edition
Just… way too heavy for what I need right now. I would like to finish it one day.
avid_read's review
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0