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oblemons 's review for:
Killer on the Road/The Babysitter Lives
by Stephen Graham Jones
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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:
Yes
Part 1: I’ve just finished The Killer on the Road and will return to review Babysitter once I finish that.
This was my least favorite SGJ so far. It took me a good while to get into the book. Once they reveal that Jam had been replaced with BM (yes I will be using this) I was VERY on board. but I found the time on the road to drag and get repetitive (which I understand is part of capturing the trucker feel, it just didn’t work for me). Per usual I love the final girl and the people she had a soft spot for. The kills were gnarly and the audiobook reader is fantastic. I don’t know that it’s one I would visit again though.
part 2: I've finished the audiobook of Babysitter. Man, I really wanted to like this one. I loved the premise and even the set up of this cosmic haunted house (I don't know that I've read a haunted house story that is tangled into the babysitter genre, it's usually slashers as far as I can remember). Again, loved our characters. If you are ever considering writing a child into your stories, read this; the kids are fantastic. Like almost frustratingly so because you're sitting there like, "OH MY GOD PLEASE EXPLAIN THIS BETTER" and then you remember that these are six year olds and if you've ever tried to get a straight answer from a six year old, you know that just really doesn't happen. They're still new to all of this.
Around the time that sheloses track of the kids , is when the story goes downhill for me. It drags, much like Killer did. Both of these stories feel like they suffer from length. A bloated midsection that, while full of some interesting revelations, light twists, and thematic resonance, pulls the shine out of the stories.
Babysitter may also be the least gruesome SGJ I've read? Aside from a horrible comparison to swollen shrimp. That was maybe the grossest thing I've ever read.
Overall, I'm not mad I read this but don't think I'd visit it again UNLESS I was writing a road trip story or a story involving children. But not simply for the pleasure of re-reading.
This was my least favorite SGJ so far. It took me a good while to get into the book.
part 2: I've finished the audiobook of Babysitter. Man, I really wanted to like this one. I loved the premise and even the set up of this cosmic haunted house (I don't know that I've read a haunted house story that is tangled into the babysitter genre, it's usually slashers as far as I can remember). Again, loved our characters. If you are ever considering writing a child into your stories, read this; the kids are fantastic. Like almost frustratingly so because you're sitting there like, "OH MY GOD PLEASE EXPLAIN THIS BETTER" and then you remember that these are six year olds and if you've ever tried to get a straight answer from a six year old, you know that just really doesn't happen. They're still new to all of this.
Around the time that she
Babysitter may also be the least gruesome SGJ I've read? Aside from a horrible comparison to swollen shrimp. That was maybe the grossest thing I've ever read.
Overall, I'm not mad I read this but don't think I'd visit it again UNLESS I was writing a road trip story or a story involving children. But not simply for the pleasure of re-reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism