Kill the Babysitter by Stephanie Sparks

Rating: 3.5/5

Premise:
Kill the Babysitter takes place in 2019 yet promises the fun of a retro horror film set 40 years ago. High schooler Jane never aspired to be a babysitter, but when she sees the dollar signs that can come with the job, she takes her inexperienced tush and hikes it over to the Harker house, where she's introduced to three headstrong, semi-disturbing children. Among Ms. Harker's laundry list of rules is her explicit refusal to allow her kids to play with the Ouija board, but Jane's broken down by continuously bad behavior and allows the children to pull the spirit board off the shelf. While it seems harmless enough, the Harker brood introduces her to Zed, a mischievous "spirit" who grants your every wish if you let him have a little fun. With all Jane's dreams coming true, our protagonist feels on top of the world until Zed's next game is all about unaliving the babysitter. The only way to survive the night might require Jane to team up with her worst enemy, and even then, her continued existence above ground isn't guaranteed. 

Recommended for those who enjoy:

 Creepy Children

 '80s Vibes in a Modern Setting

 Evil Entities

 Ouija Boards

 Survive the Night Stories

My Thoughts: 

I fell in love with this cover when I saw it on a random Instagram post, which made me want to snatch the title up right away, and you can bet that's exactly what I did because I possess literally no impulse control. 

Kill the Babysitter is an enjoyable, easy to digest horror story on the shorter side filled to the brim with fun '80s vibes the author wove into a modern storyline complete with all the conveniences we enjoy today. I've never babysat in my entire life, but you can bet that I wish I have memories from 1980 of riding my bicycle in the late afternoon sun, pedaling across leaf-strewn streets that wove their way to my wards' house, where I'd make peanut butter sandwiches, play board games, and talk on the phone with my bestie once I put everyone to bed. There's a simple, nostalgic ring to it all where I imagine I wouldn't feel pulled in so many directions. Who's posting what on their social media right now? How many texts do I need to catch up on? What's the balance on my student debt this month?

I'll be completely honest, though, when I say that I'm not sure who the book's intended audience is. (At this point, I'd say the story runs on the YA side.) It's written in a younger voice, most likely because the MC is a teen herself, but I expected this to be a little more adult. The teen drama takes full center stage when Jane deems her bully "The Beast" for literally the pettiest reason imaginable, but I think this exaggerated and unnecessary meanness is what heavily contributes to the book's campiness. You can't help but think it's ridiculous and derive some sort of "so bad it's good" type of attitude from it - and I mean all this in the best way possible. The bully vs. the bullied is an interesting dynamic but one that you often feel clear-cut emotions about: the identified bully is a dirtbag who must be crushed by the welcomed foot of karma, while the bullied is a downtrodden, underdog who deserves the world for what they've endured. Kill the Babysitter isn't so simple, though. Jane's story of events is drastically different from The Beast's, and the title of villain becomes muddled quickly as you begin to see Jane for the less than stellar person she can be. Is the supposed bully actually the bad guy, or has she been unjustly targeted? I love these twisted narratives that make it difficult for you to root for the main character. Witnessing the MC make decisions becomes all that more compelling, especially when her perspective gets shaken and she must revisit the choices that defined her experiences thus far. 

Besides a strong victim/perpetrator dynamic, there's a lot to love in Kill the Babysitter, possessed children being among them. The Harker family is a handful and frighteningly manipulative, especially the oldest child. She knows how to get what she wants, and she directs her younger siblings accordingly without fear of consequence. A child so self-willed as to border on obstinate, she is a force to be reckoned with, but all the Harkers would rate highly on the creepy children scale. I bet they could all sport a bowl cut because it's what evil children do best, and that's science. There was one scene where the children had a clandestine meeting, and their discussions brought goosebumps to my arms. Picturing young people planning horrendous events is a perfect example of innocence so blatantly discarded. For a split moment, it genuinely made me fear having my own children in the event they tried to knife anyone in the dead of night. (Long live overactive imaginations.) But the creepy, evil children don't stop at this trio! Zed can take over just about anybody he wants, altering reality to his will, as is evident in the way he uses hordes of local children to do the most heinous crime imaginable - kill for him. Mobs of deadly children running around quickly brought to mind a film called The Children (2008). The youth are savage and unstoppable, hunting prey down without relief. I can confidently say I'd never want to encounter them on a trip to the park, let alone trying to break into my house. 

Hands down, my favorite elements in Kill the Babysitter are the ouija board itself and the creepy entity named Zed that's attached to it. There's an air of mystery to them both that left me begging for answers, and unfortunately, I never really got any. A brief explanation is given at one point, but it's so fleeting and feels like Zed was manipulating the situation, crafting lies to hide his true identity. (That could also just be me wishing for something more malevolent than necessary because I have a fascination with the more twisted things in life.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ) I love learning about the supernatural, so I wanted to know everything down to the last possible technicality, including the intimate details of his origins, the grievous specifics of his past exploits, and the benefits he received from his reality-altering games. How long has he been playing with people? Is he permanently attached to the ouija board, or is it simply a vehicle that makes it easy for him to find victims? Do most of his victims live or die? And my laundry list of inquiries goes on and on. For me, half the fun is derived from a book's revelations and backstories, but I can appreciate some ambiguity as long as the story is enjoyable- and Kill the Babysitter certainly is. 

Conclusion: 

While not as gritty as I originally thought it'd be, Kill the Babysitter is fast to consume and an entertaining time, especially if you're in the market for something with a YA feel to it. I adored the atmosphere and was anxious to see how the story ended. I was not disappointed! I've already purchased another book by Stephanie Sparks, and I can't wait to see what else she contributes to the horror community!