Killer on the Road / The Babysitter Lives by Stephen Graham Jones

TL;DR: Surprisingly complicated with some more thrilling elements than scary ones.
Source: NetGalley – Thank you to the publisher!!

Plot: A double feature, this has a young girl hitchhiking and running into the wrong man and then a babysitter fighting a house for her freedom.
Characters: These two girls felt very similar, I’m not going to lie. The rest of the cast wasn’t very deep and I do wish we’d gotten a little variety in personality.
Setting: The highway and the house, both settings, were very strong and well drawn.
Horror: The horror in this was more thrilling and gore than scary, though one deeply uncomfortable scene got under my skin in Babysitter.

Thoughts:

The Babysitter Lives

When high school senior Charlotte agrees to babysit the Wilbanks twins, she plans to put the six-year-olds to bed early and spend a quiet night studying: the SATs are tomorrow, and checking the Native American/Alaskan Native box on all the forms won’t help if she chokes on test day. But tomorrow is also Halloween, and the twins are eager to show off their costumes.

Charlotte’s last babysitting gig almost ended in tragedy when her young charge sleepwalked unnoticed into the middle of the street, only to be found unharmed by Charlotte’s mother. Charlotte vows to be extra careful this time. But the house is filled with mysterious noises and secrets that only the twins understand, echoes of horrors that Charlotte gradually realizes took place in the house eleven years ago. Soon Charlotte has to admit that every babysitter’s worst nightmare has come true: they’re not alone in the house.

Killer on the Road

Sixteen-year-old Harper has decided to run away from home after she has another blow-out argument with her mother. However, her two best friends, little sister, and ex-boyfriend all stop her from hitchhiking her way up Route 80 in Wyoming by joining her on an intervention disguised as a road trip. What they don’t realize is that Harper has been marked by a very unique serial killer who’s been trolling the highway for the past three years, and now the killer is after all of them in this fast-paced and deadly chase novel that will have your heart racing well above the speed limit as the interstate becomes a graveyard.

Summary:

I still truly consider myself a baby Horror Fan. I read a handful every year, and the number is growing. Stephen Graham Jones is one author I’ve found I do enjoy a lot as his characters have a lot of heart and he puts a lot of care in these spooky stories. Killer On The Road and The Babysitter Lives are two examples of what I’d call a popcorn movie version of his work.

Killer on the Road is the classic hitchhiker trope, but make it go sideways quick. The opening chapter sets you up with your big bad and then you meet Harper who quickly pulls her friends into a bloody, and gore-filled death drive. This held no punches, and I doubt I’ll be able to look at Big rigs and tow trucks the same ever again (this is awkward as a close relative drives a big rig, ha). Babysitter is less on the core and more on the dimensional trapped feeling. If you don’t like claustrophobic horror or the feeling of being trapped this one is going to really get to you. The two read like two excellent slasher movies, and the idea to package these together is genius. It feels like a back to back movie feature at a drive in.

My only complaint on this is that Harper and Charlotte, our two title girls, feel very similar. They have their own voices, yes, but there were times when I’d slip and forget I wasn’t with Harper on the road, that I was trapped with Charlotte in the house. That would jerk me out of the plot quick. That aside I think this is a great pickup for horror newbies and possibly even seasoned fans. It’s different (for a book format) and extremely fun while also feeling nostalgic. Maybe a great read for spooky season!