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rosecarlyle's review against another edition
5.0
Many people say that it’s tempting to write women from the past as having more agency than is realistic. Joyce Carol Oates does the opposite. Babysitter is about a woman with no agency whatsoever. It’s excruciating. You’ll loathe her. And yet, I was glued to this shocking book. JCO’s writing is fire and I love her now. Trigger warnings for everything.
jonordkvist's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
emilyann3's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
louiisemarie's review against another edition
2.0
This book was not at all what I was expecting. The characters were so unlikeable, the storyline was jumbled, and the writing style made everything more confusing. I’m still trying to figure out exactly what happened. Just a weird and disappointing book.
chloeshawe's review against another edition
1.0
I am so happy to be done with this book! There was no real plot, I hated the writing style, I was sick of Hannah alternating between calling herself a terrible wife and mother and then saying that of course she’s an excellent Mommy to her kids (her favorite, Katya, most of all, but of course she would never admit that, a good Mommy would never admit she has a favorite.) I’ve said it before, but I can’t stand child abuse being a central focus of fiction. Finally, if I never see “him,” “his,” or “he” italicized ever again it will still be too soon. This is absolutely my least favorite book of the year.
salome_esteves's review against another edition
5.0
I have never read such a beautifully written thriller. I adored the multiple points of view, the little snippets of memories, and the alternative timelines. This book is frustrating yet engrossing, chilling yet endearing. "Babysitter" is easily one of the best books I've read this year. But do I recommend it? I don't know. I'm sure many people would throw the book across the room at that ending. So, pick it up at your own volition.
thesestus's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
monicals's review against another edition
3.0
So weird. The writing style is annoying but effective. All the sentence fragments, parentheses, italics, etc. give the desired effect of making the story disjointed. Hannah is messed up and her whole "affair" is also messed up. I wanted to read this book because it was set in Detroit with a backdrop of the Oakland County child killings. That part didn't disappoint but I did wonder why some place names were slightly changed but most weren't. Really didn't care for the ambiguous ending though.
miccca's review against another edition
4.0
Hannah aniquilada, por completo. ¿Era su deseo más profundo, no ser?
misoginia, abuso, racismo, pedofilia son algunos de los temas que toca esta novela y lo hace de una forma cruda. no es para cualquiera. y que el ritmo de la lectura sea lento lo hace todavía más atrapante. no es un libro cómodo de leer, es un libro casi oscuro.
misoginia, abuso, racismo, pedofilia son algunos de los temas que toca esta novela y lo hace de una forma cruda. no es para cualquiera. y que el ritmo de la lectura sea lento lo hace todavía más atrapante. no es un libro cómodo de leer, es un libro casi oscuro.