Before I get to my actual review, a quick disclaimer: Ever since I learned that Netflix was reimagining one of my favorite childhood book series, I had decided that I would be embarking on a re-read of this series, reliving a series of books that helped to shape me into a voracious reader. I am so excited to embark on this travel back in time. I don't expect to be mentally stimulated -- I mean, I'm not exactly a pre-teen middle-schooler these days -- but I make no apology for choosing to enjoy this series from the perspective of adulthood. Don't expect me to have any sort of psychoanalyst or feminist sermonizing on the appropriateness of the situations or the effects on a young girl reading these books; there's plenty of that to go around already. I'm here for the nostalgia and the meander down memory lane.  

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I knew going into this one that it wasn't going to be my favorite, but in my mission to re-read the series, I knew I had to see it through with Aunt Dictator. I mean it's not like these take much time or effort to read. And sometimes the subplot is still fun or I get surprised by something I don't remember, so onward we go.

What I liked about Jessi's Baby-Sitter:
Jessi's parents - I had to really stretch with this one. I mean, I did like the way they chose to handle their home situation. (They were admittedly a lot more gracious about it than I believe I would have been!)
Jessi's unexpected snark - Jessi is typically so sweet and gentle in her demeanor, so I must admit that I was delighted to see this side of her. Was she a bit disrespectful here and there? Yes, but she was so relatable in those moments that I was willing to overlook it for the entertainment value.

What I didn't care for:
The whole Aunt Cecilia schtick - I feel as if, being an adult ::sigh::, I probably should have had the maturity of finding her situation sympathetic to some degree but I just did not like her. She was overbearing with the Ramsey children, even bordering on mean at times, but what's more, who on God's green earth does think she is coming into their home and overruling the way Jessi's parents run their household? It was one thing to consider herself "above" the children, but her own brother and his wife too??
The predictable bandwagon - Why is it that when one of the BSC charges decides to participate in some event or project, inevitably with the assistance of one of our favorite sitters, every single other sitter ends up with their own kids also participating? It would be nice if, every now and again, there could be a solo act.
Minimal time spent with anyone who wasn't Jessi - Don't get me wrong, Jessi is one of my favorites in the series, but other than a quick chapter with Kristy and another with Stacey, it felt like everything revolved around the Ramseys.

My original rating for this book was one star. I toyed briefly with upping it to 1.25 but ultimately I couldn't justify even that. There just wasn't enough redeeming value to increase it. This one was a terrible as I remembered from my childhood.