Babysitter
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- Create Date：2022-09-03 06:53:57
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Joyce Carol Oates
- ISBN：0008536813
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Summary
From one of America's most renowned storytellers comes a novel about love and deceit， and lust and redemption， against a background of child abductions in the affluent suburbs of Detroit。
In the waning days of the turbulent 1970s， in the wake of unsolved killings that have shocked Detroit， the lives of several residents are drawn together， with tragic consequences。 There is Hannah， wife of a prominent local businessman， who has begun an affair with a darkly charismatic stranger whose identity remains elusive; Mikey， a canny street hustler who finds himself on an unexpected mission to rectify injustice; and the serial killer known as Babysitter， an enigmatic and terrifying figure at the periphery of elite Detroit。 As Babysitter continues his rampage of killings， these individuals intersect with one another in startling and unexpected ways。
Suspenseful， brilliantly orchestrated and engrossing， Babysitter is a starkly narrated exploration of the riskiness of pursuing alternate lives， calling into question how far we are willing to go to protect those whom we cherish most。 In its scathing indictment of corrupt politics， unexamined racism， and the enabling of sexual predation in America， Babysitter is a thrilling work of contemporary fiction。
In the waning days of the turbulent 1970s， in the wake of unsolved killings that have shocked Detroit， the lives of several residents are drawn together， with tragic consequences。 There is Hannah， wife of a prominent local businessman， who has begun an affair with a darkly charismatic stranger whose identity remains elusive; Mikey， a canny street hustler who finds himself on an unexpected mission to rectify injustice; and the serial killer known as Babysitter， an enigmatic and terrifying figure at the periphery of elite Detroit。 As Babysitter continues his rampage of killings， these individuals intersect with one another in startling and unexpected ways。
Suspenseful， brilliantly orchestrated and engrossing， Babysitter is a starkly narrated exploration of the riskiness of pursuing alternate lives， calling into question how far we are willing to go to protect those whom we cherish most。 In its scathing indictment of corrupt politics， unexamined racism， and the enabling of sexual predation in America， Babysitter is a thrilling work of contemporary fiction。
Reviews
Mauri
，
I could not put this down。 Read it in a week。 Loved the writing， paragraph breaks。 But the ending felt like a stock market crash。 I had invested so much time， energy and involvement in this book and was left empty and confused。 There were also some events that took place which made no sense to me。 I was rooting for Hannah all along。 Living in a “hive” while comforting does not provide protection or safety。 That said， this book was my companion for a week。 It beckoned me to read， read read。 Just I could not put this down。 Read it in a week。 Loved the writing， paragraph breaks。 But the ending felt like a stock market crash。 I had invested so much time， energy and involvement in this book and was left empty and confused。 There were also some events that took place which made no sense to me。 I was rooting for Hannah all along。 Living in a “hive” while comforting does not provide protection or safety。 That said， this book was my companion for a week。 It beckoned me to read， read read。 Just because I did not care for the ending others will。 。。。more
Jennifer
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I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an impartial review。I enjoy a lot of JCO's books。 Unfortunately， this is not for me。 Her talent is on display but the style is non-linear and often stream-of-conscious and just not one I enjoy。 There is a plot， but it plays a secondary role to text and tone and I think many readers will find it slow going。 The subject matter here is brutal: sexual assault， violent racism， etc。 I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an impartial review。I enjoy a lot of JCO's books。 Unfortunately， this is not for me。 Her talent is on display but the style is non-linear and often stream-of-conscious and just not one I enjoy。 There is a plot， but it plays a secondary role to text and tone and I think many readers will find it slow going。 The subject matter here is brutal: sexual assault， violent racism， etc。 。。。more
Saundra
，
This author is known for writing unlikeable characters and she has succeeded with this story。 Not one redeemable quality in any character。
Julie
，
Dang， a DNF for me。 I seem to have a love hate relationship with JCO。 Sometimes I adore her books and they blow me away， but other times I just can't get into them。This is one of the latter。 The way it's written was just not for me。 I had a tough time figuring out what was going on and what time period it was taking place in due to the style。 It's not to say that everyone will have this experience， of course。 I imagine some people will enjoy it。 Dang， a DNF for me。 I seem to have a love hate relationship with JCO。 Sometimes I adore her books and they blow me away， but other times I just can't get into them。This is one of the latter。 The way it's written was just not for me。 I had a tough time figuring out what was going on and what time period it was taking place in due to the style。 It's not to say that everyone will have this experience， of course。 I imagine some people will enjoy it。 。。。more
Marge
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Too long， drawn out and disconnected for me。 Did the book have even 10 complete sentences？
Marsha Valance
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Blackmail， serial killers， abusive husbands， fear--all oppress the women of Detroit & its suburbs in the late 1970s。
Shirl Kennedy
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As with so many other JOC books I've read， I had trouble getting into it。 She tends to over-write a bit。 The general story line kept me engaged， even thought it was somewhat disjointed in parts。 As with so many other JOC books I've read， I had trouble getting into it。 She tends to over-write a bit。 The general story line kept me engaged， even thought it was somewhat disjointed in parts。 。。。more
Denis Wheller
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Someone， nicknamed Babysitter， is abducting and ritually killing young children in the poor suburbs of Detroit。 He might also be Hannah’s lover！ I say ‘might’ because she doesn't really know what a “Lover” is ， has no real evidence that he has anything to do with the murders – it’s just a feeling she has。 More significantly， we don't know because she is an unreliable and erratic narrator。 The story， set in 1977， starts with her approaching the hotel room in which she meets her lover when he's in Someone， nicknamed Babysitter， is abducting and ritually killing young children in the poor suburbs of Detroit。 He might also be Hannah’s lover！ I say ‘might’ because she doesn't really know what a “Lover” is ， has no real evidence that he has anything to do with the murders – it’s just a feeling she has。 More significantly， we don't know because she is an unreliable and erratic narrator。 The story， set in 1977， starts with her approaching the hotel room in which she meets her lover when he's in town， but immediately starts to go into reverse， not flashbacks as such， but in sequential leaps and then progressively forward。 Is this opening scene the first visit or the latest？ This is the reality within her head。 Or not？ She is clearly unstable， but has she always been that way or is this a consequence of the affair？ Perhaps I should have clarified that earlier。 Hannah is married to Wes， a very rich businessman （casually misogynistic， blatantly racist， and probably serially unfaithful）， and they have two （very young） children and a Filipino housekeeper （who really runs the household with no interventions）。 They live in an affluent suburb far from Babysitter’s hunting ground。 One evening， at a fundraiser Hannah has co-chaired， a stranger briefly grasps her wrist and seduces her， in front of everyone and with nothing overt – a sort of magical hypnosis。 And so she becomes his lover – a completely illogical act， especially when he shows himself to be sexually egregiously sadistic。 But it is what it is！ Intercalated within the above story， the episodes involving Babysitter appear almost as a separate tale。 Babysitter is one of a number of rich men， paedophiles， whose wealth and position protect them。 All are， of course， as guilty as sin but only he， the richest by far， has the urge or will for the extremity of the crime。 Gradually we come to see how the two men are linked。 This book is a hard read for two reasons。 Firstly Hannah’s chronology is confusing， especially at the beginning， but occasionally throughout， and eventually colliding with the beginning。 Keeping track is challenging。 Secondly the detailed descriptions of their sadistic love affair， and the equally painted weird world inside Babysitter’s head， the way he plans and executes the ritual deaths， are disquieting and， for some readers， horrifying。 It follows from the above that the writing needed to be very skilful; in the hands of a lesser author it would all fall apart。 Joyce Carol Oates， author of over a hundred books and other pieces of writing， has such skill， of course。 The book is an expansion of a ‘horrific’ short story first published in 2005 and， while wondering how this novel of 448 pages could be stripped down to the 10 pages of the original， it does make one wonder if this is just egregious padding。 Anyway I’d make it 3。5 so rounded to 4。I would like to thank NetGalley， the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review。 。。。more
Bookreporter。com Mystery & Thriller
，
Surely if you are picking up a novel by Joyce Carol Oates， you are not expecting an uplifting or optimistic tale。 Therefore， you will not be surprised to learn that her latest book， BABYSITTER， is dark， violent and tense。 It also is a razor-sharp examination of social constructs like gender and power。 Set in Detroit and its tony suburbs in the late 1970s， it depicts an America whose mid-century post-war successes can no longer mask the social troubles barely below the surface。Hannah Jarrett is m Surely if you are picking up a novel by Joyce Carol Oates， you are not expecting an uplifting or optimistic tale。 Therefore， you will not be surprised to learn that her latest book， BABYSITTER， is dark， violent and tense。 It also is a razor-sharp examination of social constructs like gender and power。 Set in Detroit and its tony suburbs in the late 1970s， it depicts an America whose mid-century post-war successes can no longer mask the social troubles barely below the surface。Hannah Jarrett is married to Wes， a wealthy man， but she has little idea how he makes his money or even how he spends his time when he is away from her and their two young children。 As she embarks on an affair， with a mysterious man she knows only as Y。K。， she assumes that Wes also has cheated on her over the course of their 11-year marriage。 Hoping to gain some autonomy and a sense of desirability， not to mention an escape from her often idle and still claustrophobic life of privilege， Hannah finds herself coming to room 6183 in Detroit’s Renaissance Grand Hotel。 But her first meeting with Y。K。 leaves her battered and bloodied， as do her subsequent ones。Hannah wrestles with the nature of her affair with Y。K。 Is it love？ Lust？ Was she raped？ She tries to process what takes place between them and the violence he inflicts on her。 All of this leads her to question her life with Wes， her relationship with her children， and the abuse she suffered from her father。 At every turn Hannah is uncertain， frantic， depressed and believing herself to be powerless against the opinions and actions of the men around her。Hannah’s tryst with Y。K。 is set against the backdrop of a community in terror of a serial killer of children。 Oates exposes the rotten core of the Jarretts’ elite world: Babysitter， as the culprit is known， is one of their own。 As the novel progresses， Hannah’s life becomes closer to that of Babysitter， and her horror at that realization steadily mounts as she cannot continue to ignore the truth。 Yet Wes， representative of the blind eye often turned， grows increasingly paranoid and racist， spewing conspiracies and unfounded rumors about the murders and the killer。Hannah’s perspective is nightmarish and hyperreal as she grows more and more troubled， struggling to collect her thoughts and assess her situation。 Oates captures her inner world with frightening detail。 Readers are along for the horrific ride as what Hannah experiences further damages her physically and emotionally。 Though this is a novel that centers on Hannah’s interiority， there is also a trail of bodies as Babysitter continues to kill and as Hannah and Y。K。’s actions become deadly for those in near proximity。 The violence wrought --- on Hannah， the child victims of Babysitter and those caught in the turmoil --- is graphic。 Oates never shies away from confronting the fear and terror of her characters or the harm they experience or perpetrate。BABYSITTER is a disturbing exploration of the power of prestige， wealth and whiteness and the powerlessness of women， children and Black men in the U。S。 Oates skews and lambasts ideas about women’s roles and expectations。 The killer here is noted for his “caring，” even “maternal，” disposal of the bodies， and Hannah hands off much of her own motherly work to her Filipina housekeeper and nanny， who turns out to be the only character who can really see what’s happening with her。Violence and pain beget violence and pain in this brutal yet brilliant novel。 Here is a raw and desolate story penned in Oates' signature style --- flowing and visceral prose --- that doesn’t allow characters or readers easy answers to the difficult questions posed。Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman 。。。more
Chris Piel
，
🤯 I’ve never read a book like this。 At first I was bored and ready to put it down but I thought - this is by JCO - just stick with it a bit。 It covered all my emotions。 Shock at the naivety of the character， the passiveness， stupidity but at the same time I could understand。 It was really good。 I was scared。 Relieved。 Curious pissed。 Shocked。 I could experience all these emotions in one chapter。 I loved it but was disgusted at the same time？？？？？ Can’t explain it。 All I can say is what the heck d 🤯 I’ve never read a book like this。 At first I was bored and ready to put it down but I thought - this is by JCO - just stick with it a bit。 It covered all my emotions。 Shock at the naivety of the character， the passiveness， stupidity but at the same time I could understand。 It was really good。 I was scared。 Relieved。 Curious pissed。 Shocked。 I could experience all these emotions in one chapter。 I loved it but was disgusted at the same time？？？？？ Can’t explain it。 All I can say is what the heck did I just read。 Really good 。。。more
Michelle Kidwell
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BabysitterA novelby Joyce Carol OatesPub Date 23 Aug 2022 | Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group， Knopf Literary Fiction | Mystery & ThrillersI am reviewing a copy of Babysitter through Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and Netgalley:Disclaimer due to subject matter and strong language not recommended for readers under sixteen！In the last few years of the。 1970’s， in the wake of unsolved child-killings that have shocked Detroit， the lives of several residents are drawn together with tragic consequenc BabysitterA novelby Joyce Carol OatesPub Date 23 Aug 2022 | Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group， Knopf Literary Fiction | Mystery & ThrillersI am reviewing a copy of Babysitter through Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and Netgalley:Disclaimer due to subject matter and strong language not recommended for readers under sixteen！In the last few years of the。 1970’s， in the wake of unsolved child-killings that have shocked Detroit， the lives of several residents are drawn together with tragic consequences。Included in this group of people， there is Hannah wife of a prominent local businessman， who has begun an affair with a darkly charismatic stranger whose identity remains elusive; Mikey， a canny street hustler who finds himself on a chilling mission to rectify injustice; and the serial killer known as Babysitter， an enigmatic and terrifying figure at the periphery of elite Detroit。 As Babysitter continues his rampage of abductions and killings， these individuals intersect with one another in startling and unexpected ways。Babysitter is a suspenseful and brilliantly orchestrated as well as engrossing novel。 Babysitter is a starkly narrated exploration of the riskiness of pursuing alternate lives， calling into question how far we are willing to go to protect those whom we cherish most。 In its scathing indictment of corrupt politics， unexamined racism， and the enabling of sexual predation in America， Babysitter is a thrilling work of contemporary fiction。I give Babysitter five out of five stars！Happy Reading！ 。。。more
Pam Corkery
，
A very disturbing and bizarre novel。
Poppy Gee
，
What a strange， feverish and darkly spellbinding story this one is。 Joyce Carol Oates is regarded as one of the most accomplished living literary fiction authors in the world and her latest novel， a literary crime thriller， is superb。 It feels like a harrowing， complex nightmare that you can't stop thinking about。Set in the upper echelons of Detroit society in the 1970s， Babysitter is about Hannah， the white wife of a wealthy businessman。 Utterly privileged， she feels unloved and unseen by her h What a strange， feverish and darkly spellbinding story this one is。 Joyce Carol Oates is regarded as one of the most accomplished living literary fiction authors in the world and her latest novel， a literary crime thriller， is superb。 It feels like a harrowing， complex nightmare that you can't stop thinking about。Set in the upper echelons of Detroit society in the 1970s， Babysitter is about Hannah， the white wife of a wealthy businessman。 Utterly privileged， she feels unloved and unseen by her husband and young children， morally judged by her Filipina housekeeper， and safe only within the insular， decadent confines of her social set。 She hosts a charity gala at a luxury hotel and as she's working the room， a charming， creepy stranger touches her hand。 This leads to a sordid， confronting affair at the Renaissance Grand Hotel。 The adultery plays out against a backdrop of terror as serial killer， the Babysitter， is abducting white children from the city's affluent suburbs。 The disturbing narrative threads are drawn together in an unexpected way。 That's all you need to know。 I would love to discuss this with someone， there were scenes toward the end that seemed dream-like， or Alice in Wonderland-ish; yet they're not。 Or maybe they are。。。 if you read it， let me know what you think！The mirror this story holds up to society reveals an unpleasant portrait of race， class， patriarchal manipulation of women and girls， sex and desire， the church and male lust， corruption and a portrayal of violence that will grit the teeth of even the hardened crime fiction reader。 Having said that， it's also completely mesmerising。 I couldn't put it down。The story was inspired by a similar real life serial killer operating in Detroit when the author was living there in the seventies。 Original， unsettling and sharp， I urge you to read Babysitter。 。。。more
Dna
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Unbearable。 I can't see any reason why I should waste precious time TRYING to make sense of this。 I love you， Joyce， but no。 Too bad， because it， like most of Oates' novels， had such an intriguing premise。 Unbearable。 I can't see any reason why I should waste precious time TRYING to make sense of this。 I love you， Joyce， but no。 Too bad， because it， like most of Oates' novels， had such an intriguing premise。 。。。more
Linda
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Another unique story from one of my favorite writers。 This novel is tagged as horror and though parts are certainly horrific， it could also be described as a thriller or mystery。 Drawing on so many of life’s current issues （abuse of children—particularly by the clergy， rape， murder， loneliness， depression， drug and alcohol use/abuse， racial profiling， guns readily available， women seen as possessions， greed， etc，） the story primarily follows 39-year-old Hannah as she struggles with the consequen Another unique story from one of my favorite writers。 This novel is tagged as horror and though parts are certainly horrific， it could also be described as a thriller or mystery。 Drawing on so many of life’s current issues （abuse of children—particularly by the clergy， rape， murder， loneliness， depression， drug and alcohol use/abuse， racial profiling， guns readily available， women seen as possessions， greed， etc，） the story primarily follows 39-year-old Hannah as she struggles with the consequences of trying to give her life meaning。 The writing is unusual in using many incomplete sentences and train-of-thought paragraphs but is effective in subtly building suspense。 It is really just Hannah that we come to know intimately even while not really respecting her。Thanks to NetGalley and Alfred A。 Knopf Publishing for the ARC to read and review。 。。。more
Abby
，
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for allowing me to read this ARC！Content Warning: death （including that of a child）， murder， violence， rape （on-page）， homophobia， racism， racist slurs， homophobic slurs， victim-blaming， suicidal ideation， child abuse （physical， emotional and sexual）。For more of my reviews， check out my blog！Detroit， 1977。 Hannah Jarrett lives a privileged life; the wife of a wealthy man， the mother of two perfect children， the co-chair of many esteemed fundraisers and charity ev Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for allowing me to read this ARC！Content Warning: death （including that of a child）， murder， violence， rape （on-page）， homophobia， racism， racist slurs， homophobic slurs， victim-blaming， suicidal ideation， child abuse （physical， emotional and sexual）。For more of my reviews， check out my blog！Detroit， 1977。 Hannah Jarrett lives a privileged life; the wife of a wealthy man， the mother of two perfect children， the co-chair of many esteemed fundraisers and charity events。 In the midst of her outwardly perfect -- if boring -- life， Hannah suddenly and unexpectedly meets a man who she is instantly drawn to。 Calling himself only Y。K。， Hannah falls headfirst into an affair that will change the course of her life forever。 In another part of Detroit， there's Mikey， connected not only to Y。K。， but to Babysitter， the child killer stalking the streets。 As Hannah grows more and more suspicious of Y。K。， questioning whether he is implicated in the Babysitter killings， everyone -- including Hannah's children and her husband -- will be drawn into the turmoil。。。Joyce Carol Oates is adept at crafting stories centered around darkness。 Of the several other books I've read by her， they were all similarly filled with themes of lust， hatred， and murder， and while some of them were more successful than others， I knew going into Babysitter that this type of tale was in good hands。 Her stories often play with subversion， subterfuge， and nontraditional forms of writing， and so those who are not familiar with her style may find it a bit strange at first -- even I， having not read anything by her in a while， found it a bit jarring at first。 However， the longer I read， the more compulsively I found myself consuming this， eager to know what frightening turn the plot might take。Hannah Jarrett is our （main） protagonist; I would describe her as being squarely in the middle of the events that take place here， as well as the characters who surround her。 She， both narratively and as a character， provides a sort of stepping stone， an opportunity for the reader to see themselves in the story。 However， like most of Oates's protagonists， she is not likable on principle; she is complex， deeply flawed， and very， very naïve。 I appreciated Oates's efforts to show us that while Hannah thinks of herself as being "rational" and "nonracist，" she nonetheless continuously insults her children's Filipina nanny， Ismelda， with microaggressions。 She projects her insecurities and fears onto Ismelda， the "other，" just like her husband， Wes， does， though his is more outwardly aggressive， more "male。"Racism is a big theme in this book， as is fitting， I think， for a novel that takes place in 1970s' Detroit。 Present， too， as in all of Oates's novels， are the questions of womanhood， femininity， and how motherhood changes women （for better and worse）。 Some of her attempts at dissecting racism are better than others but， overall， I think the message here is well-conveyed -- that racism is insidious in its many forms， and that white women perpetuate racism in ways different than their male counterparts （but that all are equally reprehensible）。 Her discussions of misogyny are incisive and clever， as always。Now， onto why it didn't quite get the full four stars from me。。。 my main complaint is that， sometimes， I struggled to truly "click" with the story or its characters。 Mistakenly， I thought that this novel would revolve mainly around the Babysitter killer， also known as the Oakland County Child Killer， who I do have some prior knowledge of。 Instead， this deals mostly with people who are connected to him， both tangentially and more closely， which I found a touch disappointing。 The child killings serve more as a backdrop for what's going on in Hannah's life， as well as exacerbating her already heightened fears as a mother。 It's important that I mention that while this book does deal with many dark， horrible things， sometimes in graphic detail， I never felt as if Oates was exploiting the real life tragedies that Babysitter committed。 I didn't like Hannah， per se; she's gullible， a bit spineless， not to mention her strange racist assumptions about Ismelda。 However， I see the purpose of her story， and I do enjoy the fact that Oates doesn't worry so much about how "relatable" or "likable" her characters are。 The story also feels disjointed， sometimes confusing; while this does work well in some aspects， in others， it fails to achieve its intentions。 For example， the ending -- I'm still confused about what exactly it was meant to signify， even how much of it is "real。" That might work for some readers， but in my case， it left me feeling a bit let down after the rather arduous journey I took to get there。 Ultimately， I think Babysitter succeeds in many of its efforts， but as a whole， it felt like a jigsaw puzzle missing a few pieces。 I'd recommend this to Oates's fans， and to anyone who might have a fascination with true crime like I do。 。。。more
Michelle Ward
，
Like others have said after i read the synopsis I was really looking forward to reading it。 However it's been one of the hardest books I've read。 I couldn't understand half of it and had to reread parts。 I didn't enjoy it。 Like others have said after i read the synopsis I was really looking forward to reading it。 However it's been one of the hardest books I've read。 I couldn't understand half of it and had to reread parts。 I didn't enjoy it。 。。。more
Lauren Boczek
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I am not sure what I just read。 Long， drawn out & tedious， I often felt anxiety trying to get through these pages。 Entirely too many similes。 Extensive use of the word “wraith。，” for no discernible reason。 Unfortunately， I found myself wanting the book to be over。 I kept waiting for something to happen & pieces to fall into place， but that never happened。 We are left wondering about every single character， from Hannah to Wes & Y。K。 to the Babysitter。 I’m so confused and after nearly 500 pages， I I am not sure what I just read。 Long， drawn out & tedious， I often felt anxiety trying to get through these pages。 Entirely too many similes。 Extensive use of the word “wraith。，” for no discernible reason。 Unfortunately， I found myself wanting the book to be over。 I kept waiting for something to happen & pieces to fall into place， but that never happened。 We are left wondering about every single character， from Hannah to Wes & Y。K。 to the Babysitter。 I’m so confused and after nearly 500 pages， I was hoping for way more。 。。。more
Megan
，
Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday for the advanced reader copy。This week’s headline？ Don’t tell mom the babysitter’s killing people。 Why this book？ Love Joyce Carol Oates and books about serial killers。 Which book format？ ARCPrimary reading environment？ Parents’ guest room Any preconceived notions？ If I don’t like this I will rage。 Identify most with？ NoneThree little words？ “courage is required” Goes well with？ HotelsRecommend this to？ A few of my friendsOther cultural accompaniments: htt Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday for the advanced reader copy。This week’s headline？ Don’t tell mom the babysitter’s killing people。 Why this book？ Love Joyce Carol Oates and books about serial killers。 Which book format？ ARCPrimary reading environment？ Parents’ guest room Any preconceived notions？ If I don’t like this I will rage。 Identify most with？ NoneThree little words？ “courage is required” Goes well with？ HotelsRecommend this to？ A few of my friendsOther cultural accompaniments: https://latestnews。fresherslive。com/a。。。 Grade: 3。75/5I leave you with this: “Never look too closely into the motive of a smile。 And — Never look back to where a smile has gone。 … And take care where you smile。”📚📚📚In 1970s Detroit， white children are being abducted in rich neighborhoods and then murdered by a serial killer given the moniker Babysitter。 The book description on goodreads says it’s an “exploration of the riskiness of pursuing alternative lives” and I couldn’t agree more。 I haven’t read anything by JCO in years so I can’t remember if this writing style is standard for her， but the narration came across as non-human - even during the Hannah chapters。 This book’s pacing was also odd。 I found myself moving through it rather quickly but it felt so slow and dragged on。 This is one of those books that I don’t think it benefits to read on an ebook because looking at the pages is daunting， as it’s 1029 pages long but maybe that’s just me。 Babysitter is now available。 tw: murder， rape， infidelity， racism， kidnapping， homophobic slurs 。。。more
Colleen
，
Let me preface by saying this is the first Joyce Carol Oates book I've read but I know she has high praise for her other books。 The other books are on my list， I swear but I just haven't gotten to 'em yet。 That being said， Oates seems like the kind of author you need to be used to in order to fully appreciate and enjoy。 The premise of this book sounds so interesting and it made me think I was getting into something way different than what it is。 ALAS！ That wasn't a completely terrible thing。 I w Let me preface by saying this is the first Joyce Carol Oates book I've read but I know she has high praise for her other books。 The other books are on my list， I swear but I just haven't gotten to 'em yet。 That being said， Oates seems like the kind of author you need to be used to in order to fully appreciate and enjoy。 The premise of this book sounds so interesting and it made me think I was getting into something way different than what it is。 ALAS！ That wasn't a completely terrible thing。 I was a little intimidated by the high page count when I saw it （>400 pages to me is high！ Don't judge！） so I hesitated a bit in starting my reading。 When I finally did start， it took a while for me to get into it / enjoy it。 For the first 30% or so I was ready to DNF it but then something would happen and it would suck me in and I'd keep going。 I'd credit that to some of the really short chapters with only one or two pages。 It kept my interest peaked and my reading pace quick of which I appreciate。There's some pretty random and quick POV changes and it sort of bounces all over。 I finished the book and I'm still not entirely sure what happened in the end。 The writing style is unique - I see a lot of people complaining about the use of parenthesis but I didn't mind them much。 This is a book you have to take your time with and much to my detriment， it was a book that I didn't really want to dedicate a whole lot of time with。 Maybe that's why I'm still a little hazy on what actually happened in this book。If you're a fan of Joyce Carol Oates， you'll probably be much better off than I was getting into this。 There's some really great commentary on sexism， racism， and classism that I found interesting。 I can't say this book made me super eager to read other works of hers but it didn't turn me off completely。Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Chris Chanona
，
Hannah is nearly 40 and in a ‘good’ marriage but one that is dull。 Then she meets a charismatic man who thrills her with his first touch。 An affair starts but this is no ordinary affair。 It is dark， compulsive and slowly consuming Hannah。 And it is violent。This is set against a background of real life horrific child abuse and murders in Detroit in the late 1970s。 The bodies were neatly posed in the snow and some newspapers began calling the perpetrator the Babysitter Killer after it was reported Hannah is nearly 40 and in a ‘good’ marriage but one that is dull。 Then she meets a charismatic man who thrills her with his first touch。 An affair starts but this is no ordinary affair。 It is dark， compulsive and slowly consuming Hannah。 And it is violent。This is set against a background of real life horrific child abuse and murders in Detroit in the late 1970s。 The bodies were neatly posed in the snow and some newspapers began calling the perpetrator the Babysitter Killer after it was reported the children were found washed and groomed， their clothes meticulously put back on。 The tale twists back and forth and entwines and most of it is， frankly， terribly disturbing。 Oates writes with precision， with nothing wasted， but sometimes in a flurry of words， like an impression， which you can almost skim through， especially given the level of emotional shock for the reader。 I found I had to stop reading and have a ‘normal’ pause。A drawback for me was that I felt little empathy for the main character Hannah， a ‘rich bitch’ who repeats the same patterns over and over without any deep thought。 I did not think Oates had much sympathy for her either。 In fact， none of the characters are at all appealing and as a UK reader the book， set in Detroit， feels alien throughout。 What could I learn from this？ Did I highlight quotes（very usual for me）？ No。 I suppose the lesson lies in exploring alternative lifestyles。 Ones you really don’t want to imagine。 Or explore。I have read her ‘Black Water’ and a few short stories and the style is familiar。 She gets to the point quickly。 She is a good writer but this just was not for me。 Too much discomfort。 But I guess that would be part of Joyce Carol Oates’ intention。 If you have a strong stomach then go ahead。I read a copy provided by NetGalley and the publishers but my views are my own。 。。。more
Anne O'Connell
，
I hadn’t read any of Joyce Carol Oates’s previous books （and boy there are a lot） but I enjoyed an interview with her I saw during lockdown and was intrigued by the description of Babysitter。 I like her writing style; there’s an element of repetition that builds tension， and the parenthetical comments provide a glimpse of the inner voice and uncertainties。 It’s really pacy， one sentence bleeding into the next。Most of the time， we’re with Hannah， a wife and mother living in the Detroit suburbs wh I hadn’t read any of Joyce Carol Oates’s previous books （and boy there are a lot） but I enjoyed an interview with her I saw during lockdown and was intrigued by the description of Babysitter。 I like her writing style; there’s an element of repetition that builds tension， and the parenthetical comments provide a glimpse of the inner voice and uncertainties。 It’s really pacy， one sentence bleeding into the next。Most of the time， we’re with Hannah， a wife and mother living in the Detroit suburbs who is insulated by affluence。 Oates makes it easy to imagine the world Hannah inhabits and her privileged yet stultifying existence。 It’s set in the 70s but in some ways seems so close to today’s reality。 A chance encounter leads Hannah away from her ordered life to reckless behaviour she struggles to comprehend。 I found myself sympathising with her while wanting to shake her out of her delusion。The other part of the story concerns a series of child abductions and murders， perpetrated by someone the local press has dubbed ‘Babysitter’; interspersed are the voices of some of the lost children。 I found Babysitter deeply unsettling， partly because of the subject matter but especially concerning the poison of racism。 How easily fear can tip into anger; actions， however minor they seem at the time， can have grave consequences。I suspect there’s a lot more going on in Babysitter that I’ve taken in at first read; I think there are uncomfortable parallels to be drawn between America then and now。 Plus ça change？I received a free proof copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Catalina
，
I cannot say I've warmed up to Oates's writing style。 This type of staccato: bullets in fast succession as if fired from a machine gun type of writing that I guess is somewhat of a staple for "modern" literature does't necessary do it for me， but does't put me off either！ And under Oates pen it acquired a certain "je ne sais quoi" that kept me enthralled for the first half of the book。 The almost dream like quality of Hannah's narrative and the jumping from one subject to the next made for a hyp I cannot say I've warmed up to Oates's writing style。 This type of staccato: bullets in fast succession as if fired from a machine gun type of writing that I guess is somewhat of a staple for "modern" literature does't necessary do it for me， but does't put me off either！ And under Oates pen it acquired a certain "je ne sais quoi" that kept me enthralled for the first half of the book。 The almost dream like quality of Hannah's narrative and the jumping from one subject to the next made for a hypnotic read that I would have like to continue until the end。 But the second part the of the book if much more anchored in reality and fast paced， striping away the layer that so fascinated me！ And let me tell you that I was less than impressed by the core story as it's chock-full of all the stereotypes floating out there。 Hanna is just a hollow white rich wife， abused and unloved by all those around her: from her dad， to her husband， to her lover that's only using her as a pawn in his power game。 She only has her art committees and her motherhood， and even those are not fulfilling。 The mastermind behind all the criminals in the novel， the one that pulls all the strings， cleans everything and banks all the monies is obviously a Jew， and an immigrant Jew too！ The constant fight between them and us， a ever present racial fight that obviously couldn't have been left out of an novel that's on a quest to include each and every type of stereotype in existence。 And the list goes on and on。。。。 At least the end eludes at some interesting development on Hanna's side。。。 All in all a nice introduction to Joyce Carol Oates。 I may try one of her older books ;）*Book from NetGalley with many thanks to the publisher for the opportunity！ 。。。more
Nancy Robson
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This book did not work for me。 All of the characters were terrible human beings - even the little boy was drawn as unpleasant and mean - and the story was kind of convoluted。 It was hard for me to keep track of what was going on。
Kerry
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I am a fan of JCO， so let's start with that。 For me， then， this novel didn't disappoint。 It is， in deed， a complex， and often complicated， text to read and requires a lot of the reader because of it。 Also keep in mind that Detroit in 1977 （the setting） is not now， so be aware that sexism and racism， and the way in which JCO writes about that are relevant to the time and place。 The protagonists， Hannah， is a middle class woman， married， a mother， wealthy， who is tempted into an affair after a si I am a fan of JCO， so let's start with that。 For me， then， this novel didn't disappoint。 It is， in deed， a complex， and often complicated， text to read and requires a lot of the reader because of it。 Also keep in mind that Detroit in 1977 （the setting） is not now， so be aware that sexism and racism， and the way in which JCO writes about that are relevant to the time and place。 The protagonists， Hannah， is a middle class woman， married， a mother， wealthy， who is tempted into an affair after a simple and singular meeting with a man at a dinner。 What makes this novel work， for me， is the interweaving of what could alone be a compelling story of a woman going off the rails， with the backdrop of a child serial killer， known as the Babysitter。 JCO links the life of a woman who is living amidst what would become feminism， equality etc with human desire， societal inequality， violence and racism， using a style that， OK， can be tricky to read unless you truly commit。 There is some flashing back and forth and a use of language that is unique - sometimes flowing seamlessly， sometimes stopping mid-point。 The effect is a montage of scenes with the responsibility placed on the reader to piece it together。A definite recommend for JCO admirers: extremely clever， and for me， a joy to read。 My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC。 。。。more
Debbie
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I've read other books by this author and was looking forward to this one。 It left me a little disappointed， but that may be a me thing and not a book thing。 It was a well developed story， just not the one I was anticipating。The novel takes place in 1977 Detroit。 A serial killer is kidnapping and killing white children between the ages of 11-14。 The killer bathes and arranges them nude with their clothes folded nearby to be found。 The killer has been dubbed "The Babysitter"。 Therefore， I thought I've read other books by this author and was looking forward to this one。 It left me a little disappointed， but that may be a me thing and not a book thing。 It was a well developed story， just not the one I was anticipating。The novel takes place in 1977 Detroit。 A serial killer is kidnapping and killing white children between the ages of 11-14。 The killer bathes and arranges them nude with their clothes folded nearby to be found。 The killer has been dubbed "The Babysitter"。 Therefore， I thought this would be the main subject of the book。 It is not。 This storyline seems to run more in the background of the main one。We meet Hannah Garrett， a wealthy suburban housewife who is most definitely unfullfilled， both in life and her marriage。 At a fundraiser she chairs， she meets a mysterious man who whispers to her， "Which one are you？" and she takes this to mean which man is her husband。 He disappears， but later contacts her to meet him at an upscale motel where they begin an illicit affair that goes well beyond her boundaries， but she can't seem to stop。Her husband doesn't seem to care about her， her children have a nanny/housekeeper who cares for them， and so Hannah turns to YK， the mystery man， to fill a void in her life。 But is he everything she believes him to be？ Is there something more going on？ Trigger warnings definitely in this book for violence， rape， child assault。I felt like this book was well written。 But the storyline fell a bit flat for me， I never felt invested， and Hannah was a very unlikeable character。 I think I was wanting a serial killer story and instead got a housewife trying to find herself that ends up deep in things she never intended。 So as I said， it's a me thing rather than the book。 Many thanks to NetGalley and Knoph Doubleday Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Nicole W。
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Thank you to #NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review。 I was so excited to read more by Joyce Carol Oates， a confirmed literary legend。 This did not disappoint。 Told in a collection of short fragments， this was a bizarre but enjoyable mix of crime thriller， a woman’s middle aged questioning of her values and role in her suburban life， the book’s style is a little frantic， in choppy sentences and sentence fragments， often without speaker tags。 It was a lit Thank you to #NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review。 I was so excited to read more by Joyce Carol Oates， a confirmed literary legend。 This did not disappoint。 Told in a collection of short fragments， this was a bizarre but enjoyable mix of crime thriller， a woman’s middle aged questioning of her values and role in her suburban life， the book’s style is a little frantic， in choppy sentences and sentence fragments， often without speaker tags。 It was a little jarring， but fit the subject matter well: police brutality， sexual assault， serial killings。 Not an easy read， but a solid one。 。。。more
Michael Burke
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The Neglected and UnlovedIdentity crisis？ Midlife crisis？ Hannah Jarrett has found herself adrift without gravity to pull her in any direction。 She is 39 years old， married to a successful business man who no longer seems to feel one way or the other about her， with two young children who seem more dependent on the housekeeper than on her。 Hannah tumbles from depression to paranoia to ecstasy without the pretense she is in control。The ecstasy comes from a dubious source。 A mysterious man has ent The Neglected and UnlovedIdentity crisis？ Midlife crisis？ Hannah Jarrett has found herself adrift without gravity to pull her in any direction。 She is 39 years old， married to a successful business man who no longer seems to feel one way or the other about her， with two young children who seem more dependent on the housekeeper than on her。 Hannah tumbles from depression to paranoia to ecstasy without the pretense she is in control。The ecstasy comes from a dubious source。 A mysterious man has entered the picture during a time she is at her most vulnerable。 With a seductive confidence he approaches her and tells her to meet at his room for a rendezvous。 Hannah finds herself driving to his hotel， takes the room key from the front desk， rides the long ride up the elevator， and takes the long walk down the aisle to confront a hanging “Do Not Disturb” sign。 Joyce Carol Oates has made this more than a journey from point A to point B– we are privy to every doubt in Hannah’s mind。 Is this the right thing to do？ No， of course this is wrong and could lead to disaster…but it can not be wrong to want to be desired。 Sex does not even seem to be the point– it is the affection she is crying out for。The Babysitter is the name coined for a serial killer who is victimizing young children in the area。 As a mother herself， Hannah has the normal expected concerns for her children， but the killer has not been preying on families in well-to-do properties such as hers。 She tells herself the Babysitter takes only the neglected and unloved。 The plotlines do mesh， of course， as cruel and suspicious characters emerge to further the mystery。There is a brutal streak in this book， necessary but appalling– particularly the sexual savagery and the abuse to the children。 We are dealing with monsters here。 This is just a heads-up， expounding would circle the spoiler area。“The Babysitter” runs a little deliberate at times， especially given the “thriller” tag， but Oates has meticulously portrayed real flesh and blood characters。 Hannah is sympathetic， if not very admirable， in her helplessness。 At one point she is told a string of pearls has lost most of its value after being neglected and unloved for too long– and that is pretty much the way she sees herself。 Her flaw is in having learned to validate her worth through the eyes of others， men particularly。 Thank you to Knopf and Edelweiss for providing the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review。 #Babysitter #Edelweiss #Knopf。 。。。more
Amanda
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Craving an identity of her own， the wife of an affluent businessman embarks on an affair with an enigmatic stranger。 A hustler has ambitions to make something of himself。 A serial killer known only as Babysitter preys upon young boys。 These three lives intersect in 1970s Detroit， a city festering with patriarchy and racism。Power is all in this suspenseful thriller。JCO excels at character， and weaves together the different strands of the narrative masterfully。 My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCol Craving an identity of her own， the wife of an affluent businessman embarks on an affair with an enigmatic stranger。 A hustler has ambitions to make something of himself。 A serial killer known only as Babysitter preys upon young boys。 These three lives intersect in 1970s Detroit， a city festering with patriarchy and racism。Power is all in this suspenseful thriller。JCO excels at character， and weaves together the different strands of the narrative masterfully。 My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC。 。。。more
James Costa
，
I have been a big Joyce Carol Oates fan for years。 I have literally read all of her novels and most of her short stories。 She has a big movie coming out on Netflix for her book Blonde。 She will be in the spotlight for awards season and getting lots of press。 This brings us to her latest book Babysitter。 This is a very dark novel but gives us the best of Oates and why I am such a big fan， It takes place in the 70's and has two intertwining stories。 One about a serial killer that goes after kids a I have been a big Joyce Carol Oates fan for years。 I have literally read all of her novels and most of her short stories。 She has a big movie coming out on Netflix for her book Blonde。 She will be in the spotlight for awards season and getting lots of press。 This brings us to her latest book Babysitter。 This is a very dark novel but gives us the best of Oates and why I am such a big fan， It takes place in the 70's and has two intertwining stories。 One about a serial killer that goes after kids and a woman bored with her middle class marriage who is having an affair with someone she thought would spice up her life。 The book goes back and forth at a breakneck pace and you have no idea how the book will end。 It's part sliding doors/will serial killer be found out。 I strongly recommend this book。 It's Oates at her finest and will be a nice place for new readers to start because it's accesible and a complete page turner。 Thank you to #knopf and #netgalley for the pre-publication read。 So excited to share this book with my bookstagram 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Babysitter
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Babysitter&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Babysitter&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0