The babysitter duo is back to protect and save their town from supernatural beings. Yet sometimes the threat may come from the inside. For Better or Worse is a mashup of Buffy the Vampire, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Babysitters club. Williams creates a universe that has portals, witchcraft and excitement. For this sequel, the babysitters are up against a new foe, Babysitters from around the world. Readers will love reading about other babysitters and how they interact with their magic. The conference allows for some fresh characters to be introduced into the mix and add diversity in perspective. Yet, the characters are shells of what they could have been. They encompassed tropes that have already been exhausted, while the plot at times seems to lag. The twist was a little underwhelming, giving the reader a sense of unfinished business.

This book follows the same format as the first one. Much like the first book, this one had a lot of internal thought being used to tell the story. It got boring at times. There were some fun moments in the story that I liked.

This book is a cute sequel to "The Babysitter's Coven". However, I do feel it is a very niche taste. Perhaps best suited for a different type of reader than me.

My thirteen year old daughter asked me to request this book because she enjoyed the first book in the series so much. Here is her review:

For Better or For Cursed is the sequel to The Babysitter’s Coven, so if you haven’t read that book, you need to do so before reading this one.

This book takes place a couple months after the events of the first book. It follows teen girls Esme and Cassandra as they hold an event for the whole sitter organization in their little town. But as it turns out, there’s something wrong with Cassandra, and Esme needs to figure out how to fix Cassandra before it becomes irreversible.

I thought the book was good, the author did a good job of expanding the story universe, and giving characters from the first book a more important role by giving them the knowledge of the sitters. I can’t say anything more about that without giving away spoilers. I also like how the author gave hints towards an event that happened at the end of the book, but didn’t totally give the event away. The author also did a good job of setting up the next book. I also like how the author gives an ETA for the next book, so that the readers can know when to look out for it. I hope this review persuaded you to get the book and if it did, I hope you like it as much as I did.

We received an ARC of this book from Random House Children/NetGalley.

I wasn't too keen on the first one but decided to give this one a try against my judgement. This just doesn't work for me. I dislike the way magic is used to constantly manipulate people in order for the story to move forward. I have to DNF this series.

Thank you Netgalley for an e-arc of this book in exchange for a review. I wish it was better.

Such a solid follow up for Kate Williams! Babysitters, witches, magic..so much fun and a really strong sequel. The author's humor really shines through in this book. I also appreciated the light romance and that it didn't take away from the central plot. I eagerly am awaiting the next installment!

Who doesn’t enjoy witches???? Well, Kate is back with her babysitting witches! I love how these characters see magic, use it and fear its consequences. I loved loved loved this one! We need more! Haha

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: For Better or Cursed

Author: Kate Williams

Book Series: The Babysitters Coven Book 2

Diversity: f/f relationships

Rating: 5/5

Recommended For...: December 15, 2020

Publication Date:

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Pages: 384

Recommended Age: 16+ (Gore, Violence, Animal violence/near starvation)

Synopsis: Adventures in Babysitting meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this funny, action-packed sequel about a coven of witchy babysitters who realize their calling to protect the innocent and save the world from an onslaught of evil.

Esme Pearl's life used to be all about bumming rides and babysitting. Sure, it wasn't glamorous, but it was predictable. All that changed when Cassandra Heaven came to town, and they discovered their complicated, and connected, legacy: Esme and Cassandra are Sitters, supernaturally-gifted teens armed with an ever-changing grimoire of Sitter witchcraft to help them protect the innocent and keep evil demons at bay. You know, the typical teenage stuff.
But just as Esme is starting to adjust to--and maybe even like--her new normal, life lobs another glitter bomb her way. The Synod--the Sitterhood's governing circle--has called a Summit, a once-in-a-generation gathering that promises training, education, and whole lot of ice-breakers.
Esme should be excited--a Summit might mean she can finally get the answers she desperately wants--but she can't shake a building sense of panic. Especially since Cassandra's not acting like herself; Esme's dad is MIA; Pig is out of dog food; Janis is scared to be alone; and there's a guy who seems too good to be true, again. Worst of all, it soon becomes clear, there's no one watching the kids. It's obvious the Summit is a haute mess, but will it be a deadly one, too?

Review: Oh my word I fell in love with this sequel! While the first book is still a bit better in my opinion I really enjoyed this sequel. I felt that the world building was very well done and the character development of the main characters and our side characters were also very well done. The plot of this book is much more intriguing then the first book and I am interested to see where this goes. I think this has an excellent shot of being one of my favorite series in most recent years. I love all of the little callbacks to babysitters and horror films and I love just basically everything about this book.

The only thing that I could really fault the book for is that it did take a little bit for me to remember the events of book one. but I do say that the author did well with presenting the material in a more relatable way than just a big info dump at the very beginning. but in getting that information it did take a little bit and I was confused through the first couple of chapters.

Verdict: Highly recommend!

Thank you To Netgalley for allowing to read the book an giving me the eBook in exchange for my honest opinion.

Having read the first book in the series I am glad the pace of the first book has continued into the 2nd. The pace is set very slow at the beginning focusing more on the average teen life and then speeding a head infusing the supernatural side of everything.

It was good to see all of our favorite characters from the 1st book coming back and all the new characters that joined us in this new segment, I was Satisfied with the amount of new characters there were not too many and the ones we did get got their "screen time" and introductions without taking from the story line.

One thing that i did notice was a few loose ends were left floating through out the story. I feel like a lot of the Interpersonal and familial relationships were brought up and then pushed aside for the plot which helps the story moved forward but it did leave many hanging string around with there being a third book in the works i do hope that they are brought up and discussed so they can have their screen time.

I give this book a 4/5


Description
Adventures in Babysitting meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this funny, action-packed sequel about a coven of witchy babysitters who realize their calling to protect the innocent and save the world from an onslaught of evil.

Esme Pearl's life used to be all about bumming rides and babysitting. Sure, it wasn't glamorous, but it was predictable. All that changed when Cassandra Heaven came to town, and they discovered their complicated, and connected, legacy: Esme and Cassandra are Sitters, supernaturally-gifted teens armed with an ever-changing grimoire of Sitter witchcraft to help them protect the innocent and keep evil demons at bay. You know, the typical teenage stuff.
But just as Esme is starting to adjust to--and maybe even like--her new normal, life lobs another glitter bomb her way. The Synod--the Sisterhood's governing circle--has called a Summit, a once-in-a-generation gathering that promises training, education, and whole lot of ice-breakers.
Esme should be excited--a Summit might mean she can finally get the answers she desperately wants--but she can't shake a building sense of panic. Especially since Cassandra's not acting like herself; Esme's dad is MIA; Pig is out of dog food; Janis is scared to be alone; and there's a guy who seems too good to be true, again. Worst of all, it soon becomes clear, there's no one watching the kids. It's obvious the Summit is a haute mess, but will it be a deadly one, too?

The first third of this book is literally the monotony of party planning, and while I can definitely relate to having no clue what is hip with "kids" my age. This was incredibly difficult for me to slog through, and it felt like I was being subjugated to some layer of hell. Especially as someone who has planned a convention and knows that magic or not you need a large team of people and weeks if not months of prep work beforehand,

Both the first and second third of this book is incredibly slow-paced. But if you can get through the party planning, you will at least be treated to some more insight into what Sitter culture, history, and practices look like. But in reality, you are left feeling like you didn't learn a lot, which really stinks given that The Summit was introduced as just the kind of place where we would learn that kind of thing.

I can't decide if it's because I'm not quite the demographic for this book or just Motives' choice. But I found it really hard to take the villain seriously. Like they felt like you could give them the level of credibility you would Dr. Doofenshmirtz, but they are actually a terrible person that will stab you,

I am definitely left with this really meh feeling, much like finishing the first book. Where I think the story is great, but the execution isn't there.

I would read anything Kate Williams writes. She is so funny. Obviously there’s going to be another book. Barely any romance in this one. Light on plot but big on pop culture references.

Thoughts and Themes: I really enjoyed the first book in this series so I was really glad that I got approved to read this one on Netgalley. I was happy to find that this book was better than the first one and kept me intriged the whole time I was reading it. While the pacing of this book is similar to the first book, I found that this one kept my attention through the beginning because it had a lot of new concepts being introduced.

I recall that the first book was advertised as a mix between buff the vampire slayer and the babysitter’s club but I am unable to comment on the accuracy of either of those comparisons. I also recall that the first book felt like a call back to the 90s but this book feels a lot more set in modern times.

I go back and forth with if this book is something that can be read on its own or if you need to read the first one before going into this one. This book does build upon the things that happen in the first story so I think it is better if you go ahead and read that book before you start it on this one. If you decide not to read the first one before you give this one a try, just keep reading as things do slowly get explained throughout this story and if you do enjoy it I suggest going back and picking up the first one to get more background.

Characters: You get introduced to the majority of the characters in this story throughout the first book but there are a bit of new characters that get introduced mid story. I really enjoyed getting to know the new characters that were introduced and seeing how they would play into this story. I also liked getting to know more about how these characters got to live as sitters their whole lives while Esme and Cassandra were new to this life.

Writing Style: This book is told in first person through the perspective of Esme. I enjoy a first person narrator because I feel that it lets you get an in depth view of one story. I like that we don’t get to see how Cassandra feels through all of this or that we don’t get to see Janis’s point of view because I feel that would take away from the main story line.

This book was more interesting and engaging than the first in the series, as we got to know the characters a bit better, even as the cast of characters grew. The changing direction of the antagonistic element of the story was interesting, too.

This is another funny, fun, action filled installment of the Babysitters Coven. It’s definitely YA but will keep even adults giggling. The premise of a Coven of Babysitters who face a ton of witches, demons and everything between and are charged to protect the town. Like the first book, I felt the beginning was a little slow as it got the story going with a more fast paced exciting second half. Overall I enjoyed this fun witchy read!

I was given this free review copy by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was such a great second book. I cannot wait for more. I need to know what happens. I love Esme and Cassandra. I also loved the new characters we met. I would recommend this one.

The Babysitters Coven series is so full of humor and adventure! I always have a good time when I'm reading them, and For Better or Cursed helped me cope with a fairly serious reading slump. Lighthearted and fun, For Better or Cursed followed Esme and Cassandra on to the next chapter of their Sitter experience. Sitters are like babysitters, but instead of babysitting children and keeping them safe, they're babysitting the world and keeping it safe from demons. And instead of being CPR qualified, they have specialized magic powers. In the first installment of the series, Esme and Cassandra learned the truth about their birthright and their family legacies. In For Better or Cursed, they are summoned to a Sitters' Summit, but corruption and conspiracy threaten not only the Sitterhood and Esme and Cassandra's families, but also the entire world.

I love the characters in these books. I love that they feel like real teenagers with strong personalities and have to deal with real-life issues (like poverty and broken families) along with cosmic and paranormal threats. Kate Williams' writing has great pacing that made me excited to pick this book up despite struggling to read anything at the moment. The pop culture references were very fun, and Esme and her best friend Janis really remind me of Andie from Pretty in Pink (one of my all-time favs still to this day). In fact, this series gets compared to The Babysitters Club and Buffy often, but I also think there is a strong comparison to the John Hughes universe. I know there is a lot to criticize and examine concerning those films, but there is a warmth to them that I have always enjoyed, and I feel that warmth here. Not everyone will feel that, however.

While I greatly enjoyed this book, it, unfortunately, suffers from middle child syndrome (in the bookish world). I felt that the external conflict was an afterthought, and the more interesting dynamics were the interpersonal relationships. I think Williams felt that as well because the external conflict seemed rushed and a bit lacking in emotional weight. Unfortunately, the plot was constructed in a way that also pushed the interpersonal and familial relationships aside. I think Williams started exploring some interesting emotional journies for her well-crafted characters, but those seemed to drop off as the external conflict picked up. This resulted in a slightly unsatisfactory conclusion to this installment. Luckily we have another book coming, and I hope these lingering threads will be tied up.

What I did appreciate was the continuing expansion of the diversity of the characters. Williams' strength truly is her character work (which is why I would like to see her focus in that direction). Her characters grew and developed in fascinating ways in For Better or Cursed (trying to avoid spoilers here), and I hope to see that continue into future books.

Overall, this was a delightfully fun read, and (surprise) it takes place during the winter holidays so it gave me a lot of Christmas vibes at just the right time of year! If you are struggling to finish a book right now (which is understandable) and are having a hard time feeling holly jolly during a difficult holiday season (also understandable), For Better or Cursed might be just the thing to cheer you up!

For Better or Cursed is the kind of sequel I needed this December!

I enjoyed this book a ton, and I feel like I've saying enjoy a lot this week, mostly in a Negative Nancy way. This is the second book in The Babysitters Coven, a series that I now really hope is not a trilogy because I want more than one more book. I could read about Esme, Cassandra, Janis, Brian, and Pig for a ton more books. For Better or Cursed has everything I liked in the first book-pop culture references, fashions, teenage humor- and more of what I was less into (rules) but the story just works so much better this time around. Esme and Cassandra have to attend a Sitter's Summit, and so we get to watch them learn more about the world of Sitters in a way that really shows, versus tells. I liked the new characters, too!

Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the ARC!

Not sure why but I feel like the characters are dumbed down in this second book. I loved the first book and wanted to love this one too! Still three stars but maybe would consider this for younger an audience

While not quite as entertaining as the first book, this was still a really fun story. In this one, Esme and Cassandra get thrown deeper into the world of Sitters and the Sitterhood, truly finding out just how different and under prepared they are when they have to "host" the Synod for a sort of conference. With a lot of wry and sassy quips and references, this was definitely enjoyable and is still such a fun concept for a book and series.

This was such a fun read, and a great sequel book!

“ Esme Pearl's life used to be all about bumming rides and babysitting. Sure, it wasn't glamorous, but it was predictable. All that changed when Cassandra Heaven came to town, and they discovered their complicated, and connected, legacy: Esme and Cassandra are Sitters, supernaturally-gifted teens armed with an ever-changing grimoire of Sitter witchcraft to help them protect the innocent and keep evil demons at bay. You know, the typical teenage stuff.
But just as Esme is starting to adjust to--and maybe even like--her new normal, life lobs another glitter bomb her way. The Synod--the Sitterhood's governing circle--has called a Summit, a once-in-a-generation gathering that promises training, education, and whole lot of ice-breakers.
Esme should be excited--a Summit might mean she can finally get the answers she desperately wants--but she can't shake a building sense of panic. Especially since Cassandra's not acting like herself; Esme's dad is MIA; Pig is out of dog food; Janis is scared to be alone; and there's a guy who seems too good to be true, again. Worst of all, it soon becomes clear, there's no one watching the kids. It's obvious the Summit is a haute mess, but will it be a deadly one, too?”

I do feel like this one has a bit of a slower pace, but it’s a great sequel with some fun references, and I think adults, teens, and middle schoolers will gobble this up.

Would make a great Christmas present for the teen in your life, especially paired with book 1!

I give this 3.5 stars.

*Many thanks to NetGalley and Delacourte Press for the eARC. My opinions are my own.*