Another absolute banger by a wonderful author.. Per usual, Stephen Graham Jones is a master of the genre, proving again that he belongs with the other greats.

I love a good thriller, but I had never read a horror before. I requested this book because it sounded interesting, and I really wanted to give the horror genre a go. Unfortunately, I've discovered that while I enjoy thrillers, horror really isn't for me. I'm sure this is a lovely book for those who enjoy horror, but I'm not one of those people. Thank you for the opportunity to give this book a go.

Thank you Saga Press and Netgalley for the ARC!

I loved the Killer on the Road, but I didn't like the Babysitter Lives, which puts me in such an interesting review positions. I just think the Killer on the Road was better written, with more stakes and horror aspects that I love. The Babysitter Lives had a lot of unrealistic aspects that I just couldn't move past, and SGJ fell a bit into the classic "men writing women" trope. I think, if I had read The Babysitter Lives prior to Killer on the Road, I would have liked it better, but Killer was just the stronger story.

Stephen Graham Jones has taken two common campfire/sleepover story tropes (a babysitter who encounters sinister entities in the house & a serial killer hunting on the road) and puts his special spice to amp up these tropes to a delicious level of both dread and fun.
I had previously listened to the audiobook of The Babysitter Lives and I LOVE the touches of the liminal and the mix of seemingly mundane offenses of a pervy dad and over privileged kids mixed with the cosmic levels of horror. I am so glad that I can finally get a physical copy and more easily recommend it to friends and customers.
Killer on the Road was a fun companion piece to The Babysitter Lives. Where TBL was full of dread and unsettling levels of unknowable horrors, KotR was an adrenaline fueled mix of flight and fight. I especially loved that the threat of the paranormal killer was combined with the threat of regular pissed off truckers banding together to right a wrong. The highway turns deadly quickly and escape seems impossible. Love the twists and turns of this one!

Babysitter Lives and Killer on the Road were both fantastic reads. I can totally see why Stephen Graham Jones held back Killer on the Road until now — the Stephen King parallels are strong, and in a good way. Babysitter Lives hooked me just as much, and both stories feel like they could easily work as either sharp 45-minute episodes or full-length films that grab you from the start. And, as always, his acknowledgements were a highlight — getting that peek into how his life threads itself through his work makes the reading experience even richer.

I've just found my favorite SGJ stories. Not just one, but two. I've read a lot of SGJ over the last year. These two stories really hit the spot for my horror loving heart.

Killer On the Road was non-stop terror. I was on the hook from the very beginning.

The Babysitter Lives was just one huge nightmare no one was escaping from. It was like Coraline, but make it Stephen Graham Jones's Coraline. That means this is far scarier and more messed up than Gaiman could ever come up with. No one gets out of this nightmare.

The Saga Doubles are an absolutely genius idea. I'm looking forward to reading more of them. The artwork and concept make this a must have to add to your library.

Thanks for hooking me up with the book!

Imgur links go to instagram photos scheduled for August 19th & 25th
Blog post goes live on August 15th
Youtube Review will be up on August 15
Amazon and Barnes & Noble Reviews are pending their system approvals


**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:**

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!

Wow! I know I’m biased here as I love Stephen Graham Jones, but there’s a reason I love SGJ and it’s because his stories are so raw and alive and….scary. So scary and fun! These two stories were fantastic and went so well together. I loved both and bought this book on SGJ’s book tour and I’m so glad I did! I’ve re-read it and absolutely love the look of the physical book with both novels in it! Can I give this 10 stars since it’s two books??

These were two fantastic novellas packed into one book. Killer on the Road was a fantastic tale about a mythological killer on Route 80, following Harper who was running away from home when she is picked up by her two best friends, her ex-boyfriend, and her sister. It’s a thrilling ride from start to finish.

The Babysitter Lives is a lot more strange and involves a bit of time looping, dimensional pockets and a mysterious woman that only one of the kids that Charlotte is babysitting can see, but both know about. It’s the type of babysitter horror that would have me scared in the movie theater, but was so thrilled reading it.

4.5 stars

Thank you to @sagapressbooks for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you SagaPress and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I LOVED it. I don’t know if there’s anything this man CAN’T do. I’d read his grocery lists if they were released. I flew through this and was on the edge of my seat the entire time. SGJ will forever remain a legend in the horror fanbase. He created characters that are never easy to forget, and writing that will stick with you forever.

Oh SGJ, I will always love you. First of all, both of these novellas are so cinematic and should be optioned for film immediately.

Killer on the Road is BRUTAL, like if the movie Joyride had been made by Takashi Miike. It's also kind of sweet and made me cry a little bit.
The Babysitter Lives is a fever dream and full of those liminal spaces the kids are crazy about these days.

I read this duo on the tail of I Was a Teenage Slasher, which just confirmed that SGJ is going to give you something different every time and it's going to be really good. Where Teenage Slasher was character driven and a bit slower, both of these (but especially Killer on the Road) went balls to the wall almost immediately.

Highly recommended for when you're tired of slow horror.

I was so excited for this double read when Saga Press announced it. Even more excited when they gave me the opportunity to read an ecopy of it! I’ve only read a couple of SGJ’s books so far but I enjoy his writing and how he always includes Indian heritage in his stories.

Killer on the Road slowly eases you into the story then hits you with a bang. This one definitely doesn’t hold back with the gore. I was held in suspense almost the whole time. So many things can happen on the road with a serial killer, and SGJ really explores so many of them lol. Harper was such a bad ass main character and I enjoyed following her throughout the book. The ending for this one was so satisfying and was worth the grueling journey through the story.

The Babysitter Lives hooked me pretty quickly in the beginning. I started getting creepy kid/haunted house vibes from the start but was still spooked when the story started easing into the thick of it. This story also doesn’t hold back on the gore and thoroughly messes with your head. Most of the time I had no idea what was actually happening to Charlotte in that house. I got similar vibes as “We Used To Live Here”, which I really enjoyed.

My only complaint for these books are that the storylines started to feel a little repetitive at times. Multiple events happened that felt so similar to others that previously happened.

Overall, two horrifying stories in one book! Perfect for spooky season coming up!

Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for the eARC.

Stephen Graham Jones is a master in horror and suspense. I hang onto every word on the page, brace for every twist, and still don't see it coming. Killer on the Road and The Babysitter Lives were just so fantastic. Any SGJ lover will be so pleased

Thank you for the opportunity to read Killer on the Road / The Babysitter Lives by Stephen Graham Jones.

This book is such a fun throw back for Gen X kiddos with its flip side covers, it makes me feel like I just got the best book from the Scholastic Book Fair. Besides the fun design both stories were a great summer read. I have never read any babysitter “it’s coming from inside the house” scary story like this one. Creepy and fascinating all at the same time. And I hope to never meet Buckethead while on a road trip. Terrifying!!

I am a huge SGJ fan and this double book was no exception! The stories are written in his signature voice and both very good! Separately, Killer on the Road was 4 stars and The Babysitter Lives was 4.75 stars (rounded up to 5 stars) for me!

First of all, love the concept/idea of double the stories in one book. And the cover. IT is so so good. But I had a weird experience reading these books. I received the ALC of Killer on the Road from Simon and Schuster Audio, thinking it was the same set up, two books in one audio. It was not. I only got the first. And it was a great story. Truly a slasher worth reading, even if it was a short story. And then I had to read the e-version of The Babysitter Lives. And that's where everything went down hill. This story was just so confusing, and felt like either the editing wasn't finished in the e-galley, or the author was just having a really good trip. The babysitter was just upside down in the world, whichever way she goes it is unclear what is happening or why. And the portals/characters/who's bad, who's good was just confusing and muddled.

This is where I'm not sure if I'm SGJ fan or not. I have had bad experiences before with his books, but then I hear some are really great and I want to have a go again. He does create scary stories, but sometimes I get lost in his crazy ideas/tripy worlds, or get bored with how everything is progressing.

In any case, this book would be a great collectable for the fans, I just wish I was one of them.

Thank you to Saga Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, and Netgalley for providing me with this book to read in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts & opinions are my own

Killer on the Road: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5)

So gruesome and gorey. A few scenes actually made me gag. I felt like there was no way things could get worse and they always did, but that kept me hooked and unable to put my kindle down. Bucketmouth is truly horrifying and every time I stop at a rest stop I will forever be paranoid I’m amongst cannibal shapeshifters.

The Babysitter Lives: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5)

This story kept my head spinning and I always felt like I was just on the edge of figuring it all out and then the rules would change somehow. I’m still not sure if I fully understood what happened, but it was gripping nonetheless. From page one I was hooked and scared from the genuine nightmare fuel that this book is. It’s like a fever dream you can’t wake up from.

Both stories were incredible!
Killer on the Road is a fun supernatural slasher. A good example of why you don't pick up hitch-hikers and why you shouldn't get in a strangers car.
The Babysitter Lives was very interesting. I just know I wouldn't have been as curious as the babysitter.

Killer on the Road

A propelling read about a supernatural being named Bucketmouth that stalks the I-80 and the runaway, Harper, and her sister and friends that unfortunately run into him. Bucketmouth is a shapeshifter that can take the form of someone by eating a piece of them. And yeah this one is not for the squeamish. I commend SGJ for being able to create the atmosphere of a locked-room thriller on a highway, but this wasn’t my favorite. Definitely a personal preference but this one just felt like overkill on the gore.

The Babysitter Lives

This one was unlike anything I’ve ever read before, so unique, and with an ending I didn’t expect! Charlotte is babysitting twins the night before Halloween. What ensues is a night of warped realities, a trapped spirit(?), and a girl who just wants to survive the night, take her SATs the next day, and maybe kiss her girlfriend.

I'm never disappointed by SGJ! I had read The Babysitter Lives before and absolutely loved the creepy atmosphere. Killer on the Road exceeded my expectations. Both stories have great characters and horrific visuals. Putting these stories together in one volume was a stroke of genius!