I was bummed that I didn't get a physical ARC of this one, but I guess the eARC will have to do. ;) (jk)

SGJ is always a winner in my book. His style is so unique and you either love it or you don't. I happen to be one who loves it. These stories were so much fun to read. What a wild ride!

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I really enjoyed this double feature!

Jones has vaulted himself to the top of my favorite list of horror authors, and this publication is a testament to his versatility and the impact in his writing. While I didn't find these two novellas as thematically powerful as something like The Buffalo Hunter Hunter or the Lake Witch Trilogy, both titles featured here are well worth the time for genre fans. Jones manages to make the "haunted hitchhiker" trope feel unique and provides a fast-paced, paranoia-driven wild ride in the process, while The Babysitter Lives fits right in with top contenders of the haunted house trope's long history.

If I had to choose a favorite between the two, Killer on the Road wins. But this feels like a pairing made in heaven and I had a great time on every page.

I really wanted to love these two stories, but I just could not get into them. They seemed like the perfect, horror/slasher type novella, but it fell really short for me.

This included two novellas from the always satisfying Stephen Graham Jones. Here he delivers a brutal, fast-paced road trip from hell in Killer on the Road. This novella is pure grindhouse energy—gritty highways, sinister gas stations, and one of the creepiest, most talkative killers I’ve read in a while.

The story follows Harper and her sister as they get tangled up with “Bucketmouth,” a slasher villain who’s part cryptid, part truck-stop philosopher, and entirely terrifying. The action kicks off quickly and barely slows down. It’s violent, tense, and completely unflinching.

Harper is a strong, smart final girl. The atmosphere is classic slasher with a supernatural twist—think The Hitcher meets Texas Chainsaw, with a little extra heart. The pacing is sharp and relentless. At under 250 pages, it’s a perfect one-sitting read.

Why not five stars? Some of the side characters felt underdeveloped, and the dialogue occasionally dipped into trucker-speak that lost me for a second. But honestly, those are minor bumps on an otherwise wild ride.

If you’re a fan of intense horror, creepy villains who don’t know when to shut up, and final girls who don’t back down, you’ll want to take this trip—just maybe not at night.

Second was The Babysitter Lives. This one was a mixed bag for me.

Stephen Graham Jones definitely brings the creepy vibes in The Babysitter Lives. The setup is great—Charlotte, a high school senior, takes on a babysitting gig the night before Halloween and quickly realizes the house has serious haunted energy. The atmosphere? Top-notch. There are some genuine chills, strange happenings, and a sense of dread that builds well.

Charlotte is a solid protagonist—sharp, likable, and easy to root for. I appreciated having a diverse lead in a horror story that doesn't lean on the usual clichés.

But... the second half gets a little chaotic. The story takes some wild turns—some really interesting, others just confusing. The pacing speeds up and the plot kind of unravels in a way that left me wondering what exactly just happened. By the end, I wasn’t sure if I missed something or if the book just didn’t want to give me answers. It was creepy and ambitious, with a strong main character and some great horror imagery. But the plot loses focus and the ending didn’t quite land for me. If you're a fan of experimental horror and don’t mind some lingering “wait, what?” moments, it might hit better for you.

I didn’t love it, didn’t hate it, I just wanted a little more clarity to go with the chills.

4.5 stars rounded up

Shout out to SGJ for keeping me on my toes, my man said “Expect the unexpected.” and meant it. Of course we’re not just getting a babysitter on Halloween story, of course we’re not just getting a hitchhiker story. Always with SGJ books I hesitate to elaborate on the plot because I want everyone to read it and experience everything for themselves, but I also know people struggle with his writing style and might need some incentive. Let’s see…

Read The Babysitter Lives if you’re first and foremost into babysitter stories where something goes wrong on Halloween (eve). Should you need further temptation, there’s also a haunted house but just know it’s not as straight forward as all that.

Read Killer on the Road if you want to read the strongest “cold open” I have ever read in my entire life. Also if you love a hitchhiker story (something I have never read before!) but you already know that something isn’t as it seems with, well someone in that story.

I know everyone has their own opinions on, well, everything but at this point Stephen Graham Jones is my Stephen King and I will never shut up about this man. That being said, read this story set! If you don’t I’m going to eat your pinky finger and then you in one of the funny spaces of your home, we all have them you know.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Terror at your fingertips, just a flip away!

Stephen Graham Jones is a horror author who can adapt to any environment or theme. Killer on the Road and The Babysitter Lives are two excellent demonstrations of his ability to craft horror in either a small, contained setting (like a creepy living room, an alternate dimension) or the wild open road. Having both of these stories in the same collection was a wild ride from start to finish. Not only does having these be a flip of the book away from each other bring some fun nostalgia, but it just makes for an entertaining reading experience.

Below are some of my direct thoughts on each story:

Killer on the Road is most likely my favorite story in this collection. This story is unhinged, told in the vein of horror classics like Joyride, The Hitcher, or Jeepers Creepers. Stephen Graham Jones has already solidified his mastery of the slasher genre, but in Killer on the Road, he shows that his slashers can be anything and anyone. Bucketmouth is a haunting and devious killer on the open road, and he makes a devastating impact on Harper, our coming-of-age main character. Bucketmouth starts simply as an urban legend, but when the bodies start dropping and the terror becomes all too real, readers should be prepared to keep reading. I could NOT PUT THIS STORY DOWN! This story unfolds in a way that makes it feel like a movie. It is just excellent storytelling.

The Babysitter Lives is the other side of this collection. Written with prose chock-full of dread, suspense, and cosmic horror. Charlotte, the titular babysitter, takes on two new charges as she studies for the upcoming SATs. However, what soon commences is a trip down to Wonderland into a side dimension where the stakes are all too real. Prepare for some of the scariest statues, jack-in-the-boxes, and body horror and know that Stephen Graham Jones isn't going to pull any punches. And the end of this story will have you GASPING out loud.

This collection is excellent, and I know readers are going to devour it as soon as they get their hands on it. Check it out!

3.5 stars. In Killer on the Road/The Babysitter Lives, Stephen Graham Jones takes on a journey back to the terror of the old urban legends from our childhood- the supernatural/undead killer unrelentingly chasing teens all over the highway and the story of the babysitter. Tried and true tales, Jones takes them, freshens them up and makes them his own, infusing the stories with indigenous culture. Tense and nostalgic with believable, likable characters, this was a fun, and at times very gruesome, way to (re)introduce these tales. The long haul trucker culture research for Killer on the Road was superb, as Jones thoroughly captured and conveyed this niche of society with top notch realism, overlaid with supernatural horror. At times, the pacing for Killer on the Road was a little inconsistent, and it felt like the story could have ended a few times, BUT when you arrive at the end, it was absolutely worth it and satisfying. For the Babysitter Lives- loved the uniqueness of processing something by approaching it like it was SAT prep. Babysitter fell a bit behind Killer on the Road for me, but that is more of a reflection of my preferred style and themes than anything Jones did. If someone is looking to experience urban legends with an indigenous spin and through fresh eyes (that’s a story-related pun), this is a fun read for it.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Saga Press for providing me with the ARC for Killer on the Road/The Babysitter Lives by Stephen Graham Jones. This is my true and honest review of the book.

This was amazing! I felt like I was reading two X Files episodes. And come on the Outsiders is my favorite King book. I felt like this book was written just for me!

Two hold-on-to-your-seat thrillers with two badass teenage FMCs - you literally can't go wrong here! KotR was excellent and suspenseful, playing the "killer could be anyone" card really well. It kept me immersed and on the edge of my seat. And honestly, our FMC Harper is my new hero. TBL was so unique to me! It goes above and beyond any normal ghost story, and the house itself acts as a pivotal character in this story. I honestly haven't read anything like it before. Bravo, SGJ!

You'll love these if you are a slasher fan and enjoy Grady Hendrix books or even teen slashers like Fear Street on Netflix!

Thank you Saga Press for the eARCS!

With this being two stories in one, I'm going to split up these reviews and also note, the 4 star rating is an average of the two together!

KILLER ON THE ROAD
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

"Who needs amusement parks when there's the Wyoming interstate?"

There was so much about this novella that I loved - it was adrenaline-filled, fast-paced, had so much heart, and did have quite a bit of gore thrown in (🥴 <- my face a good chunk of the time).

I loved the lore included around truck drivers and it really opened me up to a lifestyle that I haven't given much thought to - and I loved the moments SGJ included where our characters reflected on in if their fathers were going to make it home safe for Christmas - this story was packed with moments like that that had me sobbing. He really came swinging with the emotions in this one.

While this story did have some fantastically nightmarish horror elements, it did read a lot like a thriller, which is maybe why I ended up enjoying this story so much compared to some of his other works!

THE BABYSITTER LIVES
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This story was a repackage from a previous release and, while it started off really strong, it devolved in a way that took me out of the story. If I had read this one on its own, it might have held a higher merit for me, but reading this one immediately after KILLER ON THE ROAD, left me yearning for something else.

Still a really strong story, but one that loses the tracks a bit.

Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for my early copy for review - out July 15!

I really wanted to love this but I couldn’t get past the halfway point in Killer on the Road. It started out strong with a freaky premise, but it felt stretched out with a lot of dialogue and little exciting action. It definitely has the 80s horror feel to it, but it focused more on truckers throwing things at them than the actual killer and I ultimately didn’t finish. I will also add major kudos on creating this series of old-school double horror novels. The covers are all great and I look forward to checking out future entries.

📚💀 If you enjoy horror stories that are both terrifying and emotionally resonant, you'll love this! 🤯 These two tales are fast-paced, freaky, and packed with adrenaline. Just be prepared to sleep with the lights on. But The Killer on the Road was my favorite.

Stephen Graham Jones is one of the best writers working today. Full stop. He is literary and pulpy, accessible and abstruse, gleefully violent and heartbreakingly emotional. These seeming contradictions enrich his work. His love of horror, and of the slasher genre in particular, is unequaled among any other horror creators.

If you are new to Jones's work, this is a good place to start. Here you will get a double billing of terror that will keep you turning those pages so fast you will have to force yourself to slow down or finish extra fast just so you can reread from the start to revel in Jones's masterful craftsmanship. He will give you characters you love, monsters you fear, and stories you'll never forget.

This could have been published as two separate novels, but we are lucky to get this super cool Saga Double. The Babysitter Lives was published previously as an audiobook and is a kickass nightmare/otherworldly horror. Killer on the Road puts a sicko killler behind the wheel of a big rig and turns this Duel-like story into an all-out monster tale (shades of King's The Outsider, which Jones mentions in his afterword) that will keep you turning those pages until the brutal and brilliant finale. Highly recommend.

After you read these two tales, you'll never think of truck drivers or babysitters the same again.

And after that, well, there's a girl named Jade and a boy named Tolly and a certain fellow called Good Stab, each one waiting to show you what this horror genre can do.

Thank you to SAGA press for sending me this book in exchange for a review. This has in no way impacted my rating.

*sigh*..... I contemplated giving this a 1 star but simply because I enjoyed myself in the first half of both stories, I will give it a two star rating. This was rough for me. I like to label myself as a Stephen Graham Jones fan. I have enjoyed so many of his titles, and when I saw that I was able to read an ARC of one of his reissues that I had not yet read, I was very excited for it. However not only did this fall flat for me, but this is not the SGJ I know and love. This might actually be on my worst books of the year list I am so sad to say.

Let's talk about THE BABY SITTER LIVES first:
I am a fan of body horror and wierd fiction. And I must say that of all the SGJ books I have read so far, this has body horror scenes back to back. However, the entire story hinges on a sense of atmospherical wierd and whimsy that left me with serious whiplash, Quite a few times I had to stop reading so that I could turn back a few pages to assess whether I lost the plot or if the plot was intentionally not in the roo (being that this is a haunted house story, sometimes even the room was questionable, which in essense should be fun!)

There is one big thing that never works for me in fiction of any kind, and that is sexual scenes that include minors. The whole fantastical situation between the baby sitter and the father made me extremely uncomfortable. I know that SGJ portrayed this as a horrible scene for the main character and did not glorify it in any way. But ultimately, if this kind of upsetting scene is in the narrative, I need it to have a larger purpose. For me, I found no reasoning other than shock value. A shock that spoiled the entire story for me.

The ghost of the mother and children was more interestingly disturbing, but the evil daughter's motivations just didn't seem all that clear and so I did not care one way or the other. The whole sexual pleasure with the alligator camera I could have done without. The ending being a cyclical time loop was boring and I just didn't see a rational for it all.

Killer On The Road:
While this story was significantly more interesting, I DNFed it a little over 50% through the story. The horror here as exciting and did have me on the edge of my seat in a few moments. But again, the motivations or characters felt like they were told backwards. So by the time they were being killed off, I had no reason to care. The killer being able to shape shift the way they did and trucker culture was a nice twist. It was the main character's thought processes I got bored of. Yea I get it, the teens are really the killers on the road here and I am sure there are more twists later I did not see coming. But the story could not hold me long enough.

I am so disappointed. :(

I'm a little conflicted when it comes to this double-feature. On the one hand, I find it kitchy as hell. Really gory, nostalgic, punchy and fun. When I was in, I was all in.

But the novellas could be pretty long-winded at times, and very dialogue heavy, which I wasn't always in the mood for. There's no doubt that SGJ is at the top of the game in the horror genre. I find myself very impressed by him, often! This just wasn't my favorite! That being said, I still think it's a fun "summerween" kind of novel. So, again, conflicted!

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read an early copy!

'One' for the summer-drive-in-horror-double-feature-book!

First, this is just fun: two novellas packed into one book, traumatized by one, flip for more. And how 'bout those covers! 👌

KILLER ON THE ROAD
This one's a banger, comes out of the gates swinging.

The first chapter is brilliant! A hell of a start. It's been a minute since I got a chill, and this did it very quickly. This could actually happen-- isn't that when horror gets really creepy? Knowing something on the page could curl up, crawl off, and end up a real part of your evening?
This one is about a teen who hits the road (hitchhiking) after a massive fight with her mom. Her sister, best friends, and ex make it their mission to bring her back, but don't realize they are being hunted by a notorious highway serial killer, Bucketmouth...

A little Death Proof, Joy Ride, The Hitcher


THE BABYSITTER LIVES
A claustrophobic slowburn.
Comes with a lot of explanation, and I was a little confused, tbh... but strange kids and creepy crawlies-- agh
This one is more 'haunted house' than slasher.
Charlotte takes a gig babysitting twins on the eve of Halloween, fully intending to prep for the SATs. A pervious job almost ended in tragedy, so she is being extra cautious. The night doesn't go quite as expected when the kids want her to see the "secret staircase..." and she realizes this house has a unique history and secrets-- and they're coming to light now...

These felt nostalgic-- like watching a grown Are You Afraid of the Dark, or Tales From the Crypt, but with less camp and more character development.
We have two different MCs, both female teens, but both very different. Same for the stories-- two very different feels but work together.

Often with SGJ, I dig the vibe and universe he creates, but sometimes I don't quite understand what's happening/the dialogue-- maybe it adds to the feels. Leaves me a little disoriented.

In the end, I enjoyed my experiences here. SGJ never quite goes where I expect, and that's part of the fun, and we are always gifted with a solid Final Girl. I think I liked Killer on the Road the most.
Also, I'm a sucker for fun packaging!

Stephen Graham Jones is on his game. With Buffalo Hunter Hunter and now Killer on the Road/The Babysitter Lives. He is cranking out books! You would think that multiple books in a year would mean that the quality might suffer. You would be wrong. This is a double feature that you don’t want to miss. The quality you expect that will suck you in and you won’t want o come up for air until they are done.
If this is your first entry to SGJ welcome. It is a good place to start. Two novella length novels to bite into that will leave you wanting to jump into his other works!
Killer on the Road
A fast past novella about a girl, Harper, who sets out hitchhiking and ends up having a crazy time with a series killer. This will leave you reeling. With a killer that can change how they look… You never knew what was going to come up next! I really enjoyed this and was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

The Babysitter Lives

While the last book took us on the road this one keeps us in one place. Charlotte is or main character and all she wants is a chill babysitting gig where she can study for the SATs in peace. That is not what she gets. Instead she gets twins where one can see ghosts and they both like to get into things like typical children. But what happens if when you are babysitting if someone was in the house with you…and what happens if this house something sinister happened in the past? As a person who did babysit around Charlotte’s age…and who babysitter boy/girl twins I am so happy this didn’t happen to me.

In my opinion SGJ can’t write a bad book. They are always just so well done. Well thought out well executed and just a mandatory read! I can’t wait for whatever he brings us next.

Thank you to Saga for the complementary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

🚚🩸🔪🕷💀🦎

Saga Doubles, two books under one binding!

I'm gonna start off by saying both of these are straight-up bangers, both very different but just as haunting. For sure, these stories are gonna stay with me for a long time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
🔪🩸Killer On The Road🩸🔪

Vibes: Fast-paced, high octane, adrenaline rush in book form.

Harper is a typical teen. When arguing with her Mom, she decided that she was done with her overbearing parent and wanted out. She set out by foot hitching rides to her unknown destination, and after having an odd encounter then meeting by accident with her friends they all get involved into some insane stuff on the road that they can't runaway from.

- This gave me anxiety, in the best way, like I couldn't put it down, the way that this was written was bleak and brutal. Rooting for the survival of Harper and company while also trying to find out more about Bucketmouth.

I highly recommend this to fans of Final Destination and serial killer documentaries.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
🦎🩸🕷The Babysitter Lives🕷🩸🦎

Vibes: Liminal, claustrophobic, paranoia, and haunted.

Charlotte is on a babysitting gig, and it should be pretty easy enough since it's right before bedtime for the twins Desi and Ronald. Not trying to experience what happened at her last sitting job, she's trying to be extra careful with the kids, unknown to her she is about to go in a rabbithole of a nightmare that she cant escape from.

- This was a rabbithole for both Charlotte and myself, claustrophobic and paranoia setting in, she did a better job on keeping herself together than I ever would. The house house would've been set ablaze if it were me. And creepy kids 😱 Thats all I gotta say about that.

I recommend this if you enjoyed Incidents Around The House by Josh Malerman, The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig, as well as The Haunting of Hill House Netflix Series.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I would love to thank Saga Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this e-book ARC in exchange for an honest review, now to continue with my obsession over SGJ books!

Killer on the Road:

After Harper’s blowout fight with her mom, she runs away to hitchhike her way across the desolate I-80 through Wyoming. This is the same route her trucker dad took and never returned from many years ago. Ignoring the dangers of the journey, she sticks out her thumb. Creeped out by a T-bird, occupied by two bible thumpers with an ominous warning, she continues nonetheless. Nothing will stop her.

Unexpectedly, her friends Kissy, Jam and ex Dillon join her on the road. It is Fortunate to have each other, but now they must survive the road stalked by a serial killer. The plot moves quickly as the group discovers evil on the highway in the form of Bucketmouth, a boogeyman of the road who is more horrible than they can imagine. He is also very skilled in his ability to commandeer any kind of vehicle. Fast-paced, gory and terrifying, I will never drive the I-80 again without an anxious stir in my gut.

I enjoyed the dynamics of the friends. They are a likeable group, although Meg’s character is a little in the shadows. As this is a short novel, we don’t get too much regarding the background of the friends. It’s reminiscent of watching a slasher film in that way, which works for the fast paced nature of the book. I would have liked to know the characters more though because they were an interesting group.

The group is quickly propelled into the horror mile marker by mile marker. Stephen Graham Jones creates a plot that puts the characters into a situation they will struggle to return back home from. It’s hard to find a good spot on the road to turn around, especially when evil follows driving a Peterbilt.

The Babysitter Lives:

Charlotte thinks this will be just like any other babysitting job. Twins Desi and Ronald are adorable, except for their mischievous love of playing hide and seek, also, Ronald can see ghosts. As Charlotte gets sucked into their games, she begins to explore this suburban dream house finding its passages dimmed by horrors from the past that are bleeding into the present.

Stephen Graham Jones created a protagonist in Charlotte that all ages will root for. She is not perfect, but she has courage and heart and will protect her loved ones and those in her care now more than ever.

Thank you NetGalley & Saga Press for this eARC.

You will never think about babysitting the same again - yep all those anxieties, remember those movies, the urban legends, they all kind of intertwine into an almost psychedelic haze for one teenager when it all goes horribly wrong and nothing is as it should be.