This is my official petition for Stephen Graham Jones to write every slasher villain from now until the end of time.
If you claim to be a fan of the Slasher Era and haven’t read SGJ, I’m afraid I’ll have to revoke your membership to the Slasher Fan Club—no exceptions.

Every time I’m lucky enough to get my hands on a SGJ ARC, it completely makes my day. My main thought while reading this one?
THIS. THIS is how you write a villain.

Bucketmouth was everything: creepy, vile, clever, and completely magnetic on the page. Both short stories played out so vividly in my head, I could practically see them on the big screen. They were intense, wild, and emotionally loaded—and I loved every second of it.

Personally, Killer on the Road was my favorite. It was so sharp and well-executed that if I had Hollywood-level money, I’d be sprinting to throw an adaptation deal SGJ’s way.

I loved this collection, and I’ll be first in line to buy the hardcopy when it drops.
Huge thanks to NetGalley & Saga Press for the ARC! 4 stars!

4.5 stars rounded up.

As always, Stephen Graham Jones blows me away with his incredibly enthralling horror stories. I truly loved this duo. I do think Killer on the Road is the stronger of the two, there were scenes where I was gasping and tempted to look away because it was so horrible. The Babysitter Lives is much more of a twisty, slow, crawling kind of horror, which was not as strong to me personally. Both had great characters and plots that hooked me in. I have yet to read a Stephen Graham Jones book that doesn't mess up my brain in the best way. Pick this one up and read it around a campfire this summer.

Many of the ARC reviewers have written that their copies only contained one story and not the other, so I consider myself very lucky that I ended up with both! (I wonder what happened?)

But anyway, most of this review will be dedicated to "Killer on the Road," the far superior novella of the two and the one that I liked way more. It was a novella that felt like a full movie and took me on a gruesome adventure.

In true SGJ fashion, parts of it were admittedly a little tough to follow. (I’m still not clear about the *initial* reason why the truckers were all mad at the teens…because they were parked too close to the road? Or was it literally just because of the arrowhead on the door? Can someone clear this up for me?) And sometimes with the dialogue I didn’t know what they were talking about. It felt like they were making inside jokes I didn’t get. This tends to happen with SGJ, though, so it’s just a thing I’ve come to accept. There were times during a couple of the more action packed sequences when I didn’t know what the trucker terminology or descriptions of the truck parts meant, so that hindered me from really picturing some of it.

However, the opening chapter was great, and the little twisty moments of violence and horror throughout the story hit just right. There were numerous shocking turns in the action. I got really invested in the story and I liked Harper a lot. Jones loves to create strong final girls that are easy to root for. I don't want to give much away about the aforementioned killer, but they were indeed a frightening and intimidating threat. You might need a strong stomach for parts of this one.

The setting was one I haven't encountered much, and while I typically don't seek out hitchhiker centric tales often, this very much worked for me and felt like a long, exhausting night. It reminded me of "The Hitcher," one of the movies that Jones did in fact mention as an influence in the afterword.

The second story, the babysitter one, was a bit of a disappointment. It had potential but became really weird and confusing, like a story with rules that a child might come up with that only grew increasingly nonsensical. And those rules needed a lot of explanation in order for me, the reader, to know WTF was going on. There was so much explaining rather than showing, as Charlotte the MC figured things out in paragraphs worth of speculation, that my head was spinning.

It also went WAY off the rails with its crazy logic and I had a hard time following it in general. (Much more so than the previous novella.) Eventually, nothing made sense anymore and there were no rules at all and I was just ready to finish it and move on to something else. I don't mind surreal and weird, in fact I seek it out. But there was something about this that didn't fit. Like trying to mix a puzzle with Playdoh.

I think SGJ was trying to do something more creative with the whole babysitting on Halloween idea and I really would have preferred his take on the classic “babysitter takes on a slasher while trying to protect the kids” scenario instead. Nice to see a gay relationship, though! And again, Charlotte was another good final girl who fought for those kids. I wish I had been able to focus better and follow it.

But “Killer on the Road?" Definitely one of my top faves from Stephen Graham Jones. Twisted, gross, and suspenseful. I highly recommend it. I would probably give Babysitter 2 stars and Killer 4 stars, but I’ll give this a 3.5 overall and round up.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

Biggest TW: Racism, Cannibalism, Harm to children, Suicide, Self-harm, Sexual Harassment

The novellas Killer on the Road and The Babysitter Lives are must-reads for any fan of Stephen Graham Jones - especially of his Angel Lake trilogy. Though the two share some DNA, both cinematic slashers with supernatural elements and strong Indian final girls, Killer on the Road is an action-packed road trip in the vein of The Hitcher or Joy Ride, while The Babysitter Lives is a claustrophobic bottle story, and at perfect novella length, were easy to devour in one sitting.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this before publication! I think it was a brilliant idea to combine these two stories in one volume. I’ve been a long time SGJ fan, and these two stories are as wonderful as the rest of his work. I would love to own a physical copy for my shelf, and I’ll be sure to tell me friends about this one!

I'm so excited to have these in print and a double volume is fantastic. I love Stephen Graham Jones. I know when I pick up a book from Dr. Jones I'm in good hands. All I need to do is sit back and enjoy. The Killer on the Road/The Babysitter Lives hits shelves on July 15, 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital review copy.

I enjoyed these novellas and they reminded me of the old Friday Fright Night movies that played in the 80's. Overall one all horror movie and book fans should read.

Can We just talk about how bada$s this cover looks?! When SGJ dropped it on Instagram, I was instantly obsessed and knew I had to read it ASAP.

This book is such a fun concept-it's two novellas in one! Flip over and boom, a whole different story. Love when publishers get creative like that.

The Babysitter Lives:
This one was a trip. I honestly thought the parents were weird as hell and the twins?? Creepy little weirdos. The tension builds fast and then those spider scenes-_NOPE. They live in my brain now and I did not invite them in. Creepy, unsettling, and classic SGJ vibes.

Killer on the Road:
This one Was my favorite! It reads fast, full of tension, and I devoured it in one sitting. Loved the road trip gone wrong setup, and the kier's whole thing had me on edge the entire time. Definitely the more adrenaline-fueled of the two.
SGJ always finds ways to keep horror fresh and unpredictable. I'd say this is a must-have for his fans and horror collectors.

With this double feature, one hits you like a truck while the other slowly drowns you.


Killer on the Road

After yet another argument with her mother, 16 year old Harper decides it’s time to run away for good. Little does she know, there has been a very peculiar serial killer dwelling on Route 80 for the last 3 years.
When 2 of her best friends, little sister, and ex boyfriend tag along we begin to experience raw and beautiful relationships even in the depths of calamity.
I really enjoyed how fast paced this was, it kept me on the edge of my seat and biting my nails from start to finish. I love SGJ’s rebellious and persistent characters, this is usually where I can hear his voice coming through the pages.

By means of guts and gore were given another amazing bad ass female character with an even better story of resilience.


The Babysitter Lives

Charlotte plans on spending her entire night of babysitting studying for the SAT’s but learns quickly, this won’t be a comforting night of index cards.
Of course it won’t be a relaxing night after realizing the previous tragedies that have occurred in the house. Mix that with all of the strange noises and creepy tales from the twins and you’ve got yourself a babysitters worst nightmare.
The beginning was very slow and drawn out which felt a bit off in terms of his other writing. I found myself rushing through most of Charlottes backstory because it took unusually long to get to the substance of her character. The story continued on with twists and turns that kept me enveloped.
This was a great read for the complexity of the development, I can’t help feeling like I needed more though.
Maybe I just didn’t want it to end yet. 😉

Just another babysitting gig, another weekend night watching some tykes and getting paid to study. Should be easy enough, yeah. This is teenage life, this is routine. This particular exchange has been happening for decades. Hell, centuries, no doubt. Surely, once upon a faraway time, some nervous parents traded some eggs or grain or some who-knows-what in exchange for the guarding and protecting of their kids for an evening, said parents stepping out to engage in whatever that time period's mode of frivolity was. Nothing new, here. Only, no, not this particular Friday. Not this babysitting gig. It should've been fine, but that's how it always starts, right? "Should've been fine," yes. Should've been a lot of should'ves, but should've been fine has turned into everything's so very messed up and not right, with all the other should'ves close behind, those monsters no longer costumes on people, but all monster through and through. Even when the hands doing monstrous things look human, were human, even, they no longer are. Anyone, any person can become a monster. And if you're not sure if you're still in the land of costumes or if you've fallen into the land of monsters, well, you're already there, already in this "demented game of chutes and ladders."



In movies, there's this first shot/last shot association, and in Killer on the Road, Stephen Graham Jones plucks that out of fiction paradise, ports it to reality and engages readers directly, as this "ride" isn't a vacuum. Writers write so readers can read and readers read (and keep on reading) so writers can write (and keep on writing).

Thus, like the grateful first sentence hitchhiker:

"Thanks for the ride," Dr. Jones.

Unlike aforesaid hitchhiker, well, I didn't die at the end of my ride, but this book was one hell of a crash course in survival (thanks again, SGJ).

We all know this story. But we don't. Not like this. But, we know it enough that it's far too easy to spoil the tasty bits, so I won't.




Now,




Who'll take the first bite?

Killer on the Road was a great story that gave you some serious stalking vibes and its just more eery being that is was in Wyoming with a whole lot of nothing. It was a real fast paced and engaging story that you just couldnt put down.
Now when it comes to The Babysitter Lives.....children I find creepy to begin with but this story about freaky ass twins that this teen has to babysit just adds to the fact that children are creepy. This story just made it more evident that children should just....not.
I loved these two storys and am super glad that I had the chance to read them. I have enjoyed a lot of other books by this author so this was awesome for me.

I was given an E-Arc of The Babysitter Lives:

The creepy horrors our main character is thrown through as she tries to baby sit a set of twins is wild. Its almost as if Stephen took the theme of Caroline but mixed it with true horror and thriller as Charlotte battles her way through what we think it true reality to rescue the twins from a dark entity in a different realm. A true horror of hide and seek, Charlotte uncovers what happened in the house 11 years ago and realizes.... she's not alone in the house anymore.

I was at the edge of my seat throughout the novel not knowing what Stephen was going to throw at us next.

What’s better than a Stephen Graham Jones novel? How about a SGI twofer!?!

Got to read this upcoming collection of TWO NOVELS thanks to @netgalley & am happy to report it’s as great as you’d expect!

KILLER ON THE ROAD is the story of a girl and her friends getting stalked by an Outsider-esque killer across the highways of Wyoming, and THE BABYSITTER LIVES is a novel about a teen that babysits a super creepy couple of twins in a house that just may be haunted.

Loved them both! KILLER had some absolutely fantastic characters that will stay with me along w many of SGJ’s best, and BABYSITTER was one of the most legitimately FRIGHTENING books I’ve read all year!

Get your preorders in now for this Double Book BANGER!! SGJ has done it again!

So glad to finally get to read this! I have the audio of the babysitter lives but the reading experience is just unmatched. Surprise bonus on Killer on the Road. Both of these are balls to the wall great from start to finish. Felt a little grindhouse-double feature-ish. As ALWAYS SGJ 10/10 will buy the book, will order the book for my library, will make all my friends read!

4.5 stars!

Ah, yes. Horror books in the way only Stephen Graham Jones can write them! I was invested the entire time throughout both the novellas, but definitely preferred Killer on the Road. It was just so creepy and gross and I love creepy and gross! Stephen Graham Jones has quickly cemented himself as one of my favorite, auto-buy authors, and I cannot wait to physically own this. 1) Because the cover is sick as hell, and 2) because it is my duty to own as many SGJ titles as possible.

Thank you to Saga Press/Simon & Schuster for the early access copy via NetGalley!

This is my 4th time trying to read Stephen Graham Jones and I have to finally admit that he is just not for me. Also, this did not include Liller on the Road so I’m only going off The Babysitter Lives, which I found to be too long and just not for me. I don’t know if it’s his writing style. His books always sound so fun, and I’m so disappointed I just can’t get into them.

Thanks to Saga press for the arc. Two novellas in a creepy package it’s such a great design. First Killer on the road is a high octane suspense horror read an amazing story going 150 miles an hour. The second the Babysitter Lives is a slow burn that just continues to build as the story goes. Being a reissue I’m sure it’s been read by some but the book is still worth reading. SGJ will always be an auto buy for me 5 stars

Stephen Graham Jones is a genius and this is just further testament to that fact. I had listened to The Babysitter Lives and loved it as an audio exclusive, and I actually enjoyed it more in print. It is a surprisingly surreal and brilliant bending of genre norms and expectations. Killer on the Road is the standout here, this is an absolutely brilliant short novel that takes place pretty much exclusively on the road. Jones knows how to write such wonderful and complex female characters, and that is completely on display in this one. It is disgusting, sad, and always engrossing.

Great writing as always from sgj but I just couldn't get into the 2 stories. It felt like a chore to finish them unfortunately. I recommend other people give this book a shot though.

** Only reviewing The Babysitter Lives, as that was the only story included in my e-book**

This horror was super effective as someone who used to babysit my kids. My brain likes to come up with unreasonable and horrifying scenarios, and something supernaturally evil happening that endangers the kids I was watching was one I thought of frequently.

Unpredictable and utterly stressful, with the harrowing experience of being completely helpless to stop the horrors laid before you. Stephen Graham Jones does it again.