The Babysitters Coven by Kate Williams Review

Title: The Babysitters Coven

Author: Kate Williams

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult

Genre: Fantasy

Series: The Babysitters Coven, book one

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

                I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.

                When I first heard of this book, I put it on hold at my local library immediately, and when it came in, I pushed it to the top of my stack. As soon as I was finished with Annihilation, I dove in, not sure what to expect, as I’ve never read any of Williams previous work. But what I got was a dark, frothy and supernatural comedy of errors. This book was like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Babysitters Club had a baby, and I absolutely loved it; I’m so happy that it has a sequel coming out next fall! Babysitting, for Esme Pearl, has been something of a hidden talent. She loves kids, it’s a relatively easy way to make spending money, and it provides a distraction from her mother and the distance it’s created in her father. When she meets newcomer Cassandra Heaven, her life changes forever: She discovers that she has magical powers, like that of a witch. But things get even more complicated when the kids she watches reports strange sightings: the villain from Harry Potter, and David Bowie, dressed up as The Goblin King from the movie Labyrinth. Esme must decide whether to accept her powers, or if she wants to continue to be ‘normal’, whatever that means. A hilarious, rip-roaring and dark adventure perfect for fans of Buffy and Angel, I loved The Babysitters Coven, and it is definitely one of the best books of 2019 for me!

                This book was wonderful. There were times when the pacing dragged, and sometimes Esme’s voice got on my nerves, but it wasn’t so bad that I was put off the book entirely. I loved her narration, sharp and witty and hilarious. I was laughing throughout the novel, snorting and giggling as it went on. The pacing, for the most part, was really good, especially when it came to the action/fight scenes. I loved all of the characters: Esme, her parents, Cassandra and Dion, and Janis, in particular. I loved the overall tone of the book too; irreverent, tongue in cheek, and wry; that kind of humor is one of my favorites. And of course, one of the best parts of this was the magic! And I liked the way it referred to the old-school witchy ways of doing things; it reminded me of all the times as children that my siblings and I would create ‘witches brew’ in an old laundry basket. And that ending! Arrrgh, how am I supposed to wait until next fall for the sequel to this?! The bottom line: Kate Williams has penned a hilarious, dark, and magical girl-power series debut that I can’t wait for the sequel to! Next on deck: Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction by Jeff Vandermeer!