A Book Review - The Baby-Sitter by R.L. Stine (Point Horror)

This is one of the books that I always think of as the flagship stories for Point Horror. It is perhaps the most famous of the PH titles. It's an odd book for me - in my head it's long and epic, and when I start reading I'm surprised at how quickly it goes by.

Jenny's just started a new babysitting job, for an adorable, if overly mischievous, kid. The house is a creepy old mansion, but she adores the child. Then she starts getting phone calls - "Hi Babes. Are you all alone? Don't worry, company's coming..."

I've never found this series of books particularly scary, but more comfortable in a sort of middle-America way. Aside from a couple of startling places, the horror doesn't really begin until the last fifteen or twenty pages. I think that's what I liked about it, really - phone calls (which could have been pranks) aside, this book could easily have ended differently, with nothing being wrong at all. It's more psychological thriller than horror, and that's a nice change. I appreciate the subtlety - particularly considering this is coming from R.L. Stine, who is often too graphic for my tastes.

Jenny is an appealing character, as is Donny Hagen, her babysitting charge. The rest of the characters are basically non-entities, only there to interact with Jenny. The plot is simple, straightforward, and works well. It's not a 4-star for me, but certainly a high 3, for a quick, fun read.

Verdict: A simply-written psychological thriller that makes a quick, pleasant read.