Review: Never Coming Home by Kate Williams

Author: Kate Williams

Publisher: Delacourte Press

Publication Date: June 2022

Everyone knows Unknown Island—it’s the world’s most exclusive destination. Think white sand beaches, turquoise seas, and luxury accommodations. Plus, it’s invite only, no one over twenty-one allowed, and it’s absolutely free. Who wouldn’t want to go?

After launching with a showstopping viral marketing campaign, the whole world is watching as the mysterious resort opens its doors to the First Ten, the ten elite influencers specifically chosen to be the first to experience everything Unknown Island has to offer. You know them. There’s the gamer, the beauty blogger, the rich girl, the superstar, the junior politician, the environmentalist, the DJ, the CEO, the chef, and the athlete.

What they don’t know is that they weren’t invited to Unknown Island for their following—they were invited for their secrets. Everyone is hiding a deadly one, and it looks like someone’s decided it’s payback time. Unknown Island isn’t a vacation, it’s a trap. And it’s beginning to look like the First Ten—no matter how influential—are never coming home.

If you are a fan of And Then There were None, then you should enjoy this one.  It involves a bunch of online influencers who get invited to a remote island to be the first guests as n exclusive resort.  Only when they get there, it's not what they were expecting. 

Never Coming Home ended up being a lot of fun.  It has everything you would expect in a teen slasher book/film.  The death scenes are gruesome, the teens are fairly unlikable and the atmosphere was creepy.  All of the teens have secrets of course.  I was pleasantly surprised at the ending and didn't call any of the secrets.  It's not the best I've ever read, but it was still a good time.  I do recommend it.

Review: The Babysitter's Coven by Kate Williams

Author: Kate Williams
Publisher: Delacourte Press
Date of publication: September 2019

Adventures in Babysitting meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this funny, action-packed novel about a coven of witchy babysitters who realize their calling to protect the innocent and save the world from an onslaught of evil.

Seventeen-year-old Esme Pearl has a babysitters club. She knows it's kinda lame, but what else is she supposed to do? Get a job? Gross. Besides, Esme likes babysitting, and she's good at it.

And lately Esme needs all the cash she can get, because it seems like destruction follows her wherever she goes. Let's just say she owes some people a new tree.

Enter Cassandra Heaven. She's Instagram-model hot, dresses like she found her clothes in a dumpster, and has a rebellious streak as gnarly as the cafeteria food. So why is Cassandra willing to do anything, even take on a potty-training two-year-old, to join Esme's babysitters club?

The answer lies in a mysterious note Cassandra's mother left her: "Find the babysitters. Love, Mom."

Turns out, Esme and Cassandra have more in common than they think, and they're about to discover what being a babysitter really means: a heroic lineage of superpowers, magic rituals, and saving the innocent from seriously terrifying evil. And all before the parents get home. 

Back in the day, I was a huge Buffy fan.  (OK...I still am) So when I saw this synopsis, I knew I had to give it a try.  Esme is a great babysitter.  She and her friend are the best in town and make good money doing it. When a new girl shows up at school and wants into their "club" things start to get strange.  

I wouldn't say this was necessarily a YA.  It read more like a middle grade book or a younger YA.  I think that demographic will think this was a lot of fun.  As for me, I thought it was cute.  The characters were funny and interesting.  There were some great one-liners and I did laugh in a few places.  I liked that Esme and her friend had their own style.  Overall, it was a cute read.

What brought my rating down to about 3 stars was the blatant rip-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer but with demons not vampires...right down to town having its very own Hellmouth and a Watcher.   I mean, the show is referenced in the book several times.  I guess if it's mentioned, that makes it OK?  I wanted something original, like a new twist.  But, it just wasn't there.  I also feel that the author needs to spend some time with actual teens.  They don't speak using acronyms.  I know because I have one and I asked her.    So that didn't feel authentic and took me out of the story.

I would probably recommend this to middle grade level readers.  I think it could be a fun introduction into the paranormal genre.  I may pick up the next one to see the fallout of the events of this one.