For Better or Cursed

Plot Summary: Last Halloween, an 11-year-old that Esme Pearl was babysitting was kidnapped as a sacrifice and sent to the Negative where demons live. Esme and her friend Cassandra succeeded in rescuing the girl, but because of the episode, a Summit of the Sitters Synod is coming to their town in Kansas. As the Summit approaches, and then convenes, strange events keep happening around them. Can Esme and her friends discover what is wrong and defeat the evil entity behind the events.

Esme Pearl didn't grow up knowing she had special powers. She has only recently realized that she is a Sitter. Her mom was cursed by someone practicing Red Magic and is now in a mental hospital close to being in a vegetative state. Esme has a friend named Cassandra who is also a Sitter. The football coach at their high school, Brian, is tasked with helping the Sitters.

Author Background: Besides writing fiction, Kate Williams has written articles about celebrities, beauty tips, and ghost-written memoirs. Her fiction writing includes The Babysitters Coven series and a thriller called Never Coming Home (Williams, n.d.).

Critical Evaluation: The reviews for this book ran the gamut from loving it to DNF. Let's start with the DNFs. One person may have finished but gave it one star because they thought that planning a party and having one when the world is about to end is unrealistic. Is this the time to remind someone that the story involves sending demons through portals, which, to my knowledge, don't exist and are unrealistic? The other one was more understandable. The two main characters go to Chick-fil-A after having a discussion about how the company is homophobic but have waffle fries. Deciding that you aren't going to finish the book to support the LGBTQ+ community is a great reason to put it down (Good Reads, n.d.). 

Those who liked it found the story and the humor entertaining. They also noted the combined vibes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Adventures of a Babysitter, and Charmed (Good Reads, n.d.). I did finish the book. While it wasn't the favorite one I read, it was entertaining. The humor that mixed with the horror and supernatural elements is a dynamic I really enjoy.

Speed-Round Book Talk or Short Book Trailer: Esme and Cassandra had an incident where a child was kidnapped and taken to the Negative. Now the Sitters Synod is coming to their town for a Summit Conference. Can they plan the Synod and defend themselves against a rising evil?

Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation: The story involves teenage girls who possess magic and banishing demons. That is definitely going to have people who follow more conservative religious traditions opposed to the book. Even the small pentagram on the book cover could set some people off. Is the story really about demons? In a way, yes. They exist in the world of this story. More importantly, the story is about empowering teen girls to go and do things that better the world. They have the power, magical or not, to do amazing things with the skills and hobbies they have.

Reason for Inclusion: I wanted to include this book because of how resourceful the characters are. Damsel in distress books may have their place, but new girls saving the world books need to be put out there.

Resources

Feel Good Events. (2020, August 28). Winter wonderland party theme set up\ event theme. [YouTube]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzVNLxbFQ5k.

Good Reads. (n.d.). For better or cursed. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43848519-for-better-or-cursed.

Social Care Institute for Excellence. (2014, September 24). Living with dementia. [YouTube]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loksPQ7Q8tM.

Williams, K. (n.d.). About Kaye Williams. http://heykatewilliams.com/.