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The Sitter [Paperback]

R. L. Stine (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)


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Book Description

July 1, 2003
Master of chilling suspense R. L. Stine proves that you never outgrow a good scare. If he frightened you then, he’ll terrify you now. . . .

Ellie Saks is dying to escape the city. She’s sick of dead-end jobs, her mother’s disapproval, her loser ex-boyfriend, Clay, who won’t take a hint, and the memories of a terrible incident that occurred years ago. When her best friend suggests a summer in the Hamptons, full of glitzy parties, cool cocktails, and hot dates, Ellie’s on the first Jitney out. To fund all this glamour, Ellie takes a job as a nanny.

From the outside, the family’s beachfront home is perfect. But then Ellie meets four-year-old Brandon, who hasn’t spoken for months. The boy’s icy stare and demonic laughter make clear to Ellie that he is troubled, haunted by something too horrible for words.

She begins to receive threatening messages and disturbing gifts. But it’s not until she barely escapes a harrowing experience that she realizes her life may depend on figuring out who’s behind it: Clay? Brandon? And why? And every once in a while, in a crowd, she sees a face she hasn’t seen in seven years—the face of a boy who died long ago. It would seem that Ellie’s summer of fun has turned into a summer of horror—one she’ll never forget . . . if she survives it at all.


Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Master of chilling suspense R. L. Stine proves that you never outgrow a good scare. If he frightened you then, he'll terrify you now. . . .

Ellie Saks is dying to escape the city. She's sick of dead-end jobs, her mother's disapproval, her loser ex-boyfriend, Clay, who won't take a hint, and the memories of a terrible incident that occurred years ago. When her best friend suggests a summer in the Hamptons, full of glitzy parties, cool cocktails, and hot dates, Ellie's on the first Jitney out. To fund all this glamour, Ellie takes a job as a nanny.

From the outside, the family's beachfront home is perfect. But then Ellie meets four-year-old Brandon, who hasn't spoken for months. The boy's icy stare and demonic laughter make clear to Ellie that he is troubled, haunted by something too horrible for words.

She begins to receive threatening messages and disturbing gifts. But it's not until she barely escapes a harrowing experience that she realizes her life may depend on figuring out who's behind it: Clay? Brandon? And why? And every once in a while, in a crowd, she sees a face she hasn't seen in seven years—the face of a boy who died long ago. It would seem that Ellie's summer of fun has turned into a summer of horror—one she'll never forget . . . if she survives it at all.


From the Trade Paperback edition. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

R. L. Stine began his writing career when he was nine years old, and today he has achieved the position of the bestselling children’s author in history. In the early 1990s, Stine was catapulted to fame when he wrote the unprecedented bestselling Goosebumps® series, which sold more than 250 million copies and became a worldwide media phenomenon.

R.L. Stine has received numerous awards of recognition. He lives in New York, NY.


From the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Ballantine Books (July 1, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0345459806
  • ISBN-13: 978-0345459800
  • Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,873,397 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

 

Customer Reviews

22 Reviews
5 star:
 (10)
4 star:
 (4)
3 star:
 (4)
2 star:
 (3)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.9 out of 5 stars (22 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but ending didn't hold up., June 11, 2004
By 
Syrielle (Suburbs, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Sitter (Paperback)
First of all, I did read to the end so I gave it 3 stars because "The Sitter" did keep me there until the end.

However, the way the plot unraveled and the book ended left much to be desired. There was no way to guess the ending, which was quite random and bizarre, in my opinion. I was expecting a little more realistic creativity rather than unbelievable "whatever" conclusions.

The best thing about this book was the setting (The Hamptons) and the main characters (attractive and young). Stine did a great job developing several characters that kept you wondering about their intentions and mysterious backgrounds.

A pretty fun thriller-style beach book that remains interesting throughout two-thirds of the book and then plummets to its end feeling like you wasted your time. As long as you keep that in mind, you may not be as disappointed as I was.

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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Creepy and shocking...A page-turner all the way., July 5, 2003
This review is from: The Sitter (Paperback)
Ellie Saks is tired of the city and her dead-end temp jobs so she decides to move to the Hamptons for the summer.

Ellie is just getting out of a relationship with a guy who won't take no for an answer, her mother constantly reminds her of her short comings with her life, and to make matters worse she has started reliving a terrible incident that happened to her back in high school.

Upon arriving in the Hamptons Ellie finds out the job she had lined up has been taken, but a stroke of luck has a new job opportunity placed right in front of her. Ellie meets Abbie Harper, a young woman desperate for a live-in nanny to care for her two children. Ellie takes the job, but what looked like a great job turns to a nightmare as Abbie's young son begins acting weird, and strange things begin happening.

Ellie begins receiving disturbing messages, and the Harper's previous nanny warns of ghosts, and the evil locked inside of Brandon. Ellie dismisses everything, until the messages become gruesome, and a violent act proves that someone wants her dead.

Time is running out for Ellie to find a madman, and as she races to save herself she comes face to face with a horror she never expected.

`The Sitter' is a creepy and suspenseful shocker. Good old fashion horror unfolds in a story that's part supernatural, part slasher, and all-around scary. From it's chilling opening scene to it's surprise ending readers know they are in the hands of a master. R.L. Stine has written countless bestsellers for children and teens, but he out does himself with a gripping thriller for adults that deserves to be a huge success.

You will be hooked with this page-turner that's reminiscent of early John Saul novels.

Nick Gonnella

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars R.L. Stine at his best..., August 16, 2003
By 
"kmaxfan" (Groveport, OH USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Sitter (Paperback)
This is R.L. Stine's second attempt at an adult novel (his first being 'Superstitions'), and I believe it hits the target. At 309 pages, its quite an easy book to read, but at least for me, was a little more challenging than say Goosebumps or Fear Street.

I read R.L. Stine as a child, both the Goosebumps and Fear Street series, and it was quite a surprise to see him write an adult novel. Language, sex, drugs, alcohol, and very difficult situations play into this novel, so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under the age of 14.

The book is very well-written, and has a great surprise ending (what else would you expect from Stine?). I hope very much Robert continues his current writing process, that being no series, but a novel or two every 6-8 months.

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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
What are you drinking? Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
guest house door, new nanny
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Jeremiah Halley, Chip Harper, Sag Harbor, Country Modes, Flying Point Road, Ellie Saks, Johnny Depp, Lieutenant Harris, Noyac Road, Brandon Harper, Comp Lit, Life Saver, May Lin
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