The Babysitter's Coven

First off, I wish I had been as cool as these characters when I was in high school. Their humor, style, and wit is something I wish I had been blessed with. Esme and Janice run their very own Babysitter's Club, that's right, just like in the books. They have a burner phone and everything. The only problem is Janice is pretty much over it and Esme might be all on her own, babysitting just isn't as cool in high school anymore. Enter the new girl, Cassandra. She finds out about their little club and begs to join claiming tons of "experience." After she freaks out over a two year old's poop, it's clear to everyone that Cassandra isn't quite cut out for babysitting, but she did have an ulterior motive. She finds a note from her mother (long dead) telling her to find the babysitters, and she and Esme might have something "magical" in common. Cheesy, totally implausible and fun. It's like Buffy meets Sabrina and it's a ton of fun. I look forward to the sequel!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New School Nightmare

A cute, unique take on Buffy that's aimed at younger teens. Buffy Summers has moved to a new town and that means she has to start at a new middle school. Is there anything worse for a teenager? She's having trouble making friends and the librarian is being really weird around her and won't stop calling Buffy "the chosen one." When Buffy encounters a vampire, she knows that she might actually have to turn to the weirdo librarian for help. Soon Buffy becomes friends with other preteens with oddities of their own. Sarafina is learning witchcraft and Alvaro becomes a werewolf once a month; but together the trio will help keep the vampires at bay. Now only if they had time to keep up with their homework and get some sleep in. Cute and told in comics, doodles, and diary entries. The only character that is "the same" from the original Buffy universe is Buffy herself, everyone else is reinvented. A lot of fun and a good way to get the younger generation interested in a classic. 

Slayer

I didn't know what to expect out of this book. On one hand I was really excited that it was from the world of Buffy, but on the other hand it's been quite a few years since the show ended and I didn't want too much of it to get lost in translation when adapting it to a teen novel in 2019. I was disappointed at first that it didn't feature Buffy as the main character, but later I was glad for it. The novel centers on Athena, affectionately called Nina, and her twin sister Artemis. They are training to be Watchers in an isolated castle in Ireland. Their father had been Buffy's first watcher (before Giles) and had died young. Their mother wants to keep the Watcher tradition alive, but with only one of her daughters it would appear. Artemis is cunning, active, and fearless; Nina on the other hand has never been allowed to train so she studies to become a medic. She's everything her sister isn't; shy, weak, and defenseless. Even her mother has always preferred Artemis over her. One day, something happens that will change everything, she becomes the chosen one, the last slayer ever. Fun and unique, I can't wait to see where this story goes, it looks as if it will be a series.

Buffy, the High School Years: Freaks and Geeks

I saw this cover art and was immediately drawn to it. Plus, who diesn't love Buffy?!?! Upon reading this series debut though, I wasn't very impressed. The graphics are more anime, I wanted more along the lines of the cover. Plus... I think I'm a little too old to be reading about this level of high school drama. Granted it was cool to see Giles and Buffy and Willow and the whole gang in a new storyline, but I don't know if I liked it enough to follow it up with the next in the series. We'll see.