The Children On The Hill by Jennifer McMahon

 

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Drowning Kind comes a genre-defying new novel, inspired by Mary Shelley’s masterpiece Frankenstein, that brilliantly explores the eerie mysteries of childhood and the evils perpetrated by the monsters among us. 

1978: At her renowned treatment center in picturesque Vermont, the brilliant psychiatrist, Dr. Helen Hildreth, is acclaimed for her compassionate work with the mentally ill. But when’s she home with her cherished grandchildren, Vi and Eric, she’s just Gran—teaching them how to take care of their pets, preparing them home-cooked meals, providing them with care and attention and love.

Then one day Gran brings home a child to stay with the family. Iris—silent, hollow-eyed, skittish, and feral—does not behave like a normal girl.

Still, Violet is thrilled to have a new playmate. She and Eric invite Iris to join their Monster Club, where they catalogue all kinds of monsters and dream up ways to defeat them. Before long, Iris begins to come out of her shell. She and Vi and Eric do everything together: ride their bicycles, go to the drive-in, meet at their clubhouse in secret to hunt monsters. Because, as Vi explains, monsters are everywhere.

2019: Lizzy Shelley, the host of the popular podcast Monsters Among Us, is traveling to Vermont, where a young girl has been abducted, and a monster sighting has the town in an uproar. She’s determined to hunt it down, because Lizzy knows better than anyone that monsters are real—and one of them is her very own sister.

A haunting, vividly suspenseful page-turner from the “literary descendant of Shirley Jackson” (Chris Bohjalian, author of The Flight Attendant), The Children on the Hill takes us on a breathless journey to face the primal fears that lurk within us all. 

MY REVIEW: 5 Stars 

I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on. Even now my blood boils at the recollection of this injustice. 

Mary Shelley - FRANKENSTEIN

Omg! This book was exactly what I was looking for in a Mary Shelley sort of way! 

You can read the Synopsis yourself! Here’s my little thoughts:

I loved the twists in the book. I love how the author kept me guessing. I hated that I couldn’t finish this book sooner with real life happening! It’s one of those you don’t want to put down, at least I didn’t. 

Vi and Eric live with their Gran in the house on the hill. Gran runs a mental ish place next door ish. But, what is really happening in this facility? And who is this Iris girl that’s come home to be their sister and where did she come from? 

There is creepiness and horror but you can decide for yourself what exactly is the horror. There is evil all around…what form do you think it will take..

Kudo’s Jennifer McMahon for another wonderful book!! 

*Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for a copy of this book! 

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾