3 stars

I am grateful to Gallery Books, Gallery/Scout Press for sending me an advanced copy of this book for review.

This is the fifth book that I have read by Jennifer McMahon, and she is definitely one of my go-to horror authors. However, I have found that while I always enjoy reading her books, some of them are great while some of them are just OK for me. This was one of those books that, while I enjoyed it and I thought there were many positive qualities, it did not stand out to me in the way that some of her other novels have. This is definitely a horror novel; however, I find that many of the horror elements in the story were not particularly intense and at some points it felt more like a mystery.
This story follows McMahon’s normal formula, where you have two timelines and you follow people in two different narratives that surround the same general topic, and at some point, these storylines converge. For me one of the issues I had with this story was that I felt like the two storylines did not exactly work in this book. While I did not have an issue with either storyline; I thought they were both interesting, I did find that the shift from past to present was quite awkward. This may be because I think the two timelines were two completely different genres that didn't quite mesh.

I did like how the mystery concerning the childhood of our perspective character as well as the mystery of what's going on in present day were linked. But beyond a certain point I did find the remainder of the story to be quite predictable. Even with this predictability I did still enjoy the way the story ended, and I think that putting most of the more unbelievable portions of the story in the past timeline was smart. We are getting this information in a journal format (story within a story) so we can speculate that there may be some over dramatization of past events since they are being relayed to us by children. Another strength of this book was in presenting us with different sorts of complex/interesting relationship dynamics.

I found this book quick and enjoyable to read as I usually do with Jennifer McMahon, mostly because her writing style is very accessible, has a very good flow to it, and fits this style of stories that she writes. I recommend this to fans of mild horror, mystery, and family stories.

Based on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, The Children On The Hill was a 5 star read for me!

Dr. Hildreth, a brilliant psychiatrist at Hillside Inn, has two grandchildren who live with her. One day, she brings home another child, Iris, whom Eric and Violet are to treat as their sister. But as Violet tries to learn more about her new “sister” she uncovers some very dark secrets surrounding Hillside Inn, its patients, and her Gran.

I really enjoyed the dual timeline going back and forth between 1978 and 2019, and I loved the setting of the psychiatric facility. I also loved that this book surprised me a couple of times. There are two big twists, and while I figured one out, the second one left me with my mouth hanging open. I definitely recommend this book!

Thank you so much to Gallery Books and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Some may say this book is a modern take on Frankenstein and it may be that, or inspired by, but what came to mind for me was an Ode to Frankenstein.

Delightfully murky and shadowed, Jennifer McMahon is a master of suspense of course, but yet also so much more as any good book is. This is a horror story but it is also a love story. A story of betrayal and redemption (maybe,) Of coming of age but still wanting, needing to believe in the unexplained.
I always find it hard to review these type of books because I don't want to give anything away but I can say that
I loved the characters, as much as they would let me love them, and any story set in a mental hospital isolated in the New England forests can't be bad. The writing was excellent as you would expect from an experienced and talented author like McMahon, and if you believe in judging a book by its cover, well it's stunning isn't it?

What a book! At one point I was reading in bed and my husband touched my arm and I jumped out of my skin! This definitely was a chilling read but it had so many layers to it and addressed a ton of topics. This had a ton of twists and surprises and kept me on my toes. I don’t want to give too much away (definitely go in blind if you can!) but this is a great book for thriller fans.

The first part of this book, I was in love. Probably up to 75%, honestly. I loved the character of Violet, the mystery going on, the monster hunting, all of it. I did guess what I think was supposed to be a "twist" but I don't think I'm unique in that regard. However, the part of the book (basically the ending) was a big disappointment to me (OK, the last couple of pages were a little shocking but at that point, seemed to come out of nowhere). It just didn't make sense. The things that the monster hunter found along the way did not go with the ending of the book AT ALL. Also, I don't understand the title at all. It literally could have been 100 other things and make so much more sense.

1978: Dr. Hildreth is a well known psychiatrist who treats patients at the Hillside Inn, a psychiatric facility in Vermont. Outside of work she is Gran, taking care of her two grandchildren Eric and Vi. One day Gran brings home Iris, another child who will now be living with them. Eric and Vi are quick to accept Iris, showing her their Book of Monsters and taking her on monster hunts.

2019: Lizzy Shelley travels on the road hunting monsters and sharing her findings on her podcast Monsters Among Us. Lizzy is on the hunt in Vermont after a local girl goes missing and she believes a monster has something to do with it. Lizzy has believed in monsters since she was a child, and knows that the worst monsters are right in front of us.

I am not one to stay up late reading, but this book had me up way past my bed time. I could not put this one down! I was not sure I would enjoy the monster theme of this book, but Jennifer McMahon did it extremely well. I love when books alternate from the past to the present, and this one does it in a way that will have you hooked. On top of that, the ending has shocking twists. Bonus points for the creepy psychiatric facility setting. This is a new favorite of mine!

McMahon’s latest book has all the weird and strange vivid elements you expect of her work. I’m constantly impressed at how she writes in such a dark but also captivating way that you find yourself just reading and reading.

Like many of her stories, we have dual timelines: 1978 and 2019. In 1978 we see Dr. Helen Hildrith’s unconventional treatment of patients at a creepy treatment center where she lives with her grandchildren after their parents were killed in a car accident. Vi and Eric love Monsters. They secretly have a Monster Club where they read everything they can about monsters, watch all the movies when they can sneak into the drive in and have a hideout in the woods. When their grandmother (Dr. H) brings home a girl, Iris, who has obviously experienced some kind of trauma. Eventually, Vi and Eric invite Iris into their club and together they work on The Book of Monsters where they detail all that they know about monsters. Iris doesn’t talk; she wears her clothes inside out. She looks a lot like Vi. What happened to her? Where did she come from? Why does she wear that orange hat everywhere?

2019: Lizzy Shelley is the host of a popular podcast, “Monsters Among Us”. The latest case has her returning to Vermont, close to where she lived as a child and where a teenage girl is missing.

That’s all the summary I think you need. There’s a lot of 70s references and nostalgia. Like all of McMahon’s books, it’s big on atmosphere. You will notice nods to Frankenstein but this is so much more than that. I love the way McMahon layers her narratives and here we have excerpts from The Book of Monsters and from a book called The Helping Hand of God: The True Story of the Hillside Inn throughout the narrative.

It’s so good. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Picture this (Vermont, 1970s): your parents are dead. You and your brother live with your grandmother, who is a renowned psychiatrist and runs a psychiatric hospital right up the hill from your house. One day, a strange girl comes home with your grandmother who doesn’t speak and has all kinds of scars all over her body. You and your brother are self proclaimed monster hunters already, so you vow to figure out what is going on with this new girl and uncover all sorts of crazy shit along the way.

I went into this book totally blind and I loved it! It was quite a unique story that took inspiration from Frankenstein. It is a medium-paced atmospheric thriller with a twist I did not see coming, but really liked. I was totally into it from page 1.

There are alternating time lines with various POVs, as well as a few books within. It sounds like it may be confusing, but it all works really well and everything adds to the story. It wasn’t scary so much as eerie with some disturbing vibes thrown in.

I have 3 backlist titles on my shelf by @jennifermcmahonwrites and after reading this book I am so anxious to get to them all!

Violet, Eric and now add Iris, are siblings. Their grandmother is a renowned psychiatrist. She has a treatment center next to their home. Vi, Eric and Iris spend a lot of time pretending to hunt monsters. They have their own club and even write a book with illustrations. But, are they hunting monsters or remembering the past.

This story is told in several voices and several time periods and the author nailed all of them. To me, this is one of the hardest things an author does and sometimes it just doesn’t work. Every section of this book is mesmerizing and all work well together to tell the story!

I cannot tell y’all what kind of page turner this is! The children pull at your heart. Then the setting of the psychological treatment center and the secrecy of Gran, really mess with your mind.

Well! Jennifer McMahon has done it again! This is over the top good! I kept thinking I knew what was going to happen at the end…but..PLOT TWIST! Y’all need to run get this today…don’t wait!

Need a fantastic thriller…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

It's 1978 and Gran has brought home a young girl to become a sister for her grandchildren, Vi and Eric. Iris doesn't behave like other children-- she refuses to speak, can't dress herself, brush her hair or teeth, and has to be taught everything. Vi invites her to join the monster club she and Eric created after seeing Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and they happily chase monsters through the nearby woods. Gran is busy at her renowned hospital across the street where she works as a psychiatrist helping the mentally ill. Vi is put in charge of Iris and told to report to Gran if she brings up anything from her past. But Iris can't remember anything before the day Gran brought her home and, feeling bad, Vi promises to find out where Iris came from, including her real name. But the truth she finds is more than she can handle...
2019: Lizzie Shelley is famous for her podcast Monsters Among Us and even appeared on a popular monster hunter tv series. After a girl disappears in Vermont after seeing the local monster, the town is on edge. Lizzie has her own reasons for hunting this monster, fearing it's her long lost sister.
I've read several books by this author and loved them. This wasn't quite what I expected when I picked up the book so it took me a bit to get into it, but it didn't take long for her to put her spin on this story inspired by Shelley's classic. Before long, I was engrossed in the storyline and couldn't wait to see what happened next. Loved it!!
I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

The events in Jennifer McMahon's "The Children on the Hill" are narrated in alternating chapters that take place forty years apart. In 1978, Dr. Helen Hildreth is a psychiatrist who treats patients at her private facility in rural Vermont. She is also the guardian of her grandchildren, Eric and Vi, whom she homeschools. These precocious siblings are curious, well-read, and obsessed with monsters. One day, Dr. Hildreth (Gran) brings home a thirteen-year-old girl, Iris, who is Vi's age. Iris wears a hat that she refuses to take off. Furthermore, she does not speak, is clearly terrified, and has no memory of her past. Vi and Eric induct Iris into their Monster Club, and the siblings gradually draw her out of her shell. Vi wonders, where did Iris come from and why does she behave so oddly?

In 2019, fifty-three-year-old Lizzy Shelley has become a celebrity. She hosts a popular podcast; writes a blog; has appeared on a television series, "Monsters Among Us"; sells branded merchandise; and travels around the country hunting for supernatural creatures. In addition, she is looking into the whereabouts of missing girls who may have been abducted. At the end of her quest, she will meet a real-life monster whose mind has been warped by unspeakable abuse.

Although "The Children on the Hill" is evocative and poignant, it is also too grotesque and bizarre to recommend wholeheartedly. Vi and Eric are peculiar youngsters who are not permitted to socialize with their peers. Dr. Hildreth distills her own gin and conducts tests on animals in the basement of her home. You do not have to be clairvoyant to suspect that something is very wrong here. When a reporter starts digging into Dr. Hildreth's background, Vi and Iris are drawn into the investigation. The plot moves along predictably, since McMahon provides numerous hints that allude to the big secret long before it is disclosed. Still, the author surprises us with a few additional twists in the final pages. This is a disturbing novel about a sociopath with delusions of grandeur who cruelly manipulates vulnerable individuals.

Paranormal stories are not my thing. I also do not enjoy horror. So tell me why author Jennifer McMahon is one of my favorite genre bending authors of all time!?! Any book she releases I will read! She does a phenomenal job at writing. You can check out my past reviews of "The Drowning Kind" and "The Invited" and PLEASE read "The Winter People" which I loved and read prior to my blog days.

So, her latest book is a must-read! I mean, I was expecting nothing less than a 5 star read and I got what was expected!

This is told from primarily 2 different perspectives, but also has a 3rd view thrown in every so often from the "monster's view". I have to say that both perspectives and alternating timeline stories kept me on edge throughout the entire read. Even when I thought I knew how it would end, I still kept getting surprises thrown at me and I loved it!

McMahon has pure writing talent. I loved reading the 1978 story line. The picturesque landscape of the Vermont countryside with a looming and eerie treatment center filled with odd and sketchy characters was a whole mood. The way the she sets the dark, cautious and mysterious tone along side of the cheerful, playful, innocence of childhood was masterful.

Then we are in 2019 and podcaster and blogger Lizzy Shelly is a famous monster hunter. We know she has changed her name, but what we don't know is why. She seems to be hiding, yet searching for a monster from her past. She hears about a girl who has gone missing after bragging about an encounter with a "mythical monster". Lizzy knows this isn't the first girl to go missing under these circumstances. There have been many more spanning back decades. To investigate she will have to go back to the home state she left when she was a child and possibly face a monster she has been running from most of her life.


The ending is everything! Just when you think it's over, it's not! This is a 5 star read!

Lucky for you all this is set to be released in the U.S. tomorrow April 26, 2022! So get your copy now and be ready to be blown away!

Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for allowing me an advanced digital copy to read and give my honest opinion.

Happy Reading!

Taking the horror classic, Frankenstein, and giving it a new twist, Jennifer McMahon proves she is mistress of horror. The Children On The Hill exposes the real life monsters that hide in plain sight.
The narrative alternates between the monster and the monster hunter, with past and present time jumping. Excerpts from an article about the horrors that happened at the Hillside Inn, as well a pages from a child’s handmade book of monsters, add to the backstory of the characters. There is a lot to follow, but it’s worth it.
The story is suspenseful and full of monster nostalgia. I enjoyed seeing monsters from a child’s perspective as well as the adults. What they perceive as real monster are totally different. The real monster is exposed in the big twist, which you won’t see coming.
I loved everything about this book. It’s suspenseful, thrilling and different from anything out there right now.

THE CHILDREN ON THE HILL by Jennifer MacMahon. For the first half of the book, I turned on Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein to run in the background.

This book is atmospheric and brooding and I read it on a cloudy rainy afternoon in California.

Such a vibe!

It’s inspired by FRANKENSTEIN by Mary Shelly and I loved Jennifer Mcmahon's take on it. This is one of my favorites by her.

This book will appeal to thriller and horror lovers alike as it stands on the fence between the two. I loved our protagonist and the deep atmosphere created in both timelines.

This comes out on April 26th and I think would be a great introduction to the author if you’re new to her books.

Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books/Scout Press for the advanced copy!

THE CHILDREN ON THE HILL…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

1978: Vi and Eric live with their grandmother, an esteemed psychiatrist who runs a center where she treats her patients. One day, Gran brings home a child, Iris, and tells them Iris will be living with them from now on. Present day: Lizzie is the host of a podcast where she hunts down reported sightings of mythical “monsters”, when a tip leads her to Vermont, where a girl has disappeared. The Children on the Hill is a spellbinding, eerie thriller that’ll firmly grab you and not let go. Perfectly told in alternating timelines that flow smoothly and never confuses the reader, with great characters and a totally unique and captivating plot. Any other details would spoil the fun, but it’s a pleasure to read such a well-written and totally creepy book! You won’t be disappointed, a solid 5 star read! Outstanding in every way! I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. Part old school monster story part family drama, the story keeps you engaged the entire time. I was invested from the first chapter. It is definitely one of those stories that have you thinking, what if?

Huge thanks to NetGalley for the arc on this one, one of the most riveting reads I've had this year.
While I might well agree with those who'd label this one the perfect read for Halloween during the crisp Fall air, nobody, but nobody should wait that long to dive into this book.
Disturbing, grisly and surprisingly heartfelt (sometimes all the same time), this is one wild ride through a horrific childhood that reaches into the characters' adult lives.
The side-by-side timelines here, 1978 and 2019 bring the dark storyline closer and closer to each other - to the point where you can't warp-speed through the pages fast enough.
I'm not keen on going through an elaborate plot description, since the joys of a thriller like this come from the way it slowly but surely reveals all its terrible secrets.
Let's just say in 1978 there's two kids, Violet and Eric, living with their beloved "Gran", who happens to be a brilliant psychiatrist, Dr. Hildreth. Gran practices at a Vermont inn converted to a treatment center for the mentally ill. And she's brought home, as a sort of foster adoptee and new 'sister' for her grandkids, Iris, a strange, silent child. Gran encourages Violet and Eric to befriend and embrace Iris, who appears physically and mentally damaged from events unknown.
Violet and Eric, obsessed with hunting down mythological monsters, soon bring Iris enough out of her shell to join them in their adventurous search for ghouls, vampires, werewolves and other assorted creatures of the night.
Speaking of monsters, in 2019 Lizzy Shelley has made a multi-media career (podcasts, TV shows) out of hunting down legendary monsters across the U.S. Lizzy's monster-hunts contain another agenda, though - since she suspects the disappearance of teenage girls may be the work of a very real monster hiding behind all the fanciful 'local legend' creatures.
And that's more than enough said. As the timelines converge, "Children On The Hill" reveals an ever growing series of horrors, suspense, some stunning surprises and a jaw dropping final twist. Needless to say, in both timelines, the three children of '78 and Lizzy Shelley deal with the difference between imaginary monsters and the all too real ones.
A superb read, one of the most entertaining and profoundly chilling novels I've come across - and a definite 5 star experience..

“Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and, sometimes, they win.”
Creepy, monstrous, and wonderfully told, Children on the Hill is an excellent take on the monster-genre. Heavily inspired by Frankenstein, this thriller takes the gloomy atmosphere of a small Vermont town with a dark history and brings forth monsters, dread, and literal and metaphorical shocks galore. Each chapter strengthens that voice in your head, quietly and then loudly telling you: something's not quite right. And as for the plot twist, I can guarantee you will not be disappointed–you’ll be delighted.

It was OK. I would give it 2.5 stars. The ending is what ruined it for me. So much of the story seemed unbelievable. The character that should have been focused on was Helen Hildreth (Gran.) There was definitely a story there. There had to be a reason for everything she was doing. I didn't see all the twists and turns, but I definitely figured out who Patent S had to be. I was a little bit shocked when the truth about Lizzy was revealed. Somehow I never put two and two together. The scene in the cabin/shack between Iris and Violet didn't quite fit because they considered each other sisters. When the Monster reveals the motives behind the missing girls, it definitely wasn't what I expected. The story built up to that moment. Lizzy and the Monster face to face. What was the point of Lizzy chasing her for all those years? So many people could have been the Monster in this book. What would Eric, Iris and Violet's life be like if they never learned the truth about Gran? Gran had to suspect what Violet was up to? I have so many mixed feelings about the book.

Definitely give the book a try. I loved the previous books by the author, this one just wasn't for me. Loved the cover of the book. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Gallery Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Be careful when hunting monsters. You just might find one. This is a twisty tale that finds a lot of monsters hiding and living out in the open.