This is a dual timeline story told from multiple points of view, including excerpts from a book published about the historical events, allowing the author to slowly leak and emphasize key information in a very effective manner. In 2019, Lizzy Shelley is a "monster hunter" with a popular podcast, investigating sightings of Big Foot and lesser know stars of local folklore. Years ago, she became aware of some sightings associated with the disappearance of young women who claimed to have seen the local monster, all girls with histories that suggest they've just run away, but Lizzy thinks something more sinister is at play that is related to her childhood. When one such report is made back in her home state of Vermont, she realizes it is time to not only investigate, but to face her past. Back in 1978, Violet and her brother Eric live with their grandmother, Dr. Helen Hildreth, at The Inn, a psychiatric treatment center in rural Vermont. One day, Gran brings home Iris, a scarred young girl who won't talk, and tells them to treat her like a sister. Violet's task is to bring Iris out of her shell, teach her to be a "normal girl", and provide daily progress reports to Gran. Iris can't remember anything about who she is, and Violet promises to help her find out about her past, but doesn't realize how uncovering the secret will affect all of their lives. A quick read, in part because I couldn't put it down, and at least one twist I wasn't expecting.

More than one twist to this story. Told in past and present tenses things are not as they seem. The mystery kept me turning the pages until all was revealed.

‘ The first thing you need to know is that monsters are real. They’re all around us, whether we can see them or not’. - Jennifer McMahon, The Children on the Hill

I’m having a bit of a hard time gathering my thoughts on this one. I really, really enjoyed this up until the very end where it fell flat for me… I mean like ‘face plant’ flop.

It was fun seeing the 70’s story unfold through VI’s narration. I loved the late 70’s nostalgia and could picture this time period so vividly. I, also, thought the nods to Frankenstein were well done and very appropriate to the themes of the story.

This was easily a 5-star read for me if not for the ending, which was just not what I’d built up for. I wanted something more dynamic and less rushed. The involvement of Skink was a lil head scratching… I didn’t feel the need for it. Also, I’m not a fan of the title and feel it could’ve been more creative if it had included the nod to Frankenstein which is such an intricate element of the story.

All in all, I enjoyed this but wish the ending had been as well thought out as the rest of the story. 3.5 stars.

***ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Children on the Hill was a good. It was more of a YA book. For me it was a little on the slow side.
The Children on the Hill would probably be more enjoyable for most if they are younger.
Thank you, NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Gallery/Scout Press, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I seriously had to DNF this book. I didn’t really enjoy the writing style I just couldn’t get into it. It was also a little too slow paced for me so even a few hundred pages in I didn’t get the whole point of it .. like ok this and this is happening but what does that have to do with anything else going on .

I was given the opportunity to read this ARC because of NetGalley.
I absolutely loved how the book jumped back and forth from the 1970's, to present day....from one charter's point of view to the other character.
There are a ton of twists and turns as you learn about the monster hunting in the 1970's versus today. It was an absolutely amazing read and I didn't see the ending coming. Great story and strongly recommend

If a cover can determine which book to read, then this one wins! Although it gives reference to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, it is due to 3 children and their fascination with monsters. It is more than that in this dark endeavor to monsters we create in our minds and those that walk among us. As one of the characters mentions, “(Mary Shelley) She’s the one who started it all.” It’s more about nature vs nurture and eugenics sparked in the 1920’s in Vermont.
Shout out to the 70’s nostalgia when 3 children take you through good times with Rock-‘em Sock-’em Robots, crochet sunflower afghan, brown carpet, mustard drapes, beaded macramé, pop rocks and paint by numbers…loved it!!
Psychiatrist Dr. Helen Hildreth runs the treatment center in Vermont for the mentally ill. Before it was The Hillside Inn sanatorium, it carried a rich history as a Civil War Hospital. She raises her 2 grandchildren which are allowed to interact with the patients, live next door & homeschooled. Vi and Eric are beyond their years in intelligence. They are fascinated by monsters and created a Monster Club as well as a Book of Monsters. When their grandmother brings home a small, feral-like child, they are instructed to accept Iris as their sister.
Fast forward 41 years to 2019, Lizzie Shares a podcast Monsters Among Us and investigates a local girl missing and abducted by the legend monster Rattling Jane. She knows this monster because she thinks it’s her sister.

Another interesting character is Julia Tetreault, the author of “The Helping Hand of God: The true story of the Hillside Inn”. Exposing the real monsters and haunting tales of the halls in B West.
You think you know what this is about but you have no idea! Shocking, intense and disturbing with no desire to put it down!! The author blends into several genres that will leave you astounded and wanting more from this author.
“The tragedies we endure shape our lives: We carry them like shadows.”
Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for this astonishing title in exchange for my honest review.

I was really looking forward to this one after reading previous reviews, and I'm not sure if it was the time of year, my mindset, or what happened but I just didn't find it super satisfying like so many others.
The past and present were woven seamlessly, lots of creepy horror like elements and I could definitely tell it was inspired by Frankenstein. Great plot twist - for some reason it was just hard for me to really fall in love with. Still a great, solid read and thankful for my ARC!

What is a Monster?

Jennifer McMahon remains one of my favorite horror writers. The Children on the Hill was so good and I enjoyed the way it explored monsters in a similar vein as Frankenstein. It was part mystery, part true-crime/documentary style, and part horror and I loved it.

With Jennifer McMahon books, she always tends to blend the past and present, small towns, secrets, childhood, and the supernatural together in ways I can never really see coming, at least not fully. I loved watching the story unfold and figuring out who everyone was, how things might have ended for Vi and Eric as kids, and how Gran's work at the Inn would eventually impact them.

I don't want to spoil any part of the story, but I really loved the way the book mixed childhood innocence with supernatural mystery and asked the question of what monsters are, how to defeat them, and what they might look like.

The book wasn't necessarily a jumpy scare type of horror, but I thought it was dark and once we figured out who the real monsters were, it was genuinely horrifying. I highly recommend this one and I can't wait to see what else the author writes. So far, she has yet to disappoint!

My thanks to NetGalley for an advance ebook copy of The Children on the Hill in exchange for an unbiased review.

Jennifer McMahon has written one of the best books I have read this year. Combine three incredibly bright children, a rural psychiatric hospital setting, with a seemingly dedicated doctor and readers will find a thrilling ride of a novel. Violet and Eric are the young grandchildren of the renowned Dr. Hildreth, aka Gran. They are homeschooled on the grounds of The Inn, a residential psychiatric facility in Fayeville, Vermont. They spend much of their time hunting monsters, writing and drawing about their adventures. When Gran brings a dirty, mute young girl, Iris, to live with them, Violet is instructed to report about Iris's progress to Gran. Iris has no last name and no memories of her past. She only has the terrible scars to indicate some horrific event. Gradually, Iris comes out of her shell, learning to trust and regaining her speech. But always for the three children there is the draw of the mysterious Inn and its patients and the forbidden areas.

Alternating with the events from 1978 Vermont there is Lizzy, a 2019 television and podcast monster hunter. Early on readers will know that she was one of the three children while Eric, now known as Charlie, lives a quiet, married life far from anything unusual or troubling. Why does Lizzy hunt monsters and travel to locations where young girls have disappeared, locations that boast of a local legendary monster? And what of the third child?

<i>The Children on the Hill</i> is a great read.

I really enjoyed this. It was very visual and jumping between the time periods added another fun element. I loved the characters, especially Violet/Lizzy of course.

The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon
I was drawn in by the description of the book and was not disappointed. Loved the storyline, characters and the twist, absolutely would recommend this book to friends and family. Will be reading more of this authors books. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this and leave my opinion.

It’s too hard to write a review for this story without giving much away or any major spoilers so I’ll try to keep it short.

This was my first McMahon book & it did not disappoint. I am a huge fan of old school monsters like Big Foot, Vampires, & … of course… Frankenstein, so the monster undertone of this book set in an creepy sanatorium got me super excited because I expected to be horrified.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. This book wasn’t necessarily scary in the original sense but it did cause a lot of tension, unease, & kept the readers engaged trying to work out the secrets going on inside the Inn. The misleading genre label is my only complaint though because the psychological aspect of this book was absolutely enthralling.

The story is multi-layered & alternates between four narratives that flowed seamlessly throughout the novel. revealing an extremely satisfying twist at the end that I didn’t see it coming.

I loved how McMahon was able depict unreliable & traumatized characters yet still intertwine childhood innocence into this complex, perfectly executed & chillingly dark story that explains just how REAL monsters are truly created.

One of McMahons best books. As a huge fan of this authors work, I was really happy to get a copy of this book. What started off as a book about a grandmother raising her two grandchildren after the death of their parents in an automobile accident quickly became so much more. Dr Helen Hildreth is well known in the community as a respected doctor and guardian of her grandchildren that she homeschools and raises on her own. Helen works in a mental health facility that is on the same grounds as the home she shares with her grandchildren. What the community doesn’t know is that Helen’s not the wonderful doctor and member of the community that everyone believes her to be and when she brings a mute child who has no memory of her past home to live with her grandchildren, her secrets start coming out. Fast paced and scary, this excellent book is not to be missed.

Taking a page from Frankenstein, this novel is all about monsters. But what constitutes a monster? This is a look back at our childhood monsters and a look forward to ones masquerading as adults. This was a fun read with good characters, a spooky mystery, a bit of a twist in the storyline, and a satisfying ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and Scout Press/Simon and Schuster for the ARC to read and review.

My oh my! What an interesting twist! Nothing like a good, old fashioned monster hunting tale to keep you interested. I like how this has the before/now narrative, keeps you on your toes. I can also say with 100% honesty I have never read a story quite like this. I really liked this book. Definitely recommend!

I've come to really enjoy Jennifer McMahon's books. This was an easy and fast read and had me captivated till the end. I'm getting a little too good at predicting the twists in book, so I had a guess about half way through which ended up being right. I think I was reading faster just to see if I was right. Regardless, I enjoyed this book. This is definitely a good book to read during spooky season, however I didn't think it was as "scary" as some of her other books that I've read.

Thank you Gallery Books and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars and by far my favorite Jennifer McMahon novel to date! Creepy and subversive, The Children on the Hill will surprise and shock you with twists you probably won't see coming.
in the late 70s, Violet and Eric are raised by their grandmother, world-renowned psychiatrist Dr. Helen Hildreth, as she works in a treatment center in Vermont. One day, Gran brings home a girl named Iris and sort of integrates her into their little family. But where did Iris come from? The treatment center, The Hillside Inn, only treats adults.
Meanwhile in 2019, Lizzy Shelley is a monster-hunter, with a tight following, a podcast and a show all about monsters. It's an iteration of the Monster Hunter Club she, and her brother and sister had as children. Lizzy has made a career out of hunting monsters. But the worst monster of all seems to be human and might just be her long-lost sister...

*Special thanks to Gallery/Scout Press and NetGalley for this e-arc.*

Anything occurring pre-1990 and involving a psychiatric hospital... I'm in! I was sold before I even got past the first sentence of the summary.

Hunting monsters is definitely something I can see my own children doing and I love the imagination. Lizzie takes this a step further and has a podcast as an adult about hunting monsters, although the monsters aren't the same as when she was a child. However, when she finds that her own adopted sister is the monster, how will this change her approach?

This was creepy. It was enjoyable. And I want to read more! Not to mention, I want to listen to Lizzie's podcast!

This book delivered some fantastic twists after starting off pretty slow. The overall monster plot didn’t really work for me, but it was still a good read.