Thanks to Gallery Books for the free book.
McMahon writes such fun horror books, and I loved the direction she took in this one. She brought an original idea to the monster trope. Some of the aspects were expected, while others left me speechless. I loved the alternating chapters in this book - I think it's what made it be so well done. There is a slow burn and a desire to figure out what exactly is happening in the children's world in 1978 and what is going on with Lizzy in 2019. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to figure out where McMahon was taking this monster story.
The twists were well placed and not overly dramatic. Everything made sense once the story unfolded. The ending wasn't rushed, and it left me shocked.

When Netgalley approved me for The Children on the Hill, I literally felt like I was just granted my Christmas wish!!! Holy Smoke! I am a HUGE HUGE fan of Jennifer McMahon and her writing style. I was grateful but also extremely shocked and honored to be given the opportunity to read this upcoming novel.

Well, The Children on the Hill, does not disappoint (I mean could anything by Jennifer McMahon, ever disappoint?) I read that the inspiration behind this novel was Frankenstein and I can totally see that!

Set back in the 1970's, Helen, or better know as Dr. Hildreth, works with the mentally challenged. Helen has a way with working with her patients but Helen is also the beloved grandmother to Eric and Vi . Helen is filled with compassion and love for her beautiful grandchildren.

On a whim, Helen decides to take home Iris. Iris does not behave like a normal child but more comparable to an untamed animal.

Vi, is absolutely ecstatic ! She has a new friend to play with! Eric and Vi have a club its called the Monster club, and they ask Iris to join their monster club. They have to hunt the monsters and of course, monsters are everywhere as Vi explains.


Fast forward to 2019, Lizzy is the host of a Monster podcast. When Lizzy gets word that a little girl has been kidnapped and a small town goes in crazy, Lizzy is determined to solve the mystery and travels to Vermont to see just what is going on and if monsters truly are real.

But what happens if Lizzy has monsters in her own family ?

I cant give too much away without spoiling the ending but I promise you, you do not want to miss this one!

This book was Jennifer's best book yet! It was completely unputdownable. This was my favorite book this year. Can't wait to read more by this brilliant author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars

Mind blown. So many twists that I did not see coming.

There are several different stories going on concurrently:
* In 1978, Vi and Eric are being raised by their grandmother who runs a well regarded psychiatric hospital in Vermont. Gran brings home Iris to live them.
* In 2019 Lizzy Shelley is a podcaster traveling the country hunting monsters.
* Excerpts from a 1980 book about the hospital from an investigative journalist.
* Excerpts from Vi, Iris, and Eric’s book about monster hunting.

Fabulous book that is well tied together. Great homage to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein which I will go back and re-read. Highly recommend this book.

Jennifer McMahon delivers a creepy psychological thriller, and just in time for Halloween! Mental institutions, monsters, and a brilliant psychiatrist provide all the nods to Frankenstein but with a modern day spin. It was spooky and haunting in the best of ways, and the writing was brilliant and everything I’ve come to expect and appreciate from McMahon.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

While I absolutely love Jennifer McMahon's novels, I had a super hard time reading this one. Had to make myself finish it.

THIS. BOOK!!! OMG where do I start? This is the first book I’ve read where just a few chapters in I was thinking how Steven Spielberg needs to make this into a movie. The writing is that good. It has this vibe of pure adventure and excitement of what’s to come. Many twists that I didn’t figure out beforehand. Very surprising ending that I absolutely love. PERFECT! Now I have to prepare for a major book hangover because nothing I start will measure up!

Jennifer McMahon is a master writer. The Winter People, The Drowning Kind, I’ve devoured them all. While not generally drawn to supernatural themes, Jennifer has a way of weaving a story together that is incredibly unique, riveting, and believable. The Children in the Hill is no exception. This story begin in the late 70’s when Violet and her brother Eric, living with their grandmother, welcome a new sister into the family. Vi’s grandmother is also a medical doctor and in charge of running renown mental health facility in Vermont. Accustomed to having patients in their home, they welcome this new “sister” with open arms and even introduce her to their Monster Club. Fast-forward to the future and Lizzy is a famous monster hunter who travels the country researching monster sightings. One perplexing thing that has bothered Lizzy, with each monster sighting, there is also a missing teenage girl. Are these sightings and missing cases connected? Lizzy is quickly being drawn back to her hometown and she believes her sister is responsible for all the girls. This book started a bit slow, but the twists and turns were well worth the wait. If you enjoy monsters, medical thrillers, and unique stories, check out The Children on the Hill. This book will be released on May 18, 2022. Mark your calendar!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for my honest review.

I love this author! Really enjoyed the nostalgic monster movie bits, and I liked both timelines/storylines equally. Well done!

Fast-paced story that follows two girls who are raised by a doctor at a private mental institution in Vermont. The story switches between the past and modern day where a “monster hunter” named Lizzy is hot on her sister’s trail after a slew of young women go missing.

The Children on the Hill is a wonderful blend of the mythos of Frankenstein, local legends, and the horror of the eugenics movement. McMahon’s latest mystery is full of surprises and twists and turns.

A huge thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley and Gallery Books for the chance to read and review this book. The opinions expressed are my own.

Wow! This was really a roller coaster of a story! It involves monsters, a mental hospital and lots of secrets! I have to admit this book was so good that I read it in one setting. Even when I thought I had figured things out, the author threw in some twists and turns. I definitely recommend this book if you like stories that leave you on the edge of your seat. I plan to read more books by this author.

The Children on the Hill is a modern take on Frankenstein. The story flips between 1978 and 2019; in 1978 you start with 2 children living with their grandma, grandma was a surgeon turned therapist who occasionally brings someone home from work. This time she brings a little girl to be her grandchildrens sister.

Definitely a spooky, twisty tale perfect to cozy up with on a chilly autumn day! The characters were richly drawn and the scenes were impeccably described. I would recommend for anyone looking for a creepy thriller. Jennifer McMahon once again did not disappoint!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Inspired by Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”, this was a PERFECT seasonal read for October.

First, I rewatched the 🍿 movie, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and then I immersed myself into this CREEPY new book.

It’s 1978, and brilliant psychiatrist Dr. Helen Hildreth has brought home a child to stay at the Hillside Inn with her and her grandchildren, 13 year old, Vi and younger brother, Eric, and asked them to treat her like a sister.

In fact, it’s uncanny, how much the child looks like Vi.

But, Iris doesn’t speak, she wears her clothes inside out, and has on a filthy orange hat at all times, even at the dinner table, where she is also excused from saying the requisite “please and thank you”.

The children are obsessed with trying to find monsters. They have a monster club, and a monster clubhouse and they are even writing a book -

“The Book of Monsters” written by Violet Hildreth and Iris whose Last Name we don’t Know-illustrated by Eric Hildreth -and chapters of this “manual” are sprinkled throughout the story.

1980: A book is published-“The Helping Hand of God” The True Story of the Hillside Inn- the author, a young reporter named Julia Tetreault, Dark Passages Press, 1980

Excerpts of her account are also scattered throughout the book.

2019: Lizzy Shelley, is now the host of a popular podcast, Monsters Among Us (though we are not privy to any episodes)

The latest “monster sighting” has her returning to Vermont, close to where she once lived as a child, under her given name.

A teenager named Lauren Schumacher has disappeared from Chickering Island, shortly after she claimed to have met “Rattling Jane” the vengeful spirit of a woman murdered long ago and dumped in the lake.

Rattling Jane is pictured as a female shaped figure made of fish and bird skeletons, feathers, rocks, and sometimes even trash. She beckons to those on land with a small pebble in her hand, offering you a “wish”.

Some legends claim she is searching for her lost love-but others claim she is looking for her sister.

That is the story that Lizzy likes best-because she knows that monsters walk among us in plain sight-after all, one is her very own sister. And, this one could be looking for her.

The multi-layered story alternates between these four narratives but is told primarily through Vi’s eyes so be prepared to spend A LOT of time with a very smart 13 year old if you read this. There is lots of 70’s nostalgia, lots of ATMOSPHERE and the wonderfully descriptive prose, that we have come to love and expect from Jennifer McMahon. This sets up the story for the revelations of Lizzy’s 2019 timeline, which becomes more prevalent as the book progresses.

Though you will definitely recognize the nod to Frankenstein, don’t worry, this story is definitely original enough to keep you reading late into the night.

Thank you to Gallery/Scout Press for gifting me a VERY EARLY copy .
It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

AVAILABLE : April 26, 2022.

Are monsters real?

In Jennifer McMahon’s latest novel, Vi and Eric sure think so. The year is 1978, and they are children...living with their grandmother, the esteemed psychiatrist Helen Hildreth. One Day, the caring doctor brings home a young girl named Iris. Iris is not like other girls, but Vi and Eric latch onto her, making her an honorary sister. They even let her join the Monster Club...which now consists of the three of them. They’re writing a book where they discuss monsters and how to make them vanish.

41 years later (2019), podcaster Lizzy Shelley travels to a town where a teenager has vanished...after the young woman claimed to have seen a monster. There have been similar cases over the years. Lizzy is determined to stay on top of this. She’s also very familiar with monsters…

...After all, her sister is one.

Inspired by Frankenstein, The Children on the Hill is atmospheric and richly written. I’ll be honest though. It took a bit for me to get into it. For one, it’s not scary. It’s also a bit more PG-13 than I expected.

However, I was quickly entranced with figuring out the mysteries of past and present, and McMahon is a master at eloquent prose and gripping plots. I never read or saw all of the original Frankenstein, but I know enough. Using that background was a clever touch. Even though I guessed one major twist early on, there were still a couple surprises in store.

Overall, this is an entertaining mystery that really won me over. I hope fans of the genre will be impressed, and rightly so. A captivating read and a faboosh match with fall weather, wine, and candles...but let’s be real: I’m about the wine and candles life all year long!

3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to Gallery/Scout Press and Edelweiss for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 4/26/22.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

Thank you very much Gallery Books for this eARC!

And here we all thought The Children on the Hill was a phenomenal story?!

1978: Eric and Violet lived with their adoring grandmother sadly after an accident killed their parents. They were proper, precocious, courteous kids.
Who admired their grandmother, Dr. Hildreth. Who was a prominent psychiatrist and the Director of Hill House, which is a treatment center for mentally ill patients.

Grandmother brought home one of her kid patients, named Iris, she told Violet and Eric
to watch her and play with her.
Violet is over the moon to to have a new found friend.
But this poor girl is scared and regressive!
They invite Iris to join their Monster Club where they write down ways to chase monsters.
Not long after Iris begins to grow more comfortable.
The three kids do everything together now.
But suddenly Violet grows very suspicious about Hill House and takes it upon herself to explore. What she uncovers is so disconcerting that she ends up leaving her life forever!

2019: Lizzy the host of Monsters Among Us, is an route to Vermont, a young girl has been taken and people in town has seen a monster! Which has this town in turmoil.
Dizzy knows better than anyone that monsters are very real because she one of them is her very own sister.

This dark, twisted, chilling, gothic feel was an exquisite read!
A well written, character driven book! That had me so engrossed and captivated I didn't want to put my kindle down! Actually I don't think I did! Maybe three-four times?
This is such a damn good read and it truly shows just how talented McMahon really is!
She can present a suspicious story that's very satisfyingly.
Her characters were engaging and prodigious.
This book ultimately hooked me and devoured me!
And I loved every second of it!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thank you so much publisher, NetGalley and Author for this wonderfully done book!
I will post to my platforms closer to pub date!

I was expecting a supernatural twist from Jennifer McMahon, but what this book delivered was so much more haunting. Artfully told from multiple points of view and multiple points in time, this story's conclusion was both satisfying and heart-rending.

Loved this book! Loved everything about it - the pacing, the story, the characters, the setting, even the jumping back and forth between past and present. Just when I thought I had it figured it out, big twist! This is a must read for 2022. Very well done. This is one you don't want to start at bedtime because you won't be able to put it down until you finish it.

Anyone who reads this won't be disappointed.

Thank you #netgalley and #gallerybooks 'gallery/scoutpress for the eARC.

Thanks to Gallery/ Scout, NetGalley and Jennifer MaMahon for an advanced copy.

There hasn’t been a book by Jennifer McMahon that I didn’t enjoy, and this one is no different. I look forward to read more from this author.

Jennifer McMahon never disappoints . A modern take on Frankenstein this book will keep you guessing until the end . Two storylines :in 1978 two children whose parents died in an Car accident live with their grandmother at the Inn where she used not quite convention methods for treating her patients . She brings them home a new sister with an unknown background . A delicious twist at the end this novel is an all nighter

My thanks to Gallery/Scout Press, Jennifer McMahon and Netgalley.
There was just something special about this story. I usually have a few things to say, but I think I'm going to shut it!
This is a book that shouldn't be reviewed. I 👍. I 👎 No opinions and no insight.
This is my third Jennifer McMahon book. I have rated the others at 4 stars. This gets them all!
The woman can write!
This one sealed the deal. That's the deal that means McMahon is on my Kindle list!
She's got a few. I should probably reconnect with my library!