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The Children on the Hill
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 she’s 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.
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 she’s 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.
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Community Reviews
What a pleasant surprise! I really loved this book and probably would not have read it without the encouragement of a book club. The twists (more than one!) were unexpected, and the underlying concept of the monster within (and what we choose to do with it, good or bad or in-between) was an appreciated overarching theme. Will be reading more from Jennifer McMahon, an author previously off my radar who has left me wanting more!
It is 1978 - Violet and her brother Eric live with their grandmother, Helen Hildreth, who happens to be a psychiatrist. Their home is located in Vermont on the same property as The Inn, where Gran treats patients with various mental illnesses. Violet is obsessed with Monsters - she and Eric even have a Monster Club and clubhouse. One day, Gran brings home another girl around Violet's age named Iris, she tells Violet and Eric that Iris is their new sister. Iris doesn't speak, is quite disheveled and wears an ugly orange hat. Violet works hard and eventually gets Iris to open up to her, and she finds out that Iris has no recollection of her life prior to moving in with them. Suspecting that Iris is one of Gran's patients Violet, Eric and Iris come up with a plan to break into Gran's office and find out the truth about where Iris came from and what happened to her. What they find out is nothing like they expected...
Fast forward to 2019 - Lizzy Shelley, a monster hunter that has her own podcast and (reluctantly) stars in a TV show is on the hunt for her latest monster. A young girl has been abducted from a town in Vermont and Shelley has noticed a pattern. She heads to this little town to do some investigated and find out that there have been "sightings" of this monster over the years. Lizzy knows that monsters are real and that they are everywhere, because one of them is her very own sister...
After reading this, I have gone and put a hold on some of Jennifer McMahon's other novels! I loved the writing style and her character description/developments. It is a dual timeline novel, but you always know where on the timeline you are. So many ups and downs in this book. I never knew what was going to happen next and as soon as I had some idea, I found out I was completely wrong. The twist in this novel was exceptionally well done! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. The ending is nothing you'll ever expect! I highly recommend this one!
Fast forward to 2019 - Lizzy Shelley, a monster hunter that has her own podcast and (reluctantly) stars in a TV show is on the hunt for her latest monster. A young girl has been abducted from a town in Vermont and Shelley has noticed a pattern. She heads to this little town to do some investigated and find out that there have been "sightings" of this monster over the years. Lizzy knows that monsters are real and that they are everywhere, because one of them is her very own sister...
After reading this, I have gone and put a hold on some of Jennifer McMahon's other novels! I loved the writing style and her character description/developments. It is a dual timeline novel, but you always know where on the timeline you are. So many ups and downs in this book. I never knew what was going to happen next and as soon as I had some idea, I found out I was completely wrong. The twist in this novel was exceptionally well done! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. The ending is nothing you'll ever expect! I highly recommend this one!
I wanted to love this one and I kept blaming my moodiness for being unable to get into it more. However, after 5 tries in over a year hoping it would get better…it never did. I skimmed the last half of the book and I’m DONE!
"The Children on the Hill" by Jennifer McMahon is a haunting and atmospheric thriller that weaves together themes of childhood trauma, family secrets, and the supernatural. While the book is well-written and suspenseful, it falls short in terms of character development and pacing.
One of the strengths of the book is the author's ability to create a creepy and eerie atmosphere that permeates the entire story. The setting, a small New England town, is described in vivid detail, and the sense of foreboding and danger is palpable throughout the narrative. The supernatural elements of the story are also well-executed, adding to the overall feeling of unease.
However, the characters in the book are somewhat underdeveloped, and their motivations and actions are often difficult to understand. The protagonist, Erica, is an unreliable narrator, but her perspective is not always well-defined, making it difficult to follow the twists and turns of the plot. The other characters in the story, including Erica's childhood friends, are also somewhat one-dimensional, with little backstory or depth to their personalities.
Additionally, the pacing of the book is somewhat uneven, with the first half of the story moving slowly and the second half feeling rushed and disjointed. The resolution of the plot is also somewhat unsatisfying, with loose ends left untied and unanswered questions left hanging.
Overall, "The Children on the Hill" is a well-written and atmospheric thriller, but its shortcomings in terms of character development and pacing make it a somewhat uneven read. Fans of supernatural mysteries may still find it worth a read, but those looking for a tightly-plotted and emotionally resonant story may be disappointed.
This book started out differently then the book jacket made it seem. It’s about a monster hunter who is trying to hunt down a monster that is kidnapping girls on full moons. I’ll be honest, I almost stopped reading it after a few chapters because I thought it was going to be about actual monster hunting. I’m glad I kept reading because there was a twist I was not expecting.
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