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A review by amandasbookreview
The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“There are as many ways to make one as there are monsters.
But you must ask yourself: Who is the real monster? The creature being made, or the one creating it?”
THE CHILDREN ON THE HILL
Thank you, Jennifer McMahon, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book! It was just released on April 26th, 2022.
Jennifer McMahon is a master when it comes to horror and that continues in The Children on the Hill. in 1978, Vi lives with her Gran and brother, Eric. Gran is an important psychiatrist at Hillside Inn. Vi and Eric have their own monster club and when Gran brings home Iris, they are so excited to add another member to their club. But Iris is a mystery. She doesn’t remember her past and she bears some horrible scars. Vi is determined to find answers for her and those answers can only be found at the Hillside Inn. In 2019, Lizzy has a famous monster blog and podcast. After the events at Hillside Inn, she is determined to put her past behind her but there is one monster she must find in order to do that…
“But I thought fear was a good thing–the day I stopped being afraid and on guard was the day I let my defenses down. Fear kept me on my toes.”
THE CHILDREN ON THE HILL
This book needs to be added to your October TBR stat! Jennifer McMahon is the Queen of Horror. The eerie aesthetic is perfect throughout this book. It has monsters, unethical experimentation, and a historical asylum. It draws inspiration from Frankenstein and asks the question who are the real monsters?
These characters are magnificent and have so much depth. This book dives into how our minds react to trauma. What is really disturbing is the secret experiments that are conducted in the book. The goal is to erase memories to get rid of any “undesirable” behaviors in order to make sure only beneficial people remain in our society. It goes to show the true monsters are the ones who are trying to create monsters.
The twist in the book is fantastic and I am not going to lie when I say I wanted to watch a Monster Hunter episode after this book. It felt like Scooby-Doo…but for adults. I loved the dual timelines. Everything flowed perfectly! Overall, another win from Jennifer McMahon. 5 out of 5 stars!
These characters are magnificent and have so much depth. This book dives into how our minds react to trauma. What is really disturbing is the secret experiments that are conducted in the book. The goal is to erase memories to get rid of any “undesirable” behaviors in order to make sure only beneficial people remain in our society. It goes to show the true monsters are the ones who are trying to create monsters.
The twist in the book is fantastic and I am not going to lie when I say I wanted to watch a Monster Hunter episode after this book. It felt like Scooby-Doo…but for adults. I loved the dual timelines. Everything flowed perfectly! Overall, another win from Jennifer McMahon. 5 out of 5 stars!