The Children on the Hill caught me off guard with one big twist.
Synopsis
It’s 1978, and when Vi and Eric complete their homeschool assignments, they spend their free time obsessing over monsters. They love the topic so much, they even began writing a book about it called “The Book of Monsters.”
The two siblings live with their grandmother, Dr. Helen Hildreth, a renowned psychiatrist, on the grounds of the Hillside Inn. Dr. Hildreth is well-respected for her compassionate approach to treating people with various mental health symptoms.
One day, Dr. Hildreth introduces a young girl named Iris to her grandchildren, informing them that she will be living with them for the foreseeable future. Though she’s somewhat odd, the kids accept her, even inviting her to join their monster club.
2019: Lizzy, a popular podcaster, begins searching for a monster called Rattling Jane. She suspects that Rattling Jane is responsible for the disappearance of a young girl. Lizzy is fairly certain that she knows who is masquerading as Rattling Jane.
Review of The Children on the Hill
If like me, you haven’t read Frankenstein but understand the gist, you’ll still probably enjoy this without any background knowledge.
It took a while for me to become invested in this story because monsters like Sasquatch and Big Foot do not hold much interest to me. But once the story started rolling, I couldn’t put this down and was even frightened at certain points. The author nailed creating a creepy, anxious atmosphere with both timelines.
Without getting into it too much, I liked that the author explored such a dark subject. It’s wild to think that people vouch for it even today.
So, I recommend The Children on the Hill to those looking for an eerie story ripe with monsters.
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Expected Publication: 26 April 2022
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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