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The Children on the Hill
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Drowning Kind comes a genre-defying new novel, inspired by Mary Shelleys 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 whens she home with her cherished grandchildren, Vi and Eric, shes just Granteaching 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. Irissilent, hollow-eyed, skittish, and feraldoes 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. Shes determined to hunt it down, because Lizzy knows better than anyone that monsters are realand 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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Bec_lectic
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Pickpick

This was a pretty good unique story. Did it have an earth shattering ending..no but I still liked it. It had an ending I wasn‘t expecting but still made sense and left me satisfied. Told from different time lines, I really enjoyed the monster hunting aspect of the story line. I loved the movie Monster Squad as a kid. What kid didn‘t want their own monster club?!?

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Pigpen_Reads
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Pickpick

#20in4
#skeletoncrew @Emilymdxn #rushathon #falling4books #spookoween

Not only did I reach my goal of reading 20 chapters, but I also finished a book! It feels so good to be out of my slump 😁

@Andrew65

Emilymdxn Fantastic!! 🎃🎃🎃 6mo
Andrew65 That‘s brilliant 👏👏👏🙌🎉🍾🥂😍 Good to hear you got out of that slump. 6mo
27 likes2 comments
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Pigpen_Reads
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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#Scarathlon
#20in4

This is the first book I've picked up since July 😬 With the new school year and activities between my kiddos, I was exhausted for the past two months. I knew the Scarathlon was gonna help me get out of my slump! 😁

I'm aiming for 20 chapters for #20in4. Just started this book this evening and already am on chapter 14! 🥳

Thank you, @quietjenn, for this book. It's so good!
#skeletoncrew
@Emilymdxn @Andrew65

Emilymdxn Scarathlon always gets me out of a slump! I hope you love this book and your well-deserved reading time. Go #sksletoncrew! 6mo
Andrew65 That‘s brilliant, especially after so long. Well done and I hope you continue to get yourself out of the slump. 👏👏👏 6mo
32 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Pigpen_Reads
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Happy October! Opened my #FFFS package. Thank you @quietjenn 😊 the blanket is super cozy and the chocolate is delicious! I'm totally gonna read The Children on the Hill this month. And Icebreakers will be for when I get scared during this month 😅
@Chrissyreadit @Avanders

Avanders ♥️🍁🧡🍂💛🍎 6mo
Chrissyreadit 🧡💛🧡💛 6mo
quietjenn Great plan! I hope you enjoy it all. Good to know about the candy 🤣 6mo
31 likes3 comments
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she.hearts.horror
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Pickpick

A low key banger. I‘m officially ready for Spooky Season.

13 likes1 stack add
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keithlafo
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Pickpick

Another great book from a master of psychological and gothic horror. Loved the characters and the tension. Her past/present formula really works well in this one.

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GondorGirl
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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I'm visiting my parents (who snowbird in Florida) for the week. This is certainly not a bad place to read.

kspenmoll Beautiful! 13mo
Zuhkeeyah Great view! 13mo
48 likes1 stack add2 comments
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angel1
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Really enjoyed this creepy, intense read..and the twist was great even though I kinda saw it coming, I still loved it!

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FantasyChick
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Flipping through the months at random I absolutely loved this book! I think this take on Frankenstein was unique and a lot of fun. Plus I absolutely love the author and will pretty much read anything she puts out at this point.

#AdventRecommends #Day2
@emilyrose_x

29 likes1 stack add
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ShyBookOwl
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Mat leave Day 1 Reading Goals:

1. Finish The Carrow Haunt
2. Get in 1.5 hours of Party Games
3. Start The Children on the Hill

📚☕️🎉

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AmandaBlaze
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 1y
Catsandbooks 🙌🏼👻🧡 1y
TheSpineView Awesome 1y
Andrew65 Brilliant 👏👏👏 1y
33 likes4 comments
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ImperfectCJ
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Mehso-so

This one didn't really hit me. The reveal isn't bad, but the bouncing between time periods hurts the flow of the story rather than building tension as this technique does at its most effective. Reading this novel feels to me kind of like watching a firework streak up into the sky only to make a pretty but very modest fountain of sparks.

7 readathon hours, theme read, 86 points for #TeamSlaughter #scarathlon

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DebinHawaii
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Pickpick

I liked this one with its lean to Frankenstein & what creates monsters. The dual timeline of the 70s & present day worked well. There‘s a big twist that I had figured out but some smaller ones I didn‘t see coming. Had to finish it up to return the library e-book & to see what happened.

Good pick for Scarathlon2022 as it had 586 words for the ScarathlonWordSearch plus it fits the #TeamMonsterMash genres plus an extra 15 points for matching ⬇️

DebinHawaii …the #ScarathlonDailyPrompt for #creature & stacked points for the readathons & bingos listed below. ⬇️ 1y
AmandaBlaze I'm thinking of rereading this one for the #Scarathlon. 1y
See All 8 Comments
DebinHawaii @AmandaBlaze I really enjoyed it & it was great for points! 🎃 1y
TheSpineView Great job 1y
DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 1y
Catsandbooks 🙌🏼☠️💜 1y
Andrew65 Great 👏👏👏 1y
47 likes8 comments
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DebinHawaii
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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#OminousOctober

I saw this sentence as I was reading one of my October reads for #Scarathlon2022 #TeamMonsterMash & since I wasn‘t sure what else I was going to do for today‘s #scarf prompt, I went with it! I‘m about 20% into it & liking the creepy vibe so far. 👻

“She had a green scarf tied jauntily around her neck; Gran loved her scarves.”

KristiAhlers This is on my list of books to consider. Guess I‘ll have to pick it up next time I run to the bookstore. 1y
Eggs Looks quite intriguing 🧡🔥❤️ 1y
42 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Linsy
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Pickpick

Great for those like me who love Frankenstein, true crime and everything creepy! I got tired of the timeline switching by the end though; I just wanted to know what happened!

#creature #scarathlondailyprompts #teamslaughter

60 likes2 stack adds
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NotCool
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Mehso-so

Meh. Not really my genre. But not as bad as I was afraid it was going to be when I worried that trauma was going to turn girls into monsters.

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DebinHawaii
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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#Scarathlon2022 #ScarathlonDailyPrompts

This book is supposed to be a Frankenstein retelling of sorts so I am thinking there must be a #creature of some sort involved.

It‘s fairly high up on my October TBR & my e-book hold came in last week.

#TeamMonsterMash 🧟‍♂️🎃🧟‍♀️😱

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Asthecroweflies
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon

OH MY GOD! The twist at the end! I thought I had it figured out and BAM! Awesome!!!!

21 likes1 stack add
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IhoardBOOKS
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Pickpick

Jennifer MacMahon's most recent book is now my favorite of their work. Set in 2 timelines you follow Vi as a child in 1978 Vermont and Shelly as an adult in 2019 returning to Vermont, and learn how the two connect. I had predicted the plot twist pretty early on but that in no way took away from my enjoyment of the story. The story was creepy and when you find out the twist a bit sad tbh.

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candc320
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Pickpick

Wow, this was good! Sort of a Frankenstein reimagining, I loved going back and forth between the late 1970s and the current time and slowly unraveling both what happened at the psychiatric treatment center Vi grew up in and what monsters Lizzy is really hunting in the present. This would have easily been a 5* read if it wasn‘t so easy to figure out the big secret. Still overall an excellent and entertaining mystery! 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

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Tera66
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Pickpick

What I love about Jennifer McMahon's books is the past and present storylines. I think this book was great, the beginning did drag a bit, but the second half made up for it. I enjoyed the current storyline more that the past, but that could be because I listened to this and the kids voices did get on my nerves a little.😄 The ending was pretty dark, I enjoyed that, but it was surprising since the beginning seemed pretty light.

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tracey38
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Pickpick

Listed to this thriller on audio. A great book and a great twist at the end. Loved the story and this concept of Monsters.

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FelinesAndFelonies
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Pickpick

This one got off to a slow start. I struggled the first couple of chapters but when it switched over to the present day timeline I got into it. Holy twist! I totally didn't see it coming! I kind of predicted the first twist but the second one 🤯. I definitely recommend this one. ⭐⭐⭐💫 because the beginning was slow.

tracey38 I just finished this one on audio and really enjoyed it too! 2y
Tera66 I just finished this one today, slow start, but that ending😳 2y
55 likes2 comments
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Tera66
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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This will be my second Riley Sager and Jennifer McMahon, hope I enjoy these as much as the first ones. Really enjoying the cozy vibes with Enola Holmes.

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Wonderwoman89
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Pickpick

Dr Helen Hildreth also known as Gran, is a renowned Psychiatrist who owns and runs a treatment center for the mentally ill. One day she brings home a young girl named Iris to live with her and her two grandchildren Eric and Vi. The children soon become friends and also have a monster club where they hunt for monsters not knowing one of them is a true monster. The ending will surprise you.

13 likes2 stack adds
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BookishMadHatter
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Okay, so here's the thing lol. It's the last day of our vacation before we start heading home and my daughters wanted more books because they finished theirs, plus we wanted to get something to bring home to our son (what better gift than books, right?!), but I also just had to get these too because .... well just because

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JacintaMCarter
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Mehso-so

#2022Book68
I liked most of this book, and was glad that part of it turned out the way I predicted. But one of the big twists just didn‘t feel like it fit the tone of the rest of the story.

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Addison_Reads
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Pickpick

I started and finished this one in a day. I couldn't stop reading it and I loved every second!

Monster books are hard to do and make the reader feel like the monsters are real, but McMahon's story did an excellent job. She delivers the twists right when they are needed and the past and present timelines supported by "documents" made me even more engaged.

Great spooky read with an ending I wasn't expecting.

vivastory I can't wait to read this one 2y
43 likes1 stack add1 comment
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DavidDiamond
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Pickpick

If you are a “Monster Kid” like me or a child of the 70‘s (um…also me) then look no further for your next read! Taking place over two parallel time lines, this is a gripping tale of a child abducting monster, a creepy old institution, and a monster hunter trying to piece it all together…and nothing is as it seems!
And as an added bonus, I have a favorite new author in Jennifer McMahon!

38 likes2 stack adds
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Wonderwoman89
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Thank you @BarkingMadRun for my #spookysummerswap box. I have wanted this book for a long time and am excited to start it. I hope you like your box as well.

17 likes1 stack add
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Cpg
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
Pickpick

This book was captivating- the storyline was interesting and pulled me in. Twists and turns/ one of those...what??? And yep it was not what I thought. Kept me reading!

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alecia3dixie
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Pickpick

I really liked this one! It kept me intrigued the whole time and I loved the story. The only nit pick I have is I wanted more info! You get left with a lot of unanswered questions and I just do t like that. 4/5

10 likes1 stack add
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jlhammar
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Pickpick

Entertaining, twisty page-turner. Just what I was in the mood for this weekend. I love Shelley‘s Frankenstein and the 1930s films it inspired (Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein) so that element really added to my enjoyment.

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RyanMHoward
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Pickpick

THE CHILDREN ON THE HILL by Jennifer McMahon

1978: Vi and Eric live with their grandmother and love monster stories. One day Gran brings home Iris, a girl about Vi‘s age, who Gran says is their new sister. Iris joins their monster club.

2019: Lizzy, a paranormal investigator, discovers a pattern of disappearances where teen girls go missing in towns that have a local monster legend.

A twisty tale with cool characters and a satisfying ending👍

32 likes1 stack add
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TheDrunkenLibrarian
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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1. 1978 & 2019 Vermont 2. Survive the Night by Riley Sager 3. Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert

#wondrouswednesday @Eggs

Eggs Thanks for joining in 🤩 2y
5 likes1 comment
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TheDrunkenLibrarian
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Newest by one of my favorite authors. Can‘t wait for bedtime tonight 🔥

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Papyrus
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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The ending made me so happy. I loved all the twists and it‘s was refreshing to read a suspenseful book that made me happy in the end.

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kplovesbooks
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Mehso-so

I was...underwhelmed here. It's okay. Just not particularly shocking or frightening in any way.

BookishMadHatter I'm always wary of books that everyone else seems to love because I normally end up not enjoying them, but sometimes the blurb gets me anyway 2y
kplovesbooks @BooksAndYarn I feel like I'm like that too... rarely ever do I agree with the hype. 🤷 2y
26 likes2 comments
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MrsReads1
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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My May #bookspin was kind of a mess. @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Great month!!! Sometimes those bingos are weirdly elusive! 😂 2y
8 likes1 comment
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Twainy
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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May reads … reading slump continues. Read anything good in May?

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Rissa1
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Pickpick

That ending was perfection that I never saw coming. Jennifer McMahon wins again.
5⭐️

18 likes1 stack add
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Rissa1
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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🖤

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Rissa1
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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I have met my 750 page goal, with 761 page at 8:04pm. I will probably get a bit more reading in, but wanted to post before I forgot. #MarvelousMay @Andrew65

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kplovesbooks
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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...and a promising beginning!! 👍

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kplovesbooks
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Starting now!! 😁

16 likes1 stack add
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Rissa1
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Feeling content. A feeling that I think is extremely underrated. My favorite room, a book I am enthralled by and and incredible playlist I found on Spotify. It is a great feeling to know there is nothing else you would rather be doing at the moment. #ContentmentIsAGoodThing #MarvelousMay

kplovesbooks "Reading Twilight In The Rain" sounds like a playlist I need in my life!! 2y
18 likes1 comment
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CaitlinR
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Pickpick

Fantastic chiller! Dr. Helen Hildreth, the psychiatrist director of the Hillside Inn is renowned for her good works with the mentally ill. She has brought home a young girl to join her grandchildren, asking that they help her adjust to the world. In 1978, the children write “The Book of Monsters” to keep themselves safe, but they don‘t understand the threat or the evil . Told in time jumping chapters: past and future. Great twist at the end!

28 likes1 stack add
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Hooked_on_books
The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon
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Pickpick

An entertaining thrillery, horrory novel, The Children on the Hill follows Lizzie, a life-long lover of monster stories, as she hunts her latest monster. This one might be tied up in the past, which we see in the second storyline in the book. There‘s a twist I truly didn‘t expect at about the 3/4 mark and the end wasn‘t what I expected, which is always fun.

vivastory I have been meaning to read McMahon forever & this sounds right up my alley. Stacked! 2y
kplovesbooks I'm about to start this one! My library hold just came in earlier this week! 2y
56 likes2 stack adds2 comments