Advanced
Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon - Available

The Children on the Hill

by Jennifer McMahon
Erin Moon
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Drowning Kind comes a genre-defying 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 dream up ways to defeat all manner of monsters. 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 must for psychological thriller fans" (Publishers Weekly, starred review), The Children on the Hill takes us on a breathless journey to face the primal fears that lurk within us all.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    April 26, 2022

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781797136141
      • File size: 309167 KB
      • Duration: 10:44:05

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from February 7, 2022
      Two alternating story lines set more than 40 years apart smoothly intersect, doling out clues about fragile childhood memories, in this stellar take on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein from bestseller McMahon (The Drowning Kind). In 1978, Violet “Vi” Hildreth and her brother, Eric, live with their Gran, acclaimed psychiatrist Helen Hildreth, in the shadow of Vermont’s Hillside Inn, which at the time “was widely considered one of the best private psychiatric institutions in New England.” The creep factor ramps up as rumors of violent patients and experiments at the Hillside Inn fuel Vi and Eric’s fascination with monsters. The pair are soon hunting for werewolves, vampires, and shape-shifters. They’re thrilled when Gran brings home a new playmate, the silent, fearful Iris, who joins them in their efforts to fight monsters. Then their lives take a tragic turn. In 2019, Vi, now known as Lizzy Shelley, travels the country as the host of mega-popular podcast Monsters Among Us. The suspense builds when she returns to Vermont to investigate a possible link between a missing girl and a monster sighting. McMahon keeps the reader wondering how much is real and how much is imagined. This is a must for psychological thriller fans. Agent: Daniel Lazar, Writers House.

    • Library Journal

      June 1, 2022

      Lizzy Shelley literally wrote the book on monster hunting, but her professional success has never brought personal solace. After uncovering a pattern in the disappearances of troubled young women, she may have finally found the monster she's spent a lifetime hunting: her sister. Their story began 40 years prior, on the grounds of a prestigious psychiatric facility in Vermont. Their Gran, the Inn's director, is considered by many to be a miracle worker, when in truth she is a modern Dr. Frankenstein. McMahon's (The Winter People) chilling tale explores who is more monstrous, the creatures or their creator? Just as the Inn's basement door hides the horrors within, narrator Moon's even tone and sedate pace belie McMahon's sinister story line. Moon artfully gives each character a unique voice. Parallel narratives, interspersed with book excerpts both by and about Lizzy's family, create a compelling roller coaster that listeners will be unable to disembark from until hearing the final disturbing details. VERDICT Will appeal to listeners seeking a spine-tingling blend of psychological suspense and horror; recommended for fans of Jennifer Fawcett, Catriona Ward, and Josh Malerman.--Lauren Hackert

      Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Loading