THE CHILDREN ON THE HILL......KIDS HUNTING MONSTERS....BOTH IMAGINED AND REAL.

 The Children On The Hill by Jennifer McMahon (2022)

While I might well agree with those who'd label this one the perfect read for Halloween during the crisp Fall air, nobody, but nobody should wait that long to dive into this book.

       Disturbing, grisly and surprisingly heartfelt (sometimes all the same time), this is one wild ride through a horrific childhood that reaches into the characters' adult lives. 

        The side-by-side timelines here, 1978 and 2019 bring the dark storyline closer and closer to each other - to the point where you can't warp-speed through the pages fast enough. 

         I'm not keen on going through an elaborate plot description, since the joys of a thriller like this come from the way it slowly but surely reveals all its terrible secrets.

         Let's just say in 1978 there's two kids, Violet and Eric, living with their beloved "Gran", who happens to be a brilliant psychiatrist, Dr. Hildreth. Gran practices at a Vermont inn converted to a treatment center for the mentally ill.  And  she's brought home, as a sort of foster adoptee and new 'sister' for her grandkids,  Iris, a strange, silent child.  Gran encourages Violet and Eric to befriend and embrace Iris, who appears physically and mentally damaged from events unknown.  

          Violet and Eric, obsessed with hunting down mythological monsters, soon bring Iris enough out of her shell to join them in their adventurous search for ghouls, vampires, werewolves and other assorted creatures of the night. 

           Speaking of monsters, in 2019  Lizzy Shelley has made a multi-media career (podcasts, TV shows) out of hunting down legendary monsters across the U.S. Lizzy's monster-hunts contain another agenda, though - since she suspects the disappearance of teenage girls may be the work of a very real monster hiding behind all the fanciful 'local legend' creatures.

          And that's more than enough said. As the timelines converge, "Children On The Hill" reveals an ever growing series of horrors, suspense, some stunning surprises and a jaw dropping final twist.  Needless to say, in both timelines, the three children of '78 and Lizzy Shelley deal with the difference between imaginary monsters and the all too real ones.

 
           A superb read, one of the most entertaining and profoundly chilling novels I've come across - and a definite 5 star experience..(*****)