Reviews with content warning for Confinement - The Children on the Hill

This started off pretty slow and the writing is quite descriptive, but after the first little bit it got really interesting! I adored Vi as a character, she was so smart, fierce and stubborn and I loved being in her mind. I also enjoyed the amateur sleuth vibes of both timelines and was really interested in the mysteries, though I think because of Vi I enjoyed the past timeline more. The first reveal was about 50% of the way through and I thought it was so fascinating and prompted some really intriguing conversations. There was another reveal towards the end which I did not see coming, only when we got to the scene and I was like, hmm okay I think I know what's gonna happen now - what a reveal! I also adored the sisterly bond between Vi and Iris throughout the book, plus this is such an innovative twist on the classic Frankenstein story with a lot of added social commentary which I also thought was very well done.

I'm so happy this is my first Jennifer McMahon because I'll definitely be checking out more of her backlist! Also wanted to add that the trigger warnings I listed might be considered spoilers so you might not wanna look at those if you wanna be completely caught off guard.

Content Warnings

mysterymom40's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.25

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sarah2438's review against another edition

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3.5

I think this is a story with great bones, but personally I found the execution a bit lacking. The overall plot was certainly compelling, and on the surface level the writing was good. But I think it didn’t quite achieve the depth it was going for. The idea of 'monsters' never seemed to develop beyond the children's ideas, even though Lizzy in 2019 is an expert who has written a master's thesis and given a Ted Talk on the topic. This is something she's considered to be an expert on, but she doesn't really believe, but she kinda does? I didn't see any of this as being really fleshed out.
There are a few twists in this book, and unfortunately the biggest one is pretty obvious, almost from the beginning. The reveal felt a bit dragged out, but that may just be because I had been waiting for it so long. There is another twist that soon follows, and unfortunately it felt very out of place, and it's ultimately the main reason I've rounded down instead of up. I think there will definitely be people that disagree with me on that, so I may end up in the minority.
One last note-- this book is advertised in the horror genre, but I never felt scared or unsettled in the way I like to be with horror novels. The author does well at building atmosphere, but I would consider this more of a mystery than a thriller or a horror.
While this book is plenty fun, I felt like it lacked when it came to the depth and twists. I don't know that other readers would have the same issues, so I will still be recommending this book.
**I received a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Content Warnings

ohhthehorrors's review against another edition

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dark hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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