Scan barcode
toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
An awesome, spooky and twisty take on "Frankenstein." It was so good that I often forgot that it was a retelling. It's so good at standing on its own in that way. I feel like there isn't a lot that I can say about this book without giving stuff away - I went into it mostly blindly and all I knew was that it had creepy kids and that it was a Frankenstein retelling. That's all I needed. So, if that's all you need, pick it up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Gun violence, Murder, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Torture, Animal death, Child death, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, Medical content, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Ableism, Fire/Fire injury, and Racism
Moderate: Fatphobia and Incest
Minor: Abortion, War, Self harm, Homophobia, Sexual content, and Excrement
karina_dreamsinwords's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
The Children on the Hill was a haunting, eerie, suspenseful thrill ride from start to finish!
Told through dual timelines & pov’s, McMahon keeps you on the edge of your seat as you try to unravel the mystery within. I think it was a clever decision to make the asylum a picturesque treatment center, instead of the usual dark, scary hospital scene. It allowed the real horrors to shine through, whilst not letting us forget the “nature” of the treatment center.
Okay let’s talk about the ending.. The first plot point I saw coming early on, but I love that McMahon came in afterwards and said “you really thought that was it??” And BAM, pulled up with an even better ending than I could’ve hoped for.
This was my first book by Jennifer McMahon, but it will certainly not be my last. I look forward to diving into their back list for sure!
Told through dual timelines & pov’s, McMahon keeps you on the edge of your seat as you try to unravel the mystery within. I think it was a clever decision to make the asylum a picturesque treatment center, instead of the usual dark, scary hospital scene. It allowed the real horrors to shine through, whilst not letting us forget the “nature” of the treatment center.
Okay let’s talk about the ending.. The first plot point I saw coming early on, but I love that McMahon came in afterwards and said “you really thought that was it??” And BAM, pulled up with an even better ending than I could’ve hoped for.
This was my first book by Jennifer McMahon, but it will certainly not be my last. I look forward to diving into their back list for sure!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Murder
Minor: Child abuse
More...