A review by dalmavatai
The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon

dark mysterious reflective tense 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

4.5

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. 
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