The Children on the Hill

1978: At her renowned treatment center in picturesque Vermont, 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 to take care of their pets, preparing home-cooked meals, and giving them care, 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. They ride their bicycles, go to the drive-in, and meet at their clubhouse in secret to hunt monsters. 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.

The Children on the Hill takes us on a breathless journey to face the primal fears that lurk within us all.

Inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, this genre-defying novel brilliantly explores the eerie mysteries of childhood and the evils perpetrated by the monsters among us.

Endorsements

“A must for psychological thriller fans” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)