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silver_lining125's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Cancer and Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse, Infertility, Gun violence, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, and Drug use
cady_sass's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Well, I started this in an attempt to get out of a reading slump and it most definitely did the job. Nearly every twist had my jaw on the floor. This is a tough read, lots of really heavy topics and grisly imagery, but that ending takes the cake. I feel more than a bit torn by the final conclusion, not sure how I feel about it or how I *should* feel. There are some highly problematic assumptions and implications here… i so badly wanted to give this 4 stars but i just CAN’T because of that ending. The story as a whole, though, very well done.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Rape, Vomit, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abandonment, Alcohol, Cancer, Child death, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Infertility, Infidelity, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Addiction, Car accident, Pedophilia, and Pregnancy
toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I think this was a great thriller, there's really no doubt about that. Jennifer Hillier is a great storyteller with a gripping writing style and throughout this book she uses a dual timeline in a really effective and creative way. I thought the story in general was original and horrifying and I enjoyed the use of symbolism throughout. I also liked the twist, even though I did guess it, because I think that me being able to figure out a twist means that the groundwork in the thriller has been laid properly. I find that often when twists come out of left field, they are the twists that don't make sense. This one definitely did.
WARNING: HELLA SPOILERS AHEAD
I did have issues with this one though, which what holds me back from giving it a perfect rating. I don't know if this is something that runs through all of JH's work, but there was so much fatphobia. Now, if the characters were just fatphobic, that would be one thing. Characters aren't perfect and they shouldn't be. Things like Angela saying "your thighs are getting fat" did not bother me because that felt like something that character would say - she's a teenage girl in the year 2000 when diet culture is thriving, of course she would say that. What I had a problem with was when characters in the narrative were endlessly described as these fat, disgusting creatures. There is a character in the beginning of the book, Bernadette/Bernie who is in prison with Georgina (Geo) our protagonist, she is framed as an antagonist and does undeniably terrible things to Geo, including literally raping her, and instead of her horrible traits being focused on...the narrative chooses to focus on how fat the character is. It's....gross. It was really distracting for me.
This leads me into my next problem - queer characters or characters who might be queer are framed in such a negative light throughout this whole book. There is Bernie, who is predatory and a prison rapist (which is not to say that lgbt+ people can't be rapists, but this isn't the kind of representation I want to see, there are enough people calling this community rapists, thanks). There is also another character who goes to high school with Geo and Angela who is a football player. I can't remember his name, but anyway, he might be gay, and in order to keep himself from being suspected as gay, he says really disgusting stuff about having sex with Angela after she disappears, framing the one gay character who could possibly have a decent arc into a pretty terrible person...?
So, while I did really enjoy this, I believe that I have valid criticisms here and I really hope that these things aren't a common theme throughout JH's work because I really do like her writing. I'll give her another chance.
WARNING: HELLA SPOILERS AHEAD
I did have issues with this one though, which what holds me back from giving it a perfect rating. I don't know if this is something that runs through all of JH's work, but there was so much fatphobia. Now, if the characters were just fatphobic, that would be one thing. Characters aren't perfect and they shouldn't be. Things like Angela saying "your thighs are getting fat" did not bother me because that felt like something that character would say - she's a teenage girl in the year 2000 when diet culture is thriving, of course she would say that. What I had a problem with was when characters in the narrative were endlessly described as these fat, disgusting creatures. There is a character in the beginning of the book, Bernadette/Bernie who is in prison with Georgina (Geo) our protagonist, she is framed as an antagonist and does undeniably terrible things to Geo, including literally raping her, and instead of her horrible traits being focused on...the narrative chooses to focus on how fat the character is. It's....gross. It was really distracting for me.
This leads me into my next problem - queer characters or characters who might be queer are framed in such a negative light throughout this whole book. There is Bernie, who is predatory and a prison rapist (which is not to say that lgbt+ people can't be rapists, but this isn't the kind of representation I want to see, there are enough people calling this community rapists, thanks). There is also another character who goes to high school with Geo and Angela who is a football player. I can't remember his name, but anyway, he might be gay, and in order to keep himself from being suspected as gay, he says really disgusting stuff about having sex with Angela after she disappears, framing the one gay character who could possibly have a decent arc into a pretty terrible person...?
So, while I did really enjoy this, I believe that I have valid criticisms here and I really hope that these things aren't a common theme throughout JH's work because I really do like her writing. I'll give her another chance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Body horror, Fatphobia, Murder, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Violence, Rape, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Blood, Alcohol, Misogyny, Sexual content, Cancer, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, and Gun violence
Moderate: Racism and Classism
bookishlifeofkels's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
🌟rating: 5 stars
📖genre: thriller / mystery
#️⃣pages: 311
✍🏼same author who wrote LITTLE SECRETS, CREEP, FREAK and THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK (pub date: 7/19/22)
“In every story, there’s a hero and villain. Sometimes one can be both.”
Angela, Geo, and Kaiser are the best of friends but then beautiful & popular high school girl, Angela Wong goes missing without trace. No one knows what happened until 14 years later where her remains are found behind Geo’s house. Geo now has successful job, a fiancé, and a bright future ahead of her until the past decided to come back to haunt her.
Buckle up, folks. You’re going to be in for one wild ride! This book was a definite page turner with so many twists & turns. Every time I thought I had it figured out, a new twist happens! This is definitely for those who love true crime or anything serial killer related. On the flip side, this is not for those for the faint of heart. There are gruesome, stomach churning, and raw moments that even made me question if I could handle it 😬 This was my first Jennifer Hillier book and it will definitely not be my last. 10/10 recommend!
⚠️TW: rape/sexual assault, murder, alcohol, drugs, violence, emotional & physical abuse, descriptions of crime scenes/corpses/dismemberment, infidelity
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Abortion, Alcohol, Child death, Infidelity, Violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Infertility, and Vomit
janjanjukebox's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier 311 pages 10 hours and 43 minutes narrated by January LaVoy
Genre: Mystery Thriller, Crime Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Contemporary
Featuring: Seattle, Washington, Graphic Depictions, Dead Bodies, Prison Life, Sexual Assault, Rape, Murder, Child Murder, Police Investigation, Multiracial Characters, Harassment, Violence, Multiple Timelines, Some Graphic Descriptions, Child Abuse, Sex, Teenagers, Preview of Little Secrets
Rating as a movie: N-17 for violence, disturbing themes, and content
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My thoughts: 11% - Interesting opening, but then it got real. I'm going back to Sugarberry Cove.
25% - I might have to quit this one. The story is good but too graphic for my taste.
32% - I saw that coming.
50% - I went from not sure if I wanted to hear more to getting annoyed every time I had to get out of the car. Now, I'm at home and free to enjoy this book uninterrupted for the rest of the evening.
81% - I have solved this case, and I'm rewarding myself with a long break. And by break, I mean, I'm starting another book.
I'm not sure if it is predictable if you figure everything out 75% in even though the author hasn't revealed it yet. Anyway, this book was written well and held my interest but also repulsed me. I wanted to slap MC, but she was young and had some excuses for her stupidity. There were plotholes but the way the story flowed; I didn't even care.
Recommend to others?: Sure, but this book isn't for those with sensitive palates; my senses were definitely violated.
Genre: Mystery Thriller, Crime Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Contemporary
Featuring: Seattle, Washington, Graphic Depictions, Dead Bodies, Prison Life, Sexual Assault, Rape, Murder, Child Murder, Police Investigation, Multiracial Characters, Harassment, Violence, Multiple Timelines, Some Graphic Descriptions, Child Abuse, Sex, Teenagers, Preview of Little Secrets
Rating as a movie: N-17 for violence, disturbing themes, and content
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My thoughts: 11% - Interesting opening, but then it got real. I'm going back to Sugarberry Cove.
25% - I might have to quit this one. The story is good but too graphic for my taste.
32% - I saw that coming.
50% - I went from not sure if I wanted to hear more to getting annoyed every time I had to get out of the car. Now, I'm at home and free to enjoy this book uninterrupted for the rest of the evening.
81% - I have solved this case, and I'm rewarding myself with a long break. And by break, I mean, I'm starting another book.
I'm not sure if it is predictable if you figure everything out 75% in even though the author hasn't revealed it yet. Anyway, this book was written well and held my interest but also repulsed me. I wanted to slap MC, but she was young and had some excuses for her stupidity. There were plotholes but the way the story flowed; I didn't even care.
Recommend to others?: Sure, but this book isn't for those with sensitive palates; my senses were definitely violated.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Drug use, Grief, Cancer, Stalking, Vomit, Alcohol, Death of parent, Homophobia, and Medical content
Minor: Addiction, Body shaming, Pregnancy, Car accident, and Suicidal thoughts
michelles_book_nook's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
⚠️ TW: rape, sexual assault, grooming, serial murders with multiple being children, mutilation, graphic content, mentions of child pornography, abuse and paedophilia, domestic violence, toxic relationships, drug/alcohol addiction ⚠️ Wow this book broke me and definitely isn't for the faint hearted because it is a whole new level of dark. This book is so hard to review without giving spoilers but it follows three friends, Angela, Geo and Kaiser, who are best friends throughout high school until one ends up brutally murdered, one ends up in prison and one spends their life searching for answers. Honestly this book is darkly intense, fast paced and disturbing and even when some chapters make you want to put it down you simply can't stop reading. Jennifer Hillier hands down blew my mind with her writing style! She pulled off a flawless thriller filled with jaw dropping chapters as well as explosive twists, turns and a crazy ending. However, my main issue was the extensive amount of rapes and sexual assaults. In my opinion, some of the rapes and SA's that took place were in no way necessary to further the plot or the dislike toward any characters and I'm not a fan of them being dropped into books purely for the shock factor (and I lost count of how many there were). Overall though, this is mind blowing thriller and if it sounds like something you'd be able to read then I highly recommend it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Murder, Violence, Gun violence, Adult/minor relationship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Blood, Pedophilia, and Child abuse
Minor: Abortion, Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, and Drug abuse
restinglitface's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Violence
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