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creepycrawlybookworm's review
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Cancer, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Infertility, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Police brutality
neverlandpages4's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
You know you’ve read a good book when it makes you immediately look for more books by the same author and has you contemplating on breaking your book buying ban. It’s been a while since I’ve read a good thriller, and I absolutely loved this.
I’ve been seeing this all over bookstagram & booktube and every single review of it had either been 4 or 5 stars, so naturally, I had high hopes and I was not let down!!
I read this when I was in a really bad slump and it got me out of it instantly. It’s gripping from the first few pages alone, and the suspense only escalates as you go on.
I absolutely loved the writing and it’s made me want to read this author’s entire backlist. There’s just something so easy and relatable about it. And despite it being told in third person, I still felt like I was a part of the story and I loved the narration. We mostly follow Geo, save for a few chapters following Kaiser which added more to the story.
I also loved how balanced the past and present POVs were. It wasn’t repetitive and it didn’t drag on just for the sake of building suspense, both present and past chapters were really intriguing.
This had everything I love in a thriller; good writing, suspense, lots of mystery, shocking and unexpected twists and turns, and unpredictable outcomes.
It was also a lot more graphic than I expected. I kind of put the book down for a while when I first started it because it made me really uncomfortable. So definitely check trigger warnings if you’re reading it.
I rated it a 4 even though I absolutely loved this book because of last 100 pages. After the big reveal, it wasn’t as action-packed and thrilling as the rest of the book. Some things also seemed a bit ridiculous. Some of the smaller twists were easy to guess because they were foreshadowed. I had higher hopes for the ending but this was still one of the best thrillers I’ve ever read and I highly recommend it!!
I’ve been seeing this all over bookstagram & booktube and every single review of it had either been 4 or 5 stars, so naturally, I had high hopes and I was not let down!!
I read this when I was in a really bad slump and it got me out of it instantly. It’s gripping from the first few pages alone, and the suspense only escalates as you go on.
I absolutely loved the writing and it’s made me want to read this author’s entire backlist. There’s just something so easy and relatable about it. And despite it being told in third person, I still felt like I was a part of the story and I loved the narration. We mostly follow Geo, save for a few chapters following Kaiser which added more to the story.
I also loved how balanced the past and present POVs were. It wasn’t repetitive and it didn’t drag on just for the sake of building suspense, both present and past chapters were really intriguing.
This had everything I love in a thriller; good writing, suspense, lots of mystery, shocking and unexpected twists and turns, and unpredictable outcomes.
It was also a lot more graphic than I expected. I kind of put the book down for a while when I first started it because it made me really uncomfortable. So definitely check trigger warnings if you’re reading it.
I rated it a 4 even though I absolutely loved this book because of last 100 pages. After the big reveal, it wasn’t as action-packed and thrilling as the rest of the book. Some things also seemed a bit ridiculous. Some of the smaller twists were easy to guess because they were foreshadowed. I had higher hopes for the ending but this was still one of the best thrillers I’ve ever read and I highly recommend it!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Moderate: Gore, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Alcoholism and Homophobia
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: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Racism and Classism
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: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cancer, Drug use, Homophobia, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Body shaming, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, and Pregnancy
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