Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier

29 reviews

beckyremillard's review against another edition

dark fast-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

3.75

The story starts without much prefacing, Geo is testifying against Calvin (the serial killer and her high school boyfriend) before she’s off to prison herself for five years. We get a bit about Geo’s time in prison in the beginning of her sentence and right before she’s released. Then the story is about Geo’s time after prison and what is happening in the town. 

The book does skip around a bit in the timeline without clear context of when it shifted (which I can’t stand) but it was done well. I didn’t love it but it didn’t take me out of the story like it normally does for me. 

I didn’t know anything about this book before reading it. Normally I read books that have been recommended or I’ve seen often, but I just randomly saw this one at the library and thought it seemed interesting. I was right, but there’s a lot of heavy material (which is coming from someone who regularly reads dark books). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Minor: Addiction, Body shaming, and Miscarriage

susysstories's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Very dark read, gruesome, disturbing and hard to put down. Most characters were unlikeable yet likeable, I don't know how to put my feelings into words in a better way. The end had a big surprise but then fell a bit flat for me and left me with some questions/doubts, therefore not a full 5 stars. Looking forward to reading more by this author!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Cancer, Gore, Terminal illness, Vomit, and Pregnancy

julienicole1106's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol

ldruckreier's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

ohhthehorrors's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

tmselby's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Rape, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Infertility and Infidelity

juliezantopoulos's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

What a twisted messed up book! It was a fast read, though not always an easy one. I really enjoyed it, though. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Rape, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Gaslighting

liv_ingmydash'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Pregnancy

lisacanteven's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I have been searching for a book that would keep me creeped out and hooked until the very end. This book accomplished that. I sort of figured out the twist, but I think I figured it out when I was supposed to if that makes sense. 

I feel a bit twisted giving this book 5 stars because the story itself is very graphically twisted. But it was just such a wild ride that I couldn't give it any less. I could have lived without the epilogue, but it wasn't enough to knock it down a star, maybe a half star instead (still rounds up to 5 stars).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, and Grief