Reviews with content warning for Gaslighting - Jar of Hearts

WOW! this one was such a wild ride! I feel like I’m coming off an acid trip (not that I would actually know what this feels like 🤪)

I had no idea what to expect from this one, except for the fact that I absolutely loved THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK, and this one seems to be everyone’s favorite! and boy, was everyone right!!!!!

this book takes place in five different parts - each with its own set of POVs, flashbacks and time periods. but the transition between them was so easy to follow, and it left me totally begging for me! ✨ just one more chapter ✨ was so real in this story

MC geo has a LOT of trauma in her childhood, and if she just went to therapy after dating calvin harris, this book just wouldn’t exist 🤪 but here we are - a book full of morally grey characters!! and I had no idea who to root for and who was the true killer, until the very last chapter …

about halfway through, I had an idea of the major plot twist, but I am so pleased to report that I was so wrong! I absolutely loved being shocked by the final conclusion of this one, and while I felt it concluded all too quickly and neatly, I was still reeling from the twist so I can’t complain too much ✌🏼

hillier’s writing is so addictive, per usual, and I never wanted to put this one down! it will physically stick to your hands until you reach the last page

if you were a fan of hillier’s other books as well as psychological thrillers - definitely give this one a go!!!! 🙌🏼

rating: 5 stars
wine pairing: sonoma coast chardonnay

Content Warnings

maryrhg's review against another edition

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dark 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

1.0

TW: rape (happens multiple times through out the story basically the big hitter of the entire book)

Maybe I’m the weird one but I seriously have no idea why people rate this book so highly. There is so many rape scenes in this book most of which seem to be there just to make the reader uncomfortable and don’t really ad anything to the story? (If you know, you know I’m talking about the last one). The ending is rushed, the romance is rushed and unbelievable. You could remove kai from the story and it would have basically been exactly the same. I didn’t find it thrilling or suspenseful at all just icky to read. If you’re looking for something to disturb you this might work for you, but for me this was definitely not it.

Content Warnings

uppercasenoises's review against another edition

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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? Yes

4.25

I was hooked within minutes of starting this book. I'll read anything JH writes. Time jumps. Dual perspective, third person limited.

Content Warnings

beckyremillard's review against another edition

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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).

Content Warnings