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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sometimes I wish there were negative star ratings. This is sometime.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read Jar of Hearts for a book club and wasn’t prepared for how deeply this story would affect me. Jennifer Hillier masterfully weaves a dark, emotional thriller that’s not just about murder—it’s about the lasting scars of trauma, the complexity of survival, and the terrifying ease with which the past can shape our future.
Geo’s story hit incredibly close to home for me. While I didn’t go to prison, help hide a murder, or end up in the exact same circumstances, I saw pieces of my own past in her journey—especially her fractured relationship with her parents, her silence after surviving abuse, and her deep, complicated love for a child she couldn’t keep. It made the book incredibly hard to read at times, but also impossible to put down.
Hillier doesn’t flinch from the darkest parts of human behavior—rape, grooming, mutilation, and child murder are all part of the narrative—but she writes with such emotional honesty that it never feels gratuitous. It’s raw. It’s real. It’s horrifying. But it’s also layered with humanity and heartbreak.
The pacing is perfect, with twists that genuinely shocked me. The PNW setting adds an atmospheric weight that makes everything feel damp, close, and claustrophobic—in the best way. And while the ending stretches belief a bit, it still landed emotionally for me.
This isn’t a book I’d recommend lightly. But if you’re someone who can sit with darkness, who values truth-telling in fiction, and who appreciates a thriller with real emotional depth, Jar of Hearts is worth your time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Abortion, Toxic friendship, Abandonment
This was a fast read, but mostly because I skipped a whole lot of nonsense. The only reason I didn't give this book one star is because it was entertaining enough for me to finish it in one day. But, again, speed reading. The plot twists were either boring or ridiculous. I didn't like any of the main characters. I actually rolled my eyes at the final confrontation scene.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed this book from the first page. I did know the ending before I read it.
I actually finished this book yesterday, but I had to take a full 24 hours to think about what I wanted to say, because this book just has so much going on.
In terms of the thriller element, you can't fault it, and that's why I've given it five stars. I was hooked from the very first page, and even though this is a very gritty novel that deals with some very real issues, it is well-written and you can't help but want to read on. I couldn't put it down, even during the moments that were quite difficult to read.
I wrote myself some notes as I was reading this book, and one of the first things I wrote about the first chapter was this: 'First chapter = ?! Amazing! I'm hooked!' If the first chapter of this book doesn't make you want to read the rest of it, I don't know what will.
Our main character, Geo, is... peculiar, to say the least. I can't say I'm a massive fan - and I don't know if that was the point of her, but she wasn't a character for me. That being said, I think she is perfect for this novel; interesting and different enough to keep me reading the entire way through.
Highly recommend this if you want a gritty thriller full of twists and turns!
In terms of the thriller element, you can't fault it, and that's why I've given it five stars. I was hooked from the very first page, and even though this is a very gritty novel that deals with some very real issues, it is well-written and you can't help but want to read on. I couldn't put it down, even during the moments that were quite difficult to read.
I wrote myself some notes as I was reading this book, and one of the first things I wrote about the first chapter was this: 'First chapter = ?! Amazing! I'm hooked!' If the first chapter of this book doesn't make you want to read the rest of it, I don't know what will.
Our main character, Geo, is... peculiar, to say the least. I can't say I'm a massive fan - and I don't know if that was the point of her, but she wasn't a character for me. That being said, I think she is perfect for this novel; interesting and different enough to keep me reading the entire way through.
Highly recommend this if you want a gritty thriller full of twists and turns!