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stephanimichelle's review
3.0
The premise for this thriller was quite interesting - a woman who received a heart transplant starts to experience memories that aren't hers and is convinced that the donor was murdered. The execution left a lot you be desired - overall it was a competent thriller, but it tried to be a bit too twisty in my opinion.
brookerenee's review
5.0
Such a great story! Louise Jensen knows how to hook you in from the beginning. There are no slow parts, not really. It’s thrilling from beginning to end! Twists that I didn’t see coming. Definitely recommend.
lindajo's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent suspenseful book. Keeps you guessing right up until the very end.
thegeekybibliophile's review against another edition
5.0
I received an advance review copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley and Bookouture.
Have you ever read a book that so incredibly good, you wanted to tell everyone you meet that they MUST read it? Well, allow me to introduce you to The Gift, because this is an experience you don't want to miss! Gripping, riveting, spellbinding, engrossing—whip out your thesaurus and pick any synonym you like—this fascinating psychological thriller will have you staying up way past your bedtime. But don't worry... it's well worth the book hangover.
Jenna is nearing six months of recovery from a heart transplant. She's been having dreams and flashbacks of memories that are not her own, not to mention behaving in ways that are not like herself. In her quest to understand, she researches cellular memory—the theory that the cells in your body can store memories which can then be transferred to another person after receiving an organ transplant—and becomes convinced this is the cause of it all.
Breaking the rules and going against the advice of everyone she knows, she contacts the family of the young woman whose heart now beats in her chest. The more she learns about Callie, and what happened the night of the accident that took her life, the more convinced she is that there is more to it than anyone knows. Determined to find out what really happened, she insinuates herself into the lives of the people who knew Callie best, and uncovers unsettling information that makes her believe Callie's "accident" was, in fact, murder.
Risking her fragile health and, indeed, her own life, Jenna is willing to do whatever it takes to learn what really happened to Callie that night. But when the answer comes, it's far more insidious (and heartbreaking) than Jenna could ever have imagined.
Jensen's writing throughout is superb. The attention to detail regarding Jenna's recovery, and the sensitivity in showing the emotions of Callie's family was excellent. The ominous sense of eminent danger had me on the edge of my seat from page one. Simply put, it's everything you could hope for in a psychological thriller, and then some.
Have you ever read a book that so incredibly good, you wanted to tell everyone you meet that they MUST read it? Well, allow me to introduce you to The Gift, because this is an experience you don't want to miss! Gripping, riveting, spellbinding, engrossing—whip out your thesaurus and pick any synonym you like—this fascinating psychological thriller will have you staying up way past your bedtime. But don't worry... it's well worth the book hangover.
Jenna is nearing six months of recovery from a heart transplant. She's been having dreams and flashbacks of memories that are not her own, not to mention behaving in ways that are not like herself. In her quest to understand, she researches cellular memory—the theory that the cells in your body can store memories which can then be transferred to another person after receiving an organ transplant—and becomes convinced this is the cause of it all.
Breaking the rules and going against the advice of everyone she knows, she contacts the family of the young woman whose heart now beats in her chest. The more she learns about Callie, and what happened the night of the accident that took her life, the more convinced she is that there is more to it than anyone knows. Determined to find out what really happened, she insinuates herself into the lives of the people who knew Callie best, and uncovers unsettling information that makes her believe Callie's "accident" was, in fact, murder.
Risking her fragile health and, indeed, her own life, Jenna is willing to do whatever it takes to learn what really happened to Callie that night. But when the answer comes, it's far more insidious (and heartbreaking) than Jenna could ever have imagined.
Jensen's writing throughout is superb. The attention to detail regarding Jenna's recovery, and the sensitivity in showing the emotions of Callie's family was excellent. The ominous sense of eminent danger had me on the edge of my seat from page one. Simply put, it's everything you could hope for in a psychological thriller, and then some.
megan_kiwi's review against another edition
4.0
The first thriller I've read, really enjoyed it hope to read more of this genre. Any Thriller recommendations?
rosieretro's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
acasiello's review against another edition
4.0
Wow! This book was incredible from the very first page. It is one of those books that you don't want to put down and when you do put it down to continue on with real life, it's all you can think about. The Gift is a psychological thriller that really affects your own personal thoughts. This was the first book I've read by Louise Jensen and immediately I want to read anything else she has written. The book follows main character Jenna as she goes through the first 6 months of her life after a heart transplant. All Jenna can think about is the donor and quickly she weaves her way into the lives of the donors family only to find out things may not have been so simple as she thought.
With every twist and turn, Jensen makes you fall in love and out of love with many characters. You will find yourself thinking you have the mystery all figured out and then Jensen seamlessly throws a wrench in everything you started to believe to be true. If you enjoyed books like Gone Girl, Girl on the Train or other psychological thrillers, then you will love The Gift.
Note: I received a preview copy from Netgalley. This is not a paid review.
With every twist and turn, Jensen makes you fall in love and out of love with many characters. You will find yourself thinking you have the mystery all figured out and then Jensen seamlessly throws a wrench in everything you started to believe to be true. If you enjoyed books like Gone Girl, Girl on the Train or other psychological thrillers, then you will love The Gift.
Note: I received a preview copy from Netgalley. This is not a paid review.
renwar96's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book, it was a really quick read. I found the whole idea surrounding the transplant different and really interesting. I will definitely be looking to read more books by this author!