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A review by joyceheinen
Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier
dark
tense
fast-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? Yes
2.5
I read “Little Secrets”, by Jennifer Hillier, a couple of years ago and really liked it. “Jar of Hearts” gets a high average rating on GoodReads, so I had very high hopes. But, my opinion about this book is going to be unpopular.
We learn about the disappearance of Angela Wong, when she was only sixteen years old. When her remains are found fourteen years later, the truth comes to surface as well, with her best friend Georgina going to jail for being involved and her then boyfriend Calvin being convicted for the murder. Angela and Georgina’s mutual friend Kaiser is now a detective, wanting to get to the bottom of this and finding out what really happened that fateful night.
While Georgina pays the price for her unconditional love, Calvin escapes from prison. And soon lives up to his nickname of the Sweetbay Strangler. What is his ultimate intention? Do the new victims have a link to Angela? And what other secrets does Georgina have?
I found it very difficult to relate to any of the characters. First of all, I didn’t like any of them, but I can often get passed that. I just didn’t understand any of the motivations these characters had. When Angela went missing and later found, many people claimed she was the sweetest girl. But flashbacks reveal something completely different. I don’t get why Georgina wanted to be friend with her. And she also says, multiple times, how much she loved Angela. Angela was the one woman she loved most after her mom. That just makes it even less understandable why she eventually did what she did. And it seems with ease, with her so-called monster of a boyfriend behaving out of character. And she just moved on. It feels like we are supposed to sympathize and empathize with Georgina, but in no way could I do that. Same for her relationship with Calvin. I get that sometimes love blinds you, but it just didn’t make sense what she did for this guy.
There is a romantic subplot, that I really did not care about. I mostly hate romantic plot lines in thrillers. And again, I did not understand it. In their younger years, sure, I get it. But as adults, I don’t see why this man still wants to be with her, especially with him knowing about her what he knows. And all these characters have thoughts about other people’s appearances and smells in the most inappropriate moments. It feels so strange.
For a book being sold with having many unexpected twists and reveals, I was a bit underwhelmed. Sure, it had some, but the final reveal was pretty obvious in the end. I just didn’t have a good time with this book, unfortunately.
We learn about the disappearance of Angela Wong, when she was only sixteen years old. When her remains are found fourteen years later, the truth comes to surface as well, with her best friend Georgina going to jail for being involved and her then boyfriend Calvin being convicted for the murder. Angela and Georgina’s mutual friend Kaiser is now a detective, wanting to get to the bottom of this and finding out what really happened that fateful night.
While Georgina pays the price for her unconditional love, Calvin escapes from prison. And soon lives up to his nickname of the Sweetbay Strangler. What is his ultimate intention? Do the new victims have a link to Angela? And what other secrets does Georgina have?
I found it very difficult to relate to any of the characters. First of all, I didn’t like any of them, but I can often get passed that. I just didn’t understand any of the motivations these characters had. When Angela went missing and later found, many people claimed she was the sweetest girl. But flashbacks reveal something completely different. I don’t get why Georgina wanted to be friend with her. And she also says, multiple times, how much she loved Angela. Angela was the one woman she loved most after her mom. That just makes it even less understandable why she eventually did what she did. And it seems with ease, with her so-called monster of a boyfriend behaving out of character. And she just moved on. It feels like we are supposed to sympathize and empathize with Georgina, but in no way could I do that. Same for her relationship with Calvin. I get that sometimes love blinds you, but it just didn’t make sense what she did for this guy.
There is a romantic subplot, that I really did not care about. I mostly hate romantic plot lines in thrillers. And again, I did not understand it. In their younger years, sure, I get it. But as adults, I don’t see why this man still wants to be with her, especially with him knowing about her what he knows. And all these characters have thoughts about other people’s appearances and smells in the most inappropriate moments. It feels so strange.
For a book being sold with having many unexpected twists and reveals, I was a bit underwhelmed. Sure, it had some, but the final reveal was pretty obvious in the end. I just didn’t have a good time with this book, unfortunately.