Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier

50 reviews

kellyhennings's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Rape, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Minor: Addiction, Gun violence, Incest, Car accident, and Abortion

corywbowers's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Body shaming, Cancer, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Terminal illness, Blood, Abortion, and Alcohol

april_reads's review against another edition

dark 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? It's complicated

4.75

Jennifer Hiller never disappoints, and Jar of Hearts is no exception.

The story follows three best friends:  one becomes a cop, one is murdered, and the third ends up in prison for her role in her best friends death.

Told through a mix of past and present-day scenes, the narrative picks up when the main character is released from prison. Jar of Hearts is a gripping thriller with a deeply realistic plot that kept me hooked, eager to see how everything would unfold.

This book does come with some trigger warnings, so I recommend checking those before diving in.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

nicolern0826's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Murder

Moderate: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Blood, and Death of parent

bentonpruitt's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

2.75

This book was ok.  There were definitely frustrating parts where characters acted against their development and either did things that just didn’t fit or didn’t do things that would have solved the problem before it even started.  Clearly attempting to be edgy and twisty but ended up being pretty tropey.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

This book has ALL of the thriller content warnings plus some.

bookmeabreak's review against another edition

dark 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? Yes

5.0

"𝐿𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠𝑛’𝑡 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑙." 

𝕁𝕒𝕣 𝕠𝕗 ℍ𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕤 -  𝘑𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘏𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘳
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

⚠️⚠️ TRIGGER WARNINGS ⚠️⚠️
sexual assault, murder, stalking, blood

Womp womp. I had such high expectations for this baby. It got recommended so many times. And yet, there I was 115 e-read pages in... And I guessed what the hell was going on. MIND YALL! (Lord, there goes that "y'all" creeping on me again. I can't help it) But mind yall. I watch just about every police procedural show there is except Blue Bloods and The Rookie. I just can't. Anyway, my brain already works on profile mode when I read or watch murder mysteries. 

So with that in mind and if I pretend I didn't know the end. I loved this book. No part was slow, it didn't drag. I finished it in a day and a half. I felt for all the characters, even bucket head Calvin for about point twenty five seconds. I wish more on Geo Miss Jennifer you tried to skurt skurt over just how much that lady had to do eith everything. Cause let me tell you let it have been my bestie, sisters, mama, baby. "Tag team, back again" Cause, baby, no, no, no, we gotta go together. 

ℍ𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕪 ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘
ᒍAY MAY OUT!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual assault, Blood, Stalking, and Murder

tyreadsbooks_'s review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.0

𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 :

-orange is the new black

-His & Hers by Alice Feeney

-unlikeable characters

-cinnamon candy

-serial killer thrillers

-cold cases

-secrets & lies

-dual pov & dual timeline

-unexpected twists 

𝘔𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 :

This was a dark, twisted thriller that definitely held my attention! I enjoyed the dual timelines, it really added to the suspense. It was just short of 5★ for me because the ending wrapped up a little too quick & neatly. I didn’t feel a story this emotionally charged would have buttoned up quite so easily.  

This one is pretty graphic, and more than a little disturbing. I think if you’re a crime connoisseur it won’t phase you, but just a heads up! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, and Pregnancy

kim_ng's review against another edition

dark 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

4.25

Very well written, dark, graphic, messed up.
I didn't want to put it down until I finished this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Cancer, Child death, and Vomit

Minor: Body shaming, Child abuse, Drug use, Infertility, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

astoriareader's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

SYNOPSIS

• Georgina (Geo), Angela, & Kaiser are best friends in high school. When Geo starts dating an older guy named Calvin, the dynamics in the group change. One day, Angela disappears.
• After fourteen years, Geo is a successful executive at a pharmaceutical company & engaged to a rich dude. When Angela’s body is found, Geo is arrested on murder charges by Kaiser, who is now a detective. 
• Geo ends up doing time in prison, and more murders start happening.
• What happened in the past & how is it connected to the present?

MY THOUGHTS

• Multiple POVs - Geo & Kaiser.
• Set in Seattle area.
• Different timelines - alternating between what happened in past versus present.
• Third Hillier book I’ve read, and she’s quickly become one of my favorite authors of the genre.
• Intense & hard to put down.
• Complex characters.
• Tough topics covered in book. Check trigger warnings.
• Well written. Easy to read & hard to put down.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️another gripping thriller by Hillier 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Murder, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

allycat5498's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.75

I wish I could unread this book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail