Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier

40 reviews

jolikestoread's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Murder, Blood, Body horror, Violence, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Child death and Physical abuse

Minor: Alcohol, Vomit, Fatphobia, Addiction, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Alcoholism

ohkaereads's review against another edition

dark reflective sad fast-paced

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

2.5

While this book has a plot, it does nothing but give the book a point. A point where to begin and a point where to end. A reason for the reader to keep reading. That's its whole purpose, right? Well, I say that because it would be wrong to say the book is a balanced mixture of both character and plot. If not for the gore, this novel could very well be classified as literary fiction or even, romance. The book is told in 3rd person by two people: Kaiser Brody, the cop who arrested Geo, and Georgina Shaw, the arrested. The two used to be best friends in a trio, their third, Angela, was killed in their teen years. Georgina knew who did it, but Kaiser didn't. Kaiser was in love with Georgina, and Georgina was in love with her murderous abusive grooming rapist boyfriend aka Angela's killer. These characters carry the book. If you don't like them, you won't like the book. I didn't like them, care for them or think much of them in all honesty. They were self-aware but stagnant. Georgina's chapters are riddled with “Angela's dead. I'm not. So this is why I deserve to live my life and be left alone.” monologues. Kaiser's chapters are filled with him being unprofessional, Georgina this & that, and the hint of ick where nerds grow up and suddenly feel tall and deserving of this & that. These two were just stuck with each other. Not even a proper conversation about their friend or past. The investigation stalled in the book's middle just so I had to suffer reading about them longing for each other and having sex (and in between two rape scenes, might I add, which is honestly the most jarring thing ever).
 
Albeit, the book had its moments. The past and present were woven well into the novel. The chapters and parts were organized rightfully. I also liked the small integration of music into the story, the lyrics toned well to the narrative beats. The story was immersive with the cinematic qualities of a lifetime movie. The exploration of an abusive relationship was decent. The “villain monologue” at the end was one of my most liked (up until the “shift/turning point”).

But I wasn't thrilled, I was disgusted. I finished the book because it was easier than not finishing it. The romance was ick, the characters were ick and the ending was ick. There were also instances of narrative fatphobia (fatness almost always linked to disgust or disliked characters) and the discussion/mentions of race left a bad taste in my mouth. ”But the woman standing in front of him is black, her skin the color of coffee with a few drops of cream,” is used as a description. I'm a black woman and that was a personal no for me. The story felt riddled with things like internalized misogyny because, for some reason, we are trying to justify why Geo deserved this and Angela deserved that and trauma porn. While it isn't exploitative, why is the reader subjected to three on-page rape scenes? Why is it one thing after another happening to Geo? And this also brings me back to the plot. It's a thriller. You would think the plot is the biggest part but that would mean the prison sequences were pointless. I get the characters needing to be humanized and solid but in hindsight, it was excessive. In the end, the book felt like a fluke. A plot so predictable it was annoying and this is coming from someone who likes linear stories (and spoilers and seeing right through stories — give me a plot, 50 or 60% in I know how it ends, how the puzzle fits). The story was not predictable in a fun way but rather in an I-can't-wait-to-be-finished-with-this-mess way. A book that might as well have been a novella. The story was a good in-between to kick me out of a slump but extremely disturbing. I spent most of the novel horrified but bemused. The novel had a tacky quality that caused me to inappropriately laugh at times.  There were quite a few grammar errors as well but I wasn't too distracted by them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Cancer, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Cursing, Alcohol, Homophobia, and Vomit

Minor: Alcoholism, Car accident, Drug abuse, Addiction, Drug use, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Pedophilia, and Gun violence

The book has three on-page rape scenes (chapters 4, 22 & 24) and an on-page attempted rape (forcible incest, chapter 32 and 33). Forced institutionalization refers to the fmc's time in jail; there is no admittance to any facility based on psychiatry in the novel. Injury/injury detail refers to aspects of the murders (not considered torture since they are not prolonged) and a victim's loved one's anxious and intense fingernail biting. There is only one instance of gun usage, at the book's end, but there are a few mentions of the weapon weaved throughout the book.

karipohar's review against another edition

dark medium-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

0.5

This book had promise but I didn’t enjoy any part of this book. Trigger warnings for: sa, child murder, attempted incest. 
The characters are flawed and really bad people. Near the end it feels like the author tries to change the readers sympathies by making the murderer more caring. It feels very against the information we've been given up to that point. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Child death, Gaslighting, Incest, Adult/minor relationship, and Death

hollaylonn's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Child death, Death, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Rape, and Murder

katybugggg's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Pregnancy, Violence, Vomit, Child death, Chronic illness, Grief, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Bullying, Body horror, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Gaslighting, Blood, Body shaming, Murder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Addiction, Car accident, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Abandonment

rhyanreads's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

3.5

Overall I enjoyed reading this book, I felt like the middle was a little dry and repetitive it also had A LOT going on and could be a lot to follow. 

It's a very dark book with all dark things you can imagine. At times I felt like they were thrown in more for shock value than to go with the story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, Chronic illness, Rape, Death, Sexual assault, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Vomit, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Cancer, Child death, Terminal illness, and Pregnancy

Minor: Abortion

nabaraditi's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad 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

4.0

it has high school drama, boyfriend is shit, sexual assault, murder, unrequited love.
I mean it has it all and there's a good twist at the end that I didn't see coming.. 
4.5 stars? i think!! i'm not sure yet. its definitely 4 to 4.5 stars

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Sexual assault, Infertility, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Pregnancy, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Car accident, and Alcohol

Minor: Death of parent and Toxic friendship

daniellenelson's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Violence, Alcohol, Child death, Gaslighting, Grief, Sexual assault, Vomit, Abandonment, Blood, Terminal illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Murder, Rape, and Sexual violence

sizzlesteaks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Rape, Violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Blood, Physical abuse, Child death, Child abuse, Gaslighting, and Cancer

Minor: Vomit, Incest, Body shaming, Pregnancy, and Pedophilia

martine3's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Rape, Murder, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Vomit, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, and Cancer