Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier

34 reviews

pinkdynamite22's review against another edition

dark

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

With an interesting start, this book slowed down quite a bit in the middle before coming back with a big plot twist. Using consistent characters across multiple timelines, Jennifer Hillier took us on the roller coaster ride of the main character's life, including a stint in prison. I do have a couple minor questions left unanswered but overall, I would recommend this book to anyone without sensitivities for light s3x scenes and r@pe.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Cancer, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, 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

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.

karinreadsalot's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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? It's complicated

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Vomit, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Car accident, and Abortion

caitlinw44's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, and Abortion

crcarruthers's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This is one of the best mystery/thrillers I've read in a long time! Even though I guessed part.of the ending, it didn't make it any less amazing. I will definitely be picking up more of Jennifer Hillier's books. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

atalea's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Infidelity, Rape, Toxic relationship, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cancer, Incest, Sexual violence, Violence, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Vomit

daniela_is_reading's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship

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

dclements19's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Rape, and Vomit

Moderate: Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Physical abuse