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A review by theinstabookworm
Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-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
3.0
I picked this book up and soft DNFed it a while ago when I wasn't in the right mood. This book alternates between Geo's POV, the FMC, and Kaiser's POV, the detective with the Seattle PD and a friend and former classmate of Geo's. This story wasn't what I was expecting, in a good way.
Part One of the book is Geo in prison for the murder of her high school best friend, Angela. I liked that because it felt like I was watching a season of Orange Is The New Black. Part Two also intrigued me because it focuses on the serial killer, and I like serial killer thrillers. However, Part Two takes place five years after Geo is sent to prison, but that isn't indicated at the beginning of part two. You have to start reading the first chapter in part two to find that out, which threw me off a bit. I would have preferred the time jump to be plainly stated. This is also a slow-burn even though the book is very short. I found that this threw the pacing off and meant that things were dragged out much more than they needed to be. The writing wasn't my favourite and my copy could have used at least another round of edits because there were SO many spelling errors. This is written in third person POV and I much prefer books written in first person. The big reveal and plot twist was saved for the very end of the book, but by that point the reveal wasn't shocking enough to pull me back into the story.
I loved LITTLE SECRETS by the author and look forward to reading her other books. This one just didn't quite work for me. Be mindful of trigger warnings, as there are a lot.
Part One of the book is Geo in prison for the murder of her high school best friend, Angela. I liked that because it felt like I was watching a season of Orange Is The New Black. Part Two also intrigued me because it focuses on the serial killer, and I like serial killer thrillers. However, Part Two takes place five years after Geo is sent to prison, but that isn't indicated at the beginning of part two. You have to start reading the first chapter in part two to find that out, which threw me off a bit. I would have preferred the time jump to be plainly stated. This is also a slow-burn even though the book is very short. I found that this threw the pacing off and meant that things were dragged out much more than they needed to be. The writing wasn't my favourite and my copy could have used at least another round of edits because there were SO many spelling errors. This is written in third person POV and I much prefer books written in first person. The big reveal and plot twist was saved for the very end of the book, but by that point the reveal wasn't shocking enough to pull me back into the story.
I loved LITTLE SECRETS by the author and look forward to reading her other books. This one just didn't quite work for me. Be mindful of trigger warnings, as there are a lot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Rape, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Death of parent