Monday, December 18, 2023

Jennifer Hillier: Jar of hearts

Jennifer Hillier questions how far someone will go to bury their darkest secrets:

When Geo, Angela and Kaiser were 16 they were inseparable, until Geo meets an man who makes her feel things that she has never felt before. She starts to distance herself from her friends so that she can be with Calvin more and more. But on the night of a party, Angela does not return home, she disappears without a trace. 14 years later, Geo is a rising start at a pharmaceutical company when secrets are about to be discovered. Angela was a victim of a serial killer, a serial killer who has been ID as Calvin, Geo's one time boyfriend. Geo has known what had happened to Angela 14 year ago and has carried that secret all this time. Now everyone knows the truth, but when bodies start to appear again in the same manner as Angela's death, there are some truths 

This is the second book that I have read by Hillier and probably one of her well know ones, and after reading it I know why. This was a dark, gritty psychological thriller book that pulls back the layers of the main character Geo time and time again. It will have you on the edge of your seat as more information is reveal both in the past and the present. With that said I was able to figure out what was going to happen (for the most part) and who was the killer basically after the first crime scene. However, figuring it out did not take away from my enjoyment of the book, I was curious to see how Hillier would lay everything out.

I personally enjoy books with two timelines. I will say that at times the past timeline felt like it was taking a bit to long to get to Angela's murder and the events of that night, but other than that i think that Hillier did a good job in balancing them out.

Geo is a fascinating character, that I don’t know if we ever get the true picture of who she is by the end of the book, there are aspect of her character that are revealed that are simply outstanding and unthinkable. There is a lot made in the past about Angela being a master manipulation at 16, but I think Geo as an adult may just have surpassed that. I think you feel for and hate Geo at the same time especially as you progress farther into the past timeline. And her ability to keep the horrendous secret for 14 years, is simply crazy.

Did I like the ending? I'm not sure, maybe not what i wanted to occur, maybe a bit too safe. I think I wanted Hillier to surprise me in this aspect and go for something a bit different.

I like play of this title of the Jar of Hearts that Calvin gives Geo as well as the lyrics associated with the song that just make so much sense with this book. If you have read this book and have not looked up the song that shares this title i recommend it.

This was a great book and I can see why it was touted as one of Hillier's best books. Even though I was able to figure it out fairly early on I still enjoyed it and seeing how Hillier put all the pieces together. I know I'll pick up another book by her.

Enjoy!!!!!

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