The Gift

The Gripping Psychological Thriller Everyone Is Talking About

By: Louise Jensen

Narrated by: Jasmine Blackborow

Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's Summary

The perfect daughter. The perfect girlfriend. The perfect murder?

Jenna is seriously ill. She's lost all hope of getting the heart transplant she needs to live. But just as her life is ebbing away, she receives a donor heart from a girl called Callie.

Who was Callie and how did she die? Jenna is determined to find out.

The closer Jenna gets to those who loved Callie, the more questions arise about her untimely death. Someone knows what happened to Callie. Why won't they talk?

Jenna is about to uncover the truth, but it could cost her everything; her loved ones, her sanity, even her life.

A compelling, gripping psychological thriller with a killer twist from the author of the number #1 best-seller The Sister.

©2016 Louise Jensen (P)2016 Bookouture

Critic Reviews

"My eyes were racing down the pages... had me guessing right up to the very end and I had tears in my eyes as I relived Charlie's last moments... exceptional... It's an addictive page-turner that begs time and again for just one more chapter until the whole book has been devoured and thoroughly enjoyed." ( The Book Magnet)

"Wow! What an amazing debut novel! Full of intense twists! Fantastic book to start off summer reading! Highly recommend." ( Loud and Proud Book Junkie )

Original!

Although a bit hard to follow at times, this book is highly original with lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing to the end. I don't want to give anything away so I will just say that what I liked about this story outweighed what I didnt, and I've never heard anything quite like it.

The Heart is stronger then Life

This novel was exceptionally written by Louise Jensen and wonderfully narrated by Jasmine Blackborow.
The Characters all fit their plots and the story line was different for a change. The Gift will surprise you and keep you on the edge of your chair, wondering if what you are reading is a dream or real life. I totally enjoyed this must read or listen to audiobook. The Writer made a complete magical mystery and thriller out of something that happens often in our world today. I don't want to ruin it ....so listen to it yourself, a for sure likeable audible edition.
Author, Blogger, Narrator
DeAnn DeVille

Gripping!

This is my second book by Louise Jensen, and it won't be my last. She is good at creating characters I care about, and a plot that moves quickly, with lost of red herrings to keep you on your toes.
I read a lot of psychological thrillers and crime fiction, but I think this one might stand out, because the premise is so unusual. Jenna needs a hear transplant is gets one after Callie, a young woman, dies in a car accident. Yet as she is recovering, Jenna has an urge to know more about her donor, and she seeks out the family. This is the beginning of the mystery, and Jenna's life becomes infinitely more complicated.
I liked Jenna and I liked that she didn't behave too irrationally, the way some characters in crime fiction tend to. She wasn't willfully reckless, but still curious and at times quite brave. I also liked the way Jensen illustrated her relationships, and how what she had gone through changed the way the looked at the world. These small aspects of The Gift make it memorable, because I so often read a book in the genre, where the story is gripping, but the characters feel like caricatures.
While I did find the ending to be a little much, and not entirely satisfying, on a whole, I thought this was absolutely a worthwhile read. Recommended to fans of Angela Marsons, Robert Bryndza, or Elizabeth Haynes!

WARNING AUDIO IS HORRIBLE! The story is overall pretty bad as well.

Who said the is the "best psychological thriller"? I can't believe they just wrote that on the book, plus it's in the introduction but with info on who said that.

Don't waste your money, the narrator reads this from her bathroom at points (or at least that's what it sounds like) other times you can barely make out what she's saying because the recording is SO BAD.

Don't bother with this book.

Cellular memory is fascinating!

What made the experience of listening to The Gift the most enjoyable?

I always enjoy books about organ donation & how the receivers of those organs go on to progress with their lives and how the experience directly affects their lives. This story was unique in that it brought on the topic of cellular memory. How absolutely fascinating! I am now very inclined to do some research on the topic, just to learn more and see how many other stories similar to this one are out there.

Would you recommend The Gift to your friends? Why or why not?

It wasn't a particular "stand out" for me, but if I knew any of my friends were extremely interested in organ donation or cellular memory then I absolutely would recommend it.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not particularly because it was quite long, but I did want to finish it quickly.

Pass this one by

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Can't think of any

What was most disappointing about Louise Jensen’s story?

One of the best parts of the story, the Medium, was only a few sentences. Then the drawn out and predictable story line. The 'twist' was predictable also. Sadly the set up for the twist was boring.

What didn’t you like about Jasmine Blackborow’s performance?

The narrator was great

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Sadness. I didn't finish the book.

Any additional comments?

I am letting prospective listeners know to pass this one by.

Don't miss this one!

This one will keep you guessing and just what we n you think you've figured it out SURPRISE!

Not Impressed

What disappointed you about The Gift?

There were no big moments in my opinion. I was left wanting something to happen that I didn't expect.

Would you ever listen to anything by Louise Jensen again?

Yes the narration was fine.

Which scene was your favorite?

n/a

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Gift?

none - it needed something added not taken away

Any additional comments?

meh - I had hopes for a terrific read; I didn't find it here.

Audio Recording very poor quality

I would have given this audio book 5 stars across, but the audio edits were just dreadful and so distracting to the point of being ridiculous. The audio quality did not match with the edits, and they stood out loudly pulling the listener out of the story. I don’t fault the actor who read the story, but the producers and director. Also, there were many inconsistencies with the story, details that didn’t match up... first the vile was plastic, later the vial became glass miraculously. Many times the listener would be drawn into a particular location, and all of a sudden the character had changed location without any lead into the shift of place. I love her writing, but more care and details and quality should be put into the production of the audio recording.

Soapy tries to be a thriller

This book reads like a bad soapy trying to be thrilling. Imagine the Eastenders cast trying to act out the Silence of the Lambs and you'll understand how ridiculous, clichéd, melodramatic yet suprisingly boring this book is. Ignore the good reviews. This book is one big YAWN.

Exceptionally BAD

Please do not waste your time reading this. I do not usually bother with reviews but this was so shockingly bad I have to encourage you not to waste your hard earned cash and time. It's over hyped drivel. story line was juvenile and predictable all characters annoying. so many great books get bypassed for this?

Mundane story, 2D characters and dull narration

What would have made The Gift better?

Creating interesting and believable characters
Writing for adults rather than adolescents
A story line with more 'oomph' and less 'blah'

Don't bother!

One of the worst books I've ever listened to on Audible. I kept on persevering with it in the hope that it would get better- it didn't!

A Wonderfully Crated 'Gift' To The Reader.

A mysterious tale of love and suspense, almost Bridget Jones meets Nancy Drew for adults and with a killer twist that will render you speechless. Thoroughly enjoyable story line that immerses the reader between its pages, leaving you guessing until the final, breathtaking and thrilling twisted ending.
An absolute must read.
The Audible version is narrated to perfection by Jasmine Blackborow.

Gift? No thanks

Oh boy, 3 hrs to go and hoping for something to happen, lingering...., listening now x2 forward, i will update if needed. Good narrative

Pretentious Purple Prose

What would have made The Gift better?

A better command of English would have improved this story. A first person narration needs to sound as though a real person is speaking not like someone who has swallowed a dictionary. Many words are wrongly used e.g 'under' and 'beneath' do not mean the same. 'Beneath' is not a more educated or formal version of 'under'. Also using too many adjectives does not add to a description e.g 'grubby,grey xxxx'. Less is more!

What could Louise Jensen have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

The plot has been done so many times. If I had attempted a heart donation plot I would have had part one as the donor's life with her ending left in doubt and part two as the receiver.

Would you be willing to try another one of Jasmine Blackborow’s performances?

Yes. She did her best with this uninspiring prose.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Gift?

Any descriptions of people being ill, getting in taxis, going shopping or having cups of tea.

Any additional comments?

I am so disappointed that many of these authors are let down by their editors. An editor should have a total command of English and be able to point out mistakes in grammar, usage, references and facts.

Tedious and repetitive

Found this extremely dull and repetitive with very unsympathetic characters. Very unsatisfying read and full of cliches.

Amazing!

Really gripping and different, really loved it! Well performed and a great story with a twist different to the usual.

Good story

Worth a listen although not much of a twist that you don't see coming. Enjoyable

Interesting story- not especially well written.

A fairly gripping plot but I became tired of the description- inky skies, apricot dawns, tears slipping down faces- all rather cliched. I found the characters hard to sympathise with and some of the research a little thin. Beautifully read though.