Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Verity by Colleen Hoover

848 reviews

sayruh90's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Murder

Minor: Child abuse and Child death

orionmerlin's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.0

Characters: 7.5/10

The characters were interesting, but let’s not pretend they were groundbreaking. Lowen was the embodiment of passive protagonist syndrome, letting everything happen to her instead of actually doing anything. Jeremy? A walking enigma whose personality shifts depending on what the plot demands. And Verity? Absolutely terrifying—but more of a concept than a fully developed character. Crew, their son, had serious "creepy kid in a horror movie" energy, but his role in the story felt like an afterthought. Were they compelling? Sure. Were they consistently well-written? Not really.

Atmosphere: 9/10

This book practically drenched itself in tension. The gothic, isolated mansion? Creepy as hell. The eerie silences and slow-burning dread? Expertly done. Hoover nailed the unsettling vibes, making even mundane moments feel loaded with unease. It’s a masterclass in "something-is-very-wrong-here" energy. That said, it did lean into haunted house clichés a little too often—ominous noises, flickering lights, the works. But hey, it worked.

Writing Style: 7/10

Hoover’s writing is fast, accessible, and sharp, but not particularly deep. It’s the kind of writing that sucks you in and keeps you turning pages, even if it occasionally lacks finesse. The manuscript sections? Disturbing, sure, but they often felt more like shock value for shock value’s sake rather than a meaningful exploration of Verity’s psyche. Dialogue was serviceable, but there were moments where it felt stilted, especially between Lowen and Jeremy. Overall, easy to read but not exactly literary brilliance.

Plot: 8/10

Look, Verity is a wild ride, and that’s why the plot works. The pacing is fantastic, the suspense is gripping, and the twists are absolutely unhinged. But when you take a step back? Some of it is... kind of ridiculous. The manuscript twist was a brilliant concept but so over-the-top that it was hard to take seriously. And the ending? A prime example of “let’s throw in one last twist just because.” It’s fun, but it doesn’t always make sense.

Intrigue: 9.5/10

Was I hooked? Absolutely. This book grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. Even when I rolled my eyes at some of the more dramatic moments, I still had to know what happened next. If nothing else, Hoover knows how to write a story that demands to be read in one sitting. The only reason this isn’t a 10? The payoff didn’t quite match the buildup.

Logic: 6/10

Oh boy. If you’re the type to nitpick plot holes, Verity is going to drive you insane. Jeremy’s behavior? All over the place. Lowen and Jeremy’s relationship? Unrealistically fast and kind of inappropriate given, you know, the circumstances. The big twist? Raises way more questions than it answers. And let’s not even get started on the inconsistencies with Verity’s condition. Just don’t think too hard about it and you’ll have a great time.

Enjoyment: 8/10

Did I have fun? Hell yes. Was it a flawless masterpiece? Hell no. Verity is the book equivalent of a trashy psychological thriller movie—you know it’s a little ridiculous, but you’re having too much fun to care. It’s messy, addictive, and full of wild moments that will either leave you gasping or rolling your eyes (sometimes both). If you go in expecting a logic-tight, deeply layered psychological thriller, you might be disappointed. But if you just want a fast, disturbing, utterly gripping read? You’ll love it.

Final Verdict: 8/10

Verity is unhinged, addictive, and unsettling in all the best ways—but it’s also full of contrived twists and questionable logic. Think of it as popcorn thriller fiction: wildly entertaining, occasionally ridiculous, but impossible to put down. If you’re here for deep, thought-provoking psychological horror, this isn’t it. But if you want a book that will grab you and refuse to let go? Buckle up. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Gore, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Blood

Moderate: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Car accident, Murder, and Gaslighting

Minor: Cancer, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

This book leans heavily into psychological horror and disturbing themes. The unreliable narration and ambiguous morality can be deeply unsettling, and the manuscript excerpts include extremely graphic and uncomfortable content. While none of the warnings above are gratuitous, they play a significant role in the novel’s tension and horror. This is not a book for the faint of heart or those sensitive to dark themes.

limas's review against another edition

challenging mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.75

The plot !!!! Tho there is no logic

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail

holz_18's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcohol

tammyhai's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

I really enjoyed the journey of the book--at first. Verity was intense, psychotic, and a creepy little villain. I kept waiting for the big twist and I was really disappointed by the end. What a letdown! I think I'm in the minority with my disappointment but honestly when it comes to Colleen Hoover, I don't agree with the rest of the world. While everyone else was swooning over "It Ends with Us," I was underwhelmed. My original criticism of Hoover stands. She's not that great of a writer. Her skills are probably where mine are at. We can write passable YA material but we'll never win pulitzers. But I also think Hoover has exciting ideas that she struggles to execute. 

I do wonder if her flimsy descriptions of our leads are purposeful. We know Jeremy is hot, his looks give our female lead the tingles in every which way. But our female lead suffers from Bella Swan syndrome, she's a fuzzy image that the reader is probably supposed to paste their faces onto. Which may be tantalizing and fun for some readers but not what I'm looking for in a book. 

If you're looking for a dark and twisted thriller, you may need to look elsewhere. The ending is tepid and I really wish the "twist" packed a bigger punch. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Sexual content

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Violence, and Car accident

bdeal096's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This was book was really interesting and I found myself not wanting to put the book down, at first it was a little slow but once you reach a few chapters it it gets really good but the ending had me questioning whether what I was reading was actually what happened.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Grief, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Miscarriage, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, and Murder

Minor: Animal death, Abortion, and Alcohol

illeling05's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

It really is a good story and I love the ending. Such a beautifully made plot leaving you with goosebumps. 

There has been moments where I've felt disgust, sadness, anger and awe to the stories. 

The only thing I wish, is that I was aware of how graphic and sexual some of the content was... Which made me skip some lines here and there.

Eitherway, it's an amazing story which I recommend. The plot is well made and at the end you won't know what is true and what is not.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Sexual content, Abortion, and Murder

Moderate: Death and Violence

Minor: Cursing and Pregnancy

matthewmclane's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Abortion, Murder, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Miscarriage

heatherlynnhla2's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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

 Edit: The more I sit and think about this book/ this author, the more unsettled I become. It's like something that leaves a bad taste in your mouth that won't quite go away...

Spoiler  Wow, this book was fucked up. I suppose that's not so much a spoiler as it is a censor, but I cannot think of another way to describe this wild ride. Going into it, I knew Verity was a thriller, but I didn't know it was also part romance... Was a little spicier than I usually read, but I'm wiling to overlook that because of the layers of deception, creepiness, and manipulation all of the characters use. Wish I could read the ending again for the first time, with all the twists and turns.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Self harm, Sexual violence, Violence, Car accident, and Abortion

albinyxell's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

This book is fucked up. 
Yes the ending was one hell of a plot twist but I don't know what I think of it. 

At least this book made me understand trigger warnings..

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail