literatureleaf's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Age: 18+
Reading time: 1 day
Difficulty level: 1 out of 5
Overall Rating: 5.5/10
The best part of this book was the suspense. The plot was entertaining and easy to follow, and each chapter did an excellent job of keeping the reader guessing and wanting to read “just a few more pages” to find out what would happen to Verity, Lowen, and Jeremy. The pacing was relatively well done, and there were several jaw-dropping, visceral moments that were depicted so vividly, it was as if the words were jumping off the page and onto a movie screen.
This book’s best moments are in the sections that comprise Verity’s autobiography. Hoover did an excellent job of distinguishing Lowen and Verity’s individual voices, and the quality of Verity’s sections outshine Lowen’s in every way. If this was intentional, it was executed nearly perfectly. Even though the sections detailing Lowen’s experiences were not on par with Verity’s, there were some shining moments there as well. Lowen’s thoughts and feelings when she was struggling with imposter syndrome, anxiety, and depression were well written, and were the only times that she felt genuine.
Unfortunately, this book is lacking in several arenas. The writing style comes off as overly simplistic, which is not necessarily a bad thing if done for the ease of reading, but the feeling that the book was intentionally “dumbed down” permeated the story. There were several sequences and sub plotlines that, well written well, felt like they were shoehorned in. In the book, it is explained that Lowen struggles with sleepwalking, and familial trauma that stems from her episodes of sleepwalking as a child. This would come up at seemingly random times, and did not seem to have much to do with the overall story, leading to these scenes coming off as a bit unpalatable.
The characterizations in this story also missed the mark. Lowen feels unlikable and unrelatable to the reader, and her character feels fairly one dimensional. She tends to express certain feelings towards her situation and the people around her that do not make sense, and this aspect of the book ends up feeling like a poor attempt at foreshadowing. This carries over into the other characters in the story, including Jeremy and his son, Crew. The dialogue between them feels flat, stilted, and, frequently, plainly unrealistic. The pacing of Jeremy and Lowen’s romance, especially when considering the circumstances that brought them together, feels untrue to life. Some stories call for characters and situations that feel fantastical when compared to typical everyday living, but sadly this is not one of them.
Undoubtedly, Verity is a flawed book, but it has redeeming qualities that make it worth reading. It’s fast paced and suspenseful, and the unique story and thrilling cliffhangers make it a relatively fun and enjoyable read, even in the face of bland, unrelatable characters and, at times, subpar writing.
Reading time: 1 day
Difficulty level: 1 out of 5
Overall Rating: 5.5/10
The best part of this book was the suspense. The plot was entertaining and easy to follow, and each chapter did an excellent job of keeping the reader guessing and wanting to read “just a few more pages” to find out what would happen to Verity, Lowen, and Jeremy. The pacing was relatively well done, and there were several jaw-dropping, visceral moments that were depicted so vividly, it was as if the words were jumping off the page and onto a movie screen.
This book’s best moments are in the sections that comprise Verity’s autobiography. Hoover did an excellent job of distinguishing Lowen and Verity’s individual voices, and the quality of Verity’s sections outshine Lowen’s in every way. If this was intentional, it was executed nearly perfectly. Even though the sections detailing Lowen’s experiences were not on par with Verity’s, there were some shining moments there as well. Lowen’s thoughts and feelings when she was struggling with imposter syndrome, anxiety, and depression were well written, and were the only times that she felt genuine.
Unfortunately, this book is lacking in several arenas. The writing style comes off as overly simplistic, which is not necessarily a bad thing if done for the ease of reading, but the feeling that the book was intentionally “dumbed down” permeated the story. There were several sequences and sub plotlines that, well written well, felt like they were shoehorned in. In the book, it is explained that Lowen struggles with sleepwalking, and familial trauma that stems from her episodes of sleepwalking as a child. This would come up at seemingly random times, and did not seem to have much to do with the overall story, leading to these scenes coming off as a bit unpalatable.
The characterizations in this story also missed the mark. Lowen feels unlikable and unrelatable to the reader, and her character feels fairly one dimensional. She tends to express certain feelings towards her situation and the people around her that do not make sense, and this aspect of the book ends up feeling like a poor attempt at foreshadowing. This carries over into the other characters in the story, including Jeremy and his son, Crew. The dialogue between them feels flat, stilted, and, frequently, plainly unrealistic. The pacing of Jeremy and Lowen’s romance, especially when considering the circumstances that brought them together, feels untrue to life. Some stories call for characters and situations that feel fantastical when compared to typical everyday living, but sadly this is not one of them.
Undoubtedly, Verity is a flawed book, but it has redeeming qualities that make it worth reading. It’s fast paced and suspenseful, and the unique story and thrilling cliffhangers make it a relatively fun and enjoyable read, even in the face of bland, unrelatable characters and, at times, subpar writing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Violence, Sexual content, and Cursing
Minor: Abortion and Emotional abuse
theunmessjess's review
dark
mysterious
sad
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? Yes
0.25
If it weren't for practically half the book being about detailed sex, I would have given it more stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Grief, Murder, and Vomit
emiliakajsaa_'s review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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? Yes
2.0
I don’t think much of Colleen’s writing, she’s not the best author I’ve read from. But I have to give her this, she has a great and disturbed imagination that can come up with flawed characters like these ones. I read this book for a school project and all I can say is, I have ALOT to talk about….
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Self harm, Cursing, Death, Suicide attempt, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Body shaming, Panic attacks/disorders, and Domestic abuse
kylee_knight5's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Violence, Sexual content, and Child death
Minor: Infidelity
sammhoff's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion, Blood, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Vomit, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Murder, and Pregnancy
juleskr02's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
you know, i told myself i would never read a colleen hoover book but this one was recommended to me by a friend who loves to read, and a mystery novel was a new genre for me, so i decided to give it a go.
i’m not gonna lie, i lowkey ate this up. i don’t think colleen hoover’s writing is anything spectacular, and it sort of very much scares me that the premise of this book even came to her mind, but i enjoyed the intensity of this mystery thriller.
wasn’t a fan of the ending i’m not going to lie. though there is some resolution, the final chapter makes it very unnerving and as if we really did not get that closure. i learned new things about characters so late into the book that we couldn’t go further, and i’m not sure i enjoyed reading an entire novel where i have no idea what’s real and what’s not.
it was a fast read, and i didn’t hate it. i have definitely read worse books. i enjoyed a lot of it, too! while some aspects lacked in depth and characterization, the suspense locked me in. overall a captivating read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Pregnancy, Child death, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Car accident, Murder, Injury/injury detail, Emotional abuse, Death, Cursing, and Blood
alyx7564's review
challenging
dark
2.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abortion, Death, Miscarriage, Grief, Medical content, Murder, Pregnancy, Car accident, Child death, and Cursing
ally97's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book is suspenseful and full of on the edge of your seat type !!! could not put this book down unless I had too!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Murder
burntout20yrsold's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
So,
Overall, this is one of Colleen Hoover's best books in terms of plot and pace. It was a wild ride, but worth it if you enjoy thriller books.
For me, most of the plot was predictable, yet it never failed to make me sick.
I even liked the ending even though it didn't really suit a book. I could imagine it more as a movie ending scene.
Btw, this could make a great movie! The one that goes viral easily..
I had two main problems with this book that made the rating only a 4; the writing style, and the heavy amount of sex scenes.
The writing style was lazy at times, and decent at times. But overall, it was weak. It didn't fully stop me from enjoying the book, yet it could've made the thriller experience in a whole new level. Because solid thriller with great writing is always magical. And this is a problem with most Colleen Hoover's books. She needs to work on her writing style a little bit.
The sex scenes were not necessary most of the times. Sometimes it felt so disturbing and childish.
I would give this book a 3.9 but let's say it's rounded up to 4⭐.
Do check TW before reading this book!!!!!!!
Overall, this is one of Colleen Hoover's best books in terms of plot and pace. It was a wild ride, but worth it if you enjoy thriller books.
For me, most of the plot was predictable, yet it never failed to make me sick.
I even liked the ending even though it didn't really suit a book. I could imagine it more as a movie ending scene.
Btw, this could make a great movie! The one that goes viral easily..
I had two main problems with this book that made the rating only a 4; the writing style, and the heavy amount of sex scenes.
The writing style was lazy at times, and decent at times. But overall, it was weak. It didn't fully stop me from enjoying the book, yet it could've made the thriller experience in a whole new level. Because solid thriller with great writing is always magical. And this is a problem with most Colleen Hoover's books. She needs to work on her writing style a little bit.
The sex scenes were not necessary most of the times. Sometimes it felt so disturbing and childish.
I would give this book a 3.9 but let's say it's rounded up to 4⭐.
Do check TW before reading this book!!!!!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Vomit, Sexual content, Murder, Cursing, Toxic relationship, and Violence
girl_in_the_books's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Abortion, Death of parent, Alcohol, Body horror, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Alcoholism, Blood, Cancer, Child death, Dysphoria, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Miscarriage