cecenichol's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Abortion, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Murder
shinysarah28's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Sexual content
Moderate: Abortion and Child death
Minor: Vomit
mommy_reads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Abortion, and Sexual content
mollyb13's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
2.5
I have many thoughts about this one... This was my first Colleen Hoover book and maybe I should have started with one of her romance novels, but I'm a thriller girlie so of course I was going to start with Verity. If you are going to read this one, DO NOT READ REVIEWS BEFOREHAND. Though if you have any triggers/if there are topics you don't like to read please please do check the content warnings!
Overall, I'm glad I got my curiosity around this book out of the way, but to me the book did not live up to the hype surrounding it. I will likely try one of Colleen Hoover's romance novels in the future.
Pros:
Overall, I'm glad I got my curiosity around this book out of the way, but to me the book did not live up to the hype surrounding it. I will likely try one of Colleen Hoover's romance novels in the future.
Pros:
- I was too creeped out to read this in bed at night - a daytime book for me. Which is how I like my thrillers to be!
- I read it really quickly and didn't want to put it down
- There was some completely bone-chilling moments
Spoiler
VERITY STANDING AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS OMG. Verity telling Crew to hold his breath before she tipped the canoe!?
Cons:
Unfortunately the cons far outweigh the pros for me. Here are just a few things I couldn't get over:
Spoiler
I really don't like open-ended books. I get that she was trying to leave you wondering, but I don't want to wonder. I want to close a book feeling like I can leave it and move onto the next thing.- There was far to much sex in this book that didn't forward the plot at all.
Spoiler
I know Verity's letter said that one of the reasons Jeremy should have known the manuscript was fake was because there was so much sex in it. But Lowen's section had plenty as well - though I suppose it was fueled by some of what she had read in the manuscript. I'm also tired of every leading man being an absolute sex god. Spoiler
I feel like I was meant to root for Lowen but wtf she helped Jeremy kill her at the end!? It wasn't even self defense! Just turn her in! Also she seemed to not care that Jeremy tried killing Verity previously?Spoiler
This whole team manuscript/team letter could likely be pretty well solved by just talking to that agent who Verity said gave her the journaling idea in the first place... If the agent says she never suggested anything like that then likely the manuscript is true- I purposefully avoid reading reviews of thrillers because I like to be surprised, but had seen enough praise for this book and people saying
Spoiler
'the twist was shocking!' that the twist actually fell flat for me. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but everyone had hyped it up so much that I guess I expected to be completely mind blown. I had actually wondered if Jeremy wrote the manuscript earlier on in the book and Verity was being held captive so I was not correct but close enough to not be completely surprised. - The bonus chapter, which I did not read, but read recaps of, was sus and I don't understand the point of it.
Spoiler
It sounded like Colleen Hoover was maybe trying to push readers towards team letter? Also Jeremy killed a woman because she recognized them at the beach?!?! This chapter sounded like it was unnecessary.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Medical content, Pregnancy, Abortion, Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Violence, Child abuse, Child death, Grief, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
matchastar's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
THIS BOOK IS INSANE! So many twists, Colleen Hoover made a masterpiece with this one. I will say though, it is very dark and it made me take small breaks because a lot written was unbelievable but wow this book was so good and I was satisfied with the ending because it all comes down to the reader and their thoughts! I will definitely be reading this again!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion and Child abuse
ashjhenn's review
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Abortion, and Murder
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Alcohol, Drug use, and Vomit
brooklynbrewer's review
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion, Gore, Sexual content, Child death, and Death
hannahhannah59's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion and Murder
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
natalienandez's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Grief, Abortion, and Child abuse