jstirbu's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 ⭐️
Predictable, 2/3 main characters didn’t seem fully developed.
Predictable, 2/3 main characters didn’t seem fully developed.
lucyredmond1's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
kalarosereads's review
2.0
Please read the trigger warnings before reading this book!
This book was a different read than other Colleen Hoover books. In the introduction to the book she states that she never actually meant to release this book, she just started writing the chapters initially as a way to blow of steam in between writing her other books. She ended up posting some chapters online and people loved it so much she ended up releasing the whole book.
For that reason, this definitely does not read like one of Colleen Hoovers "regular" books, the writing style is extremely different and not as "mature". The chapters are all quite short and the plot felt choppy, whether this was intentional or not, for me it just added to the chaos that is this entire book. I do find that there were times where it tried a little too hard to be "edgy" and came off a little cringey. Every time you think you know what is going to happen or you think the conflict is over, or you think it can't get any more twist...it just keeps going, and going and going. To the point where I think it could have ended around halfway through.
What does stick with her normal style is the dual POV between the two main characters, she also includes a third POV in this book, which is from the "villain". I enjoyed having this particular POV, it again really adds to the entire feel of the book and makes it even creepier to read. However, this is the POV that does come across with a lot of cringe factor at certain times.
If you enjoyed Verity by Colleen Hoover than I would recommend giving this book a try as well, it gives you a similar overall unsettling feeling while you are reading it, the look inside the mind of someone who is genuinely insane leaves the reader with goosebumps. The twists and turns do not follow a logical or expected path so the you are constantly left on the edge of your seat, feeling the anxiety from the characters just wondering what else is going to happen and when.
This book is hard to rate because while the writing style is not one I usually enjoy, although I do feel like it was intentional to create that chaotic and creepy feeling, it still took away from some of the enjoyment because there wasn't a lot of "flow" to the story and unfortunately there were quite a few major plot holes that I couldn't get out of my head. All writers take artistic liberties when writing fiction, I am not a reader that feels like absolutely everything has to be 100% realistic, however, there is a line that sometimes gets crossed where it just feels silly, and unfortunately this book crossed that line a few times.
However, this book did leave me feeling very unsettled and the fact that Colleen Hoover continues to pull those feelings out of me just from words on a page is very impressive to me. I think the entire book being such a chaotic read gave me trust issues because I was expecting something awful and a huge twist to happen right up until the last word and I ended up re-reading the last chapter a few times wondering if I missed some sort of hidden "easter egg".
This book was a different read than other Colleen Hoover books. In the introduction to the book she states that she never actually meant to release this book, she just started writing the chapters initially as a way to blow of steam in between writing her other books. She ended up posting some chapters online and people loved it so much she ended up releasing the whole book.
For that reason, this definitely does not read like one of Colleen Hoovers "regular" books, the writing style is extremely different and not as "mature". The chapters are all quite short and the plot felt choppy, whether this was intentional or not, for me it just added to the chaos that is this entire book. I do find that there were times where it tried a little too hard to be "edgy" and came off a little cringey. Every time you think you know what is going to happen or you think the conflict is over, or you think it can't get any more twist...it just keeps going, and going and going. To the point where I think it could have ended around halfway through.
What does stick with her normal style is the dual POV between the two main characters, she also includes a third POV in this book, which is from the "villain". I enjoyed having this particular POV, it again really adds to the entire feel of the book and makes it even creepier to read. However, this is the POV that does come across with a lot of cringe factor at certain times.
If you enjoyed Verity by Colleen Hoover than I would recommend giving this book a try as well, it gives you a similar overall unsettling feeling while you are reading it, the look inside the mind of someone who is genuinely insane leaves the reader with goosebumps. The twists and turns do not follow a logical or expected path so the you are constantly left on the edge of your seat, feeling the anxiety from the characters just wondering what else is going to happen and when.
This book is hard to rate because while the writing style is not one I usually enjoy, although I do feel like it was intentional to create that chaotic and creepy feeling, it still took away from some of the enjoyment because there wasn't a lot of "flow" to the story and unfortunately there were quite a few major plot holes that I couldn't get out of my head. All writers take artistic liberties when writing fiction, I am not a reader that feels like absolutely everything has to be 100% realistic, however, there is a line that sometimes gets crossed where it just feels silly, and unfortunately this book crossed that line a few times.
However, this book did leave me feeling very unsettled and the fact that Colleen Hoover continues to pull those feelings out of me just from words on a page is very impressive to me. I think the entire book being such a chaotic read gave me trust issues because I was expecting something awful and a huge twist to happen right up until the last word and I ended up re-reading the last chapter a few times wondering if I missed some sort of hidden "easter egg".
llc'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
bernie_santos's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
dvrubinoxo's review
5.0
I was obsessed with this book. I basically read it in one sitting I couldn’t put it down. It feels wrong to like a book that’s so fucked up and I didn’t like the multiple endings, but would absolutely read again, in reality a favorite.
christinabooktreasures's review against another edition
5.0
Finished this one for the second time. Listening to it with my husband this time. I love it just as much as the first time and hubs enjoyed it too!
Asa is the villain you love to hate. Perfectly written, this one yanks your emotions around like a ping pong. Possibly my favorite book by COHO
Asa is the villain you love to hate. Perfectly written, this one yanks your emotions around like a ping pong. Possibly my favorite book by COHO
xcrfx's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
4.75
aveo44's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5