The moment I discovered myself spontaneously theorising about an alternative ending to this novel, I knew this novel had left a mark on me.
For weeks, I was in a reading slump. I struggled to read books, both educational and recreational and I strongly believe this was caused by a novel that I still haven't finished reading. A few days ago, I decided to download a few books that were recommended to me a while back and just like that, I was gracefully dragged out of the reading slump. How I love good book recommendations.
About The Book
The book Verity by Colleen Hoover is a psychological thriller and suspense novel published in 2019. Despite spanning only 431 pages, this book is undoubtedly one of the most exceptionally concise novels I've had the pleasure of reading.
Lowen Ashleigh, a writer struggling to stay afloat, receives an offer to complete the remaining books in a successful series by a renowned but irreversibly injured author–Verity Crawford.
Lowen arrives at Verity's home to carry out the necessary research for the novels. Here, she reunites with Verity’s husband, Jeremy Crawford, and discovers a very disturbing manuscript that reveals Verity's darkest secrets.
My Opinion
This suspense novel was a really engaging one. The plot twist was absolutely jarring, leaving me with so many questions. Questions that had obvious and very visible answers. From the very first paragraph of this novel to the last, every word, every sentence complimented each other.
I have a thing for novels with dramatic and intriguing introductions and Verity was an example of such novels. The ripple effect phenomenon was present in this novel but very subtle. Right from the time when a young man walked up to a traumatised Lowen to the time when Lowen and this young man became a couple, the phenomenon just kept unfolding. This just went on to show how one little and very unexpected encounter or experience can change a person's life forever.
The characters in this novel were multidimensional and complex to an extent. Take Lowen Ashleigh for instance. Her relatability and vulnerability made her an excellent protagonist. Verity Crawford–the renowned author–on the other hand took readers on an entirely different course. Her obscure presence just went on to blur the lines between what was true and what was fictional. Who would have thought an injured author could play such an intricate part in a novel when all she did was eat and sleep?
One aspect that stood out for me while reading the novel was the skillful character development by the author. My first thought when I saw the number of pages in this novel was that the story would be an overly rushed one and with most rushed novels comes poor character development. While still steering the course of the plot, readers were introduced to important parts and experiences in the characters' lives. Experiences that moulded them. This made understanding the characters and their actions way easier.
The act of fauxing was one very prominent theme in this novel. Characters seemed to be two sided and almost everyone seemed to have ulterior motives.
Another aspect that stood out for me was the smooth transitions between the occurrences in the manuscript and those that were occurring in the present. The intermittent transitions were as smooth as butter but at some point the storyline seemed to focus more on the transcripts and less on Lowen's experience and how she was able to match a renowned author’s writing energy.
Asides from the seamless transitions, the emotional descriptions throughout weren't just vivid but remarkably insightful and engaging.
However, for a brief moment, I felt this novel ended too suddenly. When I approached the end of the novel, I was expecting a sudden twist that would create more yearning but there was nothing. I guess that's why the sequel was created; a sequel that I haven't been able to get my hands on till date. If the novel was left this way, I would have argued that this novel had an unbelievably happy ending.
Recommendation
In general, this was a really engaging novel. A novel ideal for fans of psychological thrillers. I would gladly give the novel a 4.7/ 5 rating. However, if you're a reader who is sensitive to graphic content, proceed with caution.
screenshots were taken from my e-library
Liebe🤍
I really liked Verity. For someone who's not really a fan of her other works, she outdid herself in this one. Lowen on her own had audacity. When you begin to notice the weird vibe from Verity, won't you run away? Okay, you killed her, we accept. It's fiction, I know. But what if her soul is crazier that her body was and it comes haunting you?😂
Lowen's audacity is the one I cannot fathom! 😂. She went too far. From the first troubling look from Verity or even the time Crew said his mom talks to him, I would have been out of the house. Moreover, this manuscript could have been read anywhere😄
I have never read books by this author, although I see her name come up frequently. Would this be a good one to start with?
Sending you an Ecency curation vote
This would be an excellent one to begin with.
I hope you like it:)
I haven’t read any Colleen books, although I have a lot in my library, lol.
I have been seen verity ‘everywhere’ but I don’t think I will be reading it soon, because when a book is hyped, I don’t tend to enjoy it.
Actually, the book I thought on starting this week is “Without Merit” by Colleen, I wanted to give the author book a try.
Nice review !
This is the second book I've read from Colleen and I can't really complain. Both books were good but I'm in my author exploring phase so I can't exactly stick with any one.
But verity was definitely a good read. You should check it out soon😊
I really liked Verity. I preferred it to it ends with us a lot. I couldn't even read the book 2 of it ends with us cause it irked me out at one point but I enjoyed Verity. It should be the best book I've ever read by Colleen. All her books tend to annoy me and I'd not complete it, I don't know why. I'm not following the crowd to hate on her or anything but her books don't just hit.
Me contemplating whether or not to delete the "it ends with us" I just downloaded😂. I do not want to fall into another reading slump.
I don't want to serve as a negative influence. I suggest you read it and see for yourself. It might just be different for you.😉
I've seen this book around being reviewed. I don't know why I am not sold with Coleen Hoover yet but you know, maybe I'll eventually give it a try one more time 😆
This is one of the good ones from Coleen Hoover. It would be an interesting read 😊
The novel that has a plot twist and is suspenseful is very interesting. From the cover alone it looks suspenseful.
It is also a really nice novel and you can give it a try.
The way you mention the play between fact and fiction through Verity is fascinating; it definitely adds an extra layer of intrigue. It's also interesting that, despite being a short book, you manage to develop the characters so much. I will definitely add it to my list!