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ivegotyourpaperback's review against another edition
- 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
2.0
It was terrible.
The end.
Ok, I’ll expand.
I can honestly say I didn’t enjoy this book. The content was a mixture of gratuitous trauma porn (which left me feeling nauseous) and actual porn (don’t get me wrong, I like a spicy book but this was severely discomforting).
I’ll give this to Colleen: she can write a gripping first line/scene to get your attention (at least in this instance - I can’t speak for her other books). The rest of the story was only just compelling enough for me to think “I guess I’ll read another chapter”. This was more because the writing was simple and less to do with each chapter leaving a breadcrumb of information designed to make you feel like you need to binge the story.
The book is full of unbelievable actions/situations, ‘that would never happen’ scenarios, and things that are never explained (New line idea for Shania Twain: “So you’re a sleepwalker? That don’t impress me much.”)
⛔️potential spoilers incoming⛔️
All the characters were either boring or downright unlikable. Lowen is a boring, basic bitch and Verity was portrayed as a pretentious, self important, narcissistic, co dependent, obsessive psychopath. Or to put it bluntly: a self absorbed cunt.
As for some of the more harrowing scenarios, I don’t think they can be explained away by post natal depression/psychosis (though full disclosure, I’m far from an expert on the subject).
This book does nothing to help the pro choice movement. Of course a woman is a villain if she doesn’t want a child/ren or doesn’t immediately bond with her foetus 🙄 don’t get me wrong the heinous actions that follow are inexcusable but the text seems to infer that if you don’t immediately bond with your foetus then you’ll go on to do terrible things. Not true. I swear the pro lifers would have a field day if they read this.
Back to Lowen. Like people before me have pointed out, her thoughts about a disabled woman and her family - thinking she knows better and it would have been better if Verity had died - feel quite ableist.
And the sex scenes. Sweet baby Jesus. The mountains of sex scenes added nothing to the story and got repetitive. I’ll give it to Colleen: she’s the first author I’ve come across to write a book containing sex where none of it is sexy or romantic. Big slow clap for her 👏
There’s a line in the book “reading this is wrong in so many levels” - I would argue that the writing of ‘Verity’ by Hoover was wrong on so many levels. It’s a compelling story. The amount of graphic detail is unnecessary though.
This is a book where I was rewriting it in my head as I went along. And I preferred the version in my head.
Trigger warning for basically everything. Proceed at your own risk:
⚠️mention of cancer
⚠️death of a parent
⚠️death of a child
⚠️mention of miscarriage
⚠️attempted self abortion/filicide/infanticide
⚠️child neglect
⚠️murder
⚠️adultery
Ps: I read the bonus chapter online and GOOD GOD it not only wasn’t needed at all, but contained the most drastic overreaction I’ve ever seen by a character.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Infidelity, and Murder
Minor: Death of parent, Miscarriage, and Cancer
rory_john14's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Child abuse, Cursing, Abortion, Child death, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Grief
Moderate: Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Kidnapping, Ableism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Confinement, and Forced institutionalization
davianareads's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Death of parent, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Violence, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Grief, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Car accident, Child death, Death, Murder, Body horror, and Gaslighting
bmitch21's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I’ve never read a book that made me feel so disgusted and sick to my stomach and made me cry like this. There absolutely should be a trigger warning before the book even starts.
There’s no romance to me in this book. It’s smut, which I’m okay with, while others aren’t.
If you have triggers of child death and abuse, this book is NOT for you.
Graphic: Murder, Toxic relationship, Death, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Vomit, Child abuse, Child death, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, Sexual content, Abortion, Car accident, Body shaming, and Cursing
juliedenn4's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
So so good and coming from a horror movie fanatic, this genuinely scared me
It was disgustingly creepy like I had to put down my book a few times to process but in the best way possible
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Grief, Sexual content, Cursing, Car accident, and Child abuse
hannah_mariee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Medical trauma, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Murder, Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, Gore, Sexual content, Blood, Body shaming, Vomit, Abortion, and Grief
butilikeit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abortion, Death, Sexual content, Child death, Murder, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Infidelity, Death of parent, Violence, Terminal illness, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, and Car accident
siennakt30's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
4.0
Moderate: Violence, Abandonment, Child death, Grief, Car accident, Death, Medical content, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Alcohol, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Cursing, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse
lynini's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Body horror, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Car accident, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Murder, Child death, Chronic illness, and Confinement
0liviamarie's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, Body shaming, Cancer, Car accident, Chronic illness, Death, Eating disorder, Grief, Self harm, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Abortion, Domestic abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Murder, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship