Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Verity by Colleen Hoover

510 reviews

nikrib's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• 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

Zero stars. I’m not on the hate train for CH. If this type of writing engages more people in reading books then so be it & good for them, everyone should read more. However, this is where CH & I go our separate ways. I read ‘It Ends With Us’, ‘It Starts With Us’, & now ‘Verity’. At least I can say I tried. Again, not on the hate train but I will give my spiel. 

CH books read like a high school project & an aspiring author. Where is the depth to these narratives? Why are the plots always good in theory but then the execution falls terribly flat? These books aggravate me, yearning for even an ounce dynamic character development. Why over saturate the narratives with numerous sex scenes? Are all CH books smut? ‘Verity’ was suppose to be a thriller? Perhaps this book read as a thriller to those who aren’t avid thriller fans. 

Other reviews mention that this book had great twists. What twists? This narrative was predictable & severely underwhelming. It seems the positive reviews stem from readers who are shocked of the subject matter & let that hang over them for the entirety of the book. Just because an author writes controversial topics does not make the narrative automatically shine. Where is the world building to immerse readers? Where is the sufficient depth of themes & motifs? Where are the relatable characters or even likable characters? 

I found myself flipping back & forth in the book due to the plot holes, contradictory writing, poor descriptive language, & plot jumping. This book was by no means difficult to read, it reads like a YA, which is how the other two CH books I read also are. 

Lastly, the endings to these books. I’ve never shut the back cover of a book & then wanted to re-read the last chapter again & again to ensure I did in fact not miss anything. Why are the endings so unfulfilling? There are far better ways to weave in traumatic experiences into a narrative where the reader feels empowered by the end to seek help or finally fix/leave a situation, but instead we’re left gripping the pages & shaking the book in frustration. What on earth is the moral of the story with all this problematic misogynistic female to male relationship dynamic? 

If you read CH books like a campfire story instead of a novel, all is well. If you’re reading this review & are a fan of CH, more power to you & I’m genuinely glad you enjoy the books. I gave it a go & will be returning to my Stephen King TBR pile. Cheers!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Grief, Self harm, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Car accident, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, and Sexism

mdilip's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Death, Sexual content, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, and Gore

ks75's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad 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

4.25

Did not see that ending coming at all!!!!!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Abortion, Blood, Child abuse, Murder, Child death, Body shaming, Death, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, and Sexual content

thewizardem's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? Yes

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Blood, Murder, Death, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Body shaming, and Grief

Moderate: Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, and Self harm

aimeefranks's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Death, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Child death, Death of parent, Medical content, Violence, Dementia, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Confinement, Murder, Abortion, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Pregnancy

gracielou2000's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Medical content, Pregnancy, Car accident, Child abuse, Death, Medical trauma, Murder, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Abortion, Child death, Blood, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Minor: Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Rape, and Gaslighting

butcherlibrary's review against another edition

dark 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? Yes

0.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Terminal illness, Abortion, Blood, Cancer, Suicide attempt, Car accident, Death, Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Child death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, and Sexual content

correnalyssa's review against another edition

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? It's complicated

4.75

Wow, I haven't been this determined to finish a book due to the mystery behind its characters in a long while. Gripping and excellent shock value. Really well written with great suspense, and a fabulous twist. I only wish the ending had been extended more for plot value! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Abortion, and Blood

samantha914's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Blood, Vomit, Sexual content, and Murder

Minor: Car accident, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Pregnancy, and Child abuse

caitsreadingcorner's review against another edition

dark tense

• 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

1.0

Honestly one of the worst books I’ve ever read but pure insanity and intrigue prevented me from DNF-ing this one. After the crazy, implausible cliffhanger twist at the end I wish I wouldn’t have wasted my time. The best way I can describe this book is uncomfortable. I wasn’t captivated by any of the storytelling, I felt no connection to the characters and I am honestly concerned a plot such as this was even constructed. 100% do not understand the hype around this book. Yes, there is spice but it’s very awkward and poorly written in my opinion. I get that this book is intended to be disturbing and graphic but it lacks sustenance and fell incredibly flat.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Sexual content