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nikrib'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
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!
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
gemgem8's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Murder, Chronic illness, Abortion, Child death, and Death
Minor: Mental illness, Vomit, Blood, Chronic illness, Car accident, Child abuse, and Grief
matiiiiiilde's review against another edition
2.0
Graphic: Abortion, Pregnancy, Child death, Grief, Death, Medical content, Self harm, and Toxic relationship
emminkirjakasa's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.5
Jos haluat kirjan, joka onnistuu yllättämään, niin voin suositella kirjaa. Nyt jään odottamaan, että loput kirjakerhosta saa tämän loppuun ja pääsen keskustelemaan kaikesta! 👀
🇬🇧 Colleen Hoover knows how to write a book you can not put down. You will understand the popularity of this book when you finish the book. I guessed some of the events in the book, but this still left me wondering when the book ended.
If you want a book that manages to surprise you, I can recommend the book. Now I'll wait for the rest of the book club to finish this and so I can talk about everything! 👀
Graphic: Death, Child death, Gaslighting, Violence, Grief, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Murder, and Child abuse
Moderate: Car accident, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, and Miscarriage
Minor: Cancer
bbrandao's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Sexual content, Child death, and Grief
Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Car accident
l_piller's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Gaslighting, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic relationship, Grief, Child death, Infidelity, Death, and Sexual content
ks75'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? Yes
4.25
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
maysreadingnook_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
The first line had me hooked from the beginning and it only went downhill from there. Lowen Ashleigh is an author who keeps to herself, but her life quickly takes a turn when she is offered an opportunity to write the rest of Verity Crawfords series. Moving into Verity’s home where her husband, Jeremy, and five-year-old son, Crew, live alongside her, Lowen begins to unravel a mind-twisting manuscript left behind by Verity.
The events leading up to the end of the book had me shaking. One moment I was thinking Verity is a horrible human being, the next I thought Lowen was a little dark herself and then thinking Jeremy was not the man he was putting out to be. I was thinking of so many theories with each new chapter revealing more and more about the horrific life the Crawfords had endured and how it was portrayed from Verity’s point of view.
Reading the last chapter I literally dropped my iPad, stared up at the ceiling trying to wrap my head around what just happened. I am left with confusion and mind-boggling thoughts on who is the real victim in this story and who is telling the truth?
I am leaning towards team Manuscript but like... ah.
Graphic: Murder and Child death
Moderate: Grief
rhgrimes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Graphic: Grief, Sexual content, Child abuse, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, Violence, and Murder
skb163'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child death and Murder
Moderate: Grief, Abortion, Sexual content, and Pregnancy
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Medical trauma