Scan barcode
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
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
kaylahcc'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
3.5
Graphic: Sexual content, Murder, Abortion, Toxic relationship, Child death, Child abuse, and Car accident
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Cancer and Death of parent
mdilip's review against another edition
- 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
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
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
breezy17's review against another edition
1.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Car accident, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Chronic illness, Sexual content, Vomit, Abortion, Body shaming, Violence, and Pregnancy
tabby09's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Medical content, Child death, and Child abuse
Moderate: Death of parent and Car accident
Drowning, attempted abortion, attempted infant murderdaytonhaugen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Verity- @colleenhoover
Thriller
314 Pages
My fav line in book •
“But there is no light where we’re going. This is your final warning.
Darkness ahead.”
Or
“I can’t have him in real life, but I can learn what he’s like in bed to aid in all my fantasies I’m probably going to have about him.”
My Review •
Slow burn…but in a thriller. Like this was intense, and gave the feeling of someone watching you behind your shoulder. Just a general uncomfortably reading the book the entire time. Something was just off, or wrong, and I fucking LOVED it.
CHAPTER 5 OF THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY MADE ME SKIN CRAWL. Being a parent I could not imagine being in that sort of headspace and being able to do that. What an upsetting chapter to read wow.
Page 268. Wow. First time in the book I genuinely had to pick my jaw up as I was reading with my mouth open completely shocked. The rest of the book has been devastating, eerie, haunting, and horribly sad…but this was evil.
Page 292. the absolute GASP that left my mouth. This book is only becoming more and more unhinged. I mean 291 was unhinged…but a single sentence on page 292 had me SHOOK.
Hahahaha what…I’m sorry WHAT? So I finished the book. And I am absolutely and utterly confused ( in the best way ) I really thought I knew how this was going to end. It felt like the entire book was pointing towards one ending. I got half of it right…but that’s the obvious part of the ending. The other half was beyond unpredictable and let me tell you…this is an exhilarating thriller. This is my first Colleen Hoover book..and will not be my last. I am easily rating this 5/5⭐️ this was a clusterfuck of “what’s real”. I also read this while working an overnight shift…so overnight loopy brain + a book where it’s hard to tell what reality = AMAZING thriller.
My Rating •
5/5⭐️
2/5🌶️
3/5🩸 ( some big triggers so check TW’s, but no gore )
Graphic: Car accident, Child death, Miscarriage, Child abuse, and Chronic illness
journeying_homeward'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
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Car accident, and Miscarriage