Scan barcode
A review by cora_hreads
Verity by Colleen Hoover
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
3.0
Verity, in my opinion, is not the introduction to Colleen Hoover that you'd want. In her acknowledgements, she states that it's a break from her usual romances, so I'd recommend picking up Verity after you've read more of her other books.
All that being said, I have mixed feelings about this book. It was tense, as a thriller should be, but some other aspects of it were... questionable. Towards the thick of the book I was uncomfortable with the current scene -- while it was vivid and would usually appeal to me, it just didn't sit right. If you read Verity, you'll know why. I also think that there was an odd mix of character-driven and plot-driven points that didn't always connect towards the end, especially between the manuscript excerpts and Lowen's story. Having the different viewpoints was a brilliant idea, especially for the thriller aspect, but I wish that the plot twist was right at the end of the book, and that the tension and fear that Lowen has was more relaxed and had been released later. Additionally, Lowen's manager's story was never resolved, unless you count what she'd said at the beginning. I wish he hadn't been included -- I forgot him entirely until Jeremy and Lowen had a discussion about past relationships, and even then his mention was brief.
Overall, I'm not sure about my opinion on this book because of how off-kilter it was, and I'd have to think for a while on my reasons why Verity has made me think so much about how to think about it. At the moment, I give Verity 3 stars flat -- good, as Hoover has an incredible style of prose that blends visuals and beauty with realistic situations, but not great due to all the very subtle clues that Hoover left as the book went on.
All that being said, I have mixed feelings about this book. It was tense, as a thriller should be, but some other aspects of it were... questionable. Towards the thick of the book I was uncomfortable with the current scene -- while it was vivid and would usually appeal to me, it just didn't sit right. If you read Verity, you'll know why. I also think that there was an odd mix of character-driven and plot-driven points that didn't always connect towards the end, especially between the manuscript excerpts and Lowen's story. Having the different viewpoints was a brilliant idea, especially for the thriller aspect, but I wish that the plot twist was right at the end of the book, and that the tension and fear that Lowen has was more relaxed and had been released later. Additionally, Lowen's manager's story was never resolved, unless you count what she'd said at the beginning. I wish he hadn't been included -- I forgot him entirely until Jeremy and Lowen had a discussion about past relationships, and even then his mention was brief.
Overall, I'm not sure about my opinion on this book because of how off-kilter it was, and I'd have to think for a while on my reasons why Verity has made me think so much about how to think about it. At the moment, I give Verity 3 stars flat -- good, as Hoover has an incredible style of prose that blends visuals and beauty with realistic situations, but not great due to all the very subtle clues that Hoover left as the book went on.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Pregnancy, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Abortion, Car accident, Gore, Toxic relationship, and Murder