Verity

Colleen Hoover’s Verity is precisely the type of thriller that often reminds you why people prefer to keep a specific type of fiction in their shelves. Uncomfortable, emotional, quick and totally impossible to ignore. I read this book with skepticism, having heard praises and criticisms equally. Such books in my experience usually end up being exhausting or brilliant. The truth in this case lies somewhere in the middle and that is what makes it interesting to discuss. The novel quickly pulls you in with Lowen seeing a ghastly accident on the streets of Manhattan. It is graphic, shocking and oddly factual simultaneously. Thereafter, the story leaps quickly into a life-changing experience where Lowen gets an opportunity to ghostwrite for the renowned writer: Verity Crawford. Even before the actual mystery sets in, everything seems a little of as soon as Lowen enters the Crawford’s world.

Pacing is one important aspect that I must give Hoover credit for. This book is fast-moving and not likely to let the reader relax. The tension grows continuously, chapters are not long and there’s always one more secret to reveal. It has the addictiveness of letting you read a few pages and realizing that you need to go a little further. That momentum makes you keep reading even with extreme plot twists. Being an author myself, I know that such readability is not easy to compose, and I figured that it is one reason that made this book successful. The book also has good setting. The isolated house, the bereaved husband, wounded wife and Lowen’s desperation build intensity from the get-go. You know that something is not right before the story tells you what it is.

Similarly, the same things that make Verity entertaining also prevent it from feeling genuinely great. The characters are very dramatic, rather than realistic. Though I was engaged throughout, I was often unsure of what the characters were doing. Another thing that readers ought to understand is that this book becomes darker than expected. Some sections are upsetting especially those about children and marriage. Also, Jeremy and Lowen’s love story spice up the story, yet it sometimes seems to be over-the-top. The book is more intense than subtle, which makes it unrealistic but thrilling to reads.

The ending is where readers are most likely to disagree. I was glad that the book did not offer a simple answer, but I can see why some people are frustrated with the final twist. The final section compels you to question all that you have read, and this is clever, but it leaves you wondering about the story’s thought-process and whether it was written simply to shock the reader. I liked the ending’s boldness despite feeling unsure if it fits perfectly. This is one of those thrillers than leaves you thinking after you’re done, and that is not bad to me.

All in all, this is a 4 out of 5 stars book. It is neither subtle nor perfect, but it does precisely what every popular fiction is meant to do. It makes you read; makes you guess and leaves you with much to discuss after reading it. It is the ideal pick for people who enjoy psychological thrillers that have messy characters, are tension-driven and contain surprising twists. This will be too dramatic if you like more realistic and quieter books. Nonetheless, it is easy to read and would make you question a lot of things afterwards.