Verity | Colleen Hoover | Book Review | Dark Thriller

 **WARNING: THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS**

Find what you love and let it kill you.

Oh gosh! Where to begin? It felt like Rebecca meets The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. And that is a combination I am up for any day.

Okay let me start by saying that that was dark. Really dark and disturbing. So, if you are someone who is uncomfortable with reading infant harm, child murder or explicitly triggering scenes, then here is a warning for you. Now that said, let’s begin.

The book begins with Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer, heading for a meeting that’ll supposedly lead to a great career opportunity, when she witnesses a tragic accident in which a truck crushes the skull of a man. Lowen is still processing the gruesomeness of the incident when she meets Jeremy, who turns out is headed to the same meeting as her. Lowen gets an offer to finish the last three books in a series written by Verity Crawford. After expressing initial disinterest, Lowen decides to accept the offer. When she gets to Verity’s huge house to research for the novels, she comes across a manuscript titled “Autobiography” by Verity. As she reads it, her entire life is shaken as she discovers the most sinister and disturbing confessions by Verity herself. What does she do now? Does she leave or stay?

Now let’s discuss in detail. The characters. Verity’s character has been so beautifully written, even after finishing the book a day now, it gives me chills to even think about her. I would kill to have a glimpse of what goes on inside that brain of hers. Considering the ending bifurcation into two different versions of the truth, either way Verity would come across as a dangerous psychopath. She definitely brilliant at manipulating people, and being really convincing while at it. If the manuscript version of events is true (which I personally believe in), then she’s a dangerous psychotic murderer capable of God knows what. If the letter version of events is true, even then to imagine and write about the forced abortion and attempted murder of an infant, that being her own daughter is beyond the sane mind and only a person with a deep-rooted psychological disturbance would do that in the name of a "writing exercise". My theory is that Verity used Crew and April as driving wheels the whole time. Crew obviously would do whatever his mom tells him to (there are plenty of instances to prove that). April would accompany her to hospitals so that she was always there with her in case somebody suspects. (This is just my theory)

Jeremy’s character was silently mysterious throughout the book. It occurred to me that he might be related to everything creepy going on in the sinister house, and that he may be manipulating both Verity and Lowen. That proved to be true, but only in one version of the events. But apart from that, I felt that Jeremy’s character served as a bridge between Verity’s world and Lowen’s world, the interconnection. Lowen was great as a narrator. She isn’t completely righteous, but she’s curious, she makes mistakes and feels embarrassed about them. Since it is her through which the readers get to know the entire story, most of the times her confusion about what’s going on resonates with the readers’ minds.

This was my first Colleen Hoover book. The writing felt extremely engaging. The sinister setting helped develop the suspense even further. A big  house, beside a lake, a backyard and creepy things happening. If this isn’t a place for suspense thrillers, I don’t know what is. Definitely read if you are a thriller addict!

My Rating – 5/5

Happy Reading!😇

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