Verity was a flash in a pan of a book. I picked it up as a part of a deal after someone DMed me saying that it was amazing! The book was described to me as “mind-blowing” and “you’ll love it” and for the first 95% of the book I was thinking it was good and tense but a bit predictable and then literally the last 5% had me shooketh.
Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means that if you choose to purchase any products via the links below, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you which supports the blog. These affiliate links do not affect my final opinion of the product.
Verity focuses on the life of Lowen Ashleigh, a young writer living in New York City struggling for money and not really living the life she envisioned. One day she bumps into a man who will change her life forever in more ways than one.
Verity plot – 4.5/5
The first line, well the whole first chapter really, draws you in with a big shock – it drops you straight in and instantly introduces you to the other protagonist in the story. It’s a first chapter that would easily grab almost any book reader.
The rest of the book then keeps you gripped for as long as it can until you start to guess what’s coming at every turn. There’s a feeling of “well yeah, obviously that was going to happen” for the final third or so of the book. However, without spoiling too much, you should definitely keep reading!
Lowen is essentially asked to write the rest of a book series for an incredibly famous author and her husband asks if she would come to stay at their house for a while to study her notes so she has a better understanding of how to finish the final three books.
I would say Verity isn’t the best-written book but then that’s not what Colleen Hoover’s best quality is. Her best quality is writing incredibly engaging stories that keep you gripped and guessing throughout the rest of the pages. And she’s done exactly that here with Verity – a book where you’ll constantly feel a little spooked out and want to know what’s coming next.
And if you don’t find yourself enjoying it, it’s one of the shorter books I’ve ever read – I finished it in one day – so you won’t have long before you can finish it and get to your next.
Verity characters – 4/5
In my review of It Ends With Us I wrote about how Hoover wrote some fantastic characters in that. With Verity, she’s once again written some very believable and raw characters. There are moments where you feel genuinely scared because of a certain character’s personality traits, there are others who make you want to vouch for them.
Lowen herself, the main protagonist, was very likeable. She was nervous and suspicious but not afraid to speak her mind. There was none of this pussy-footing around things because it allows the story to be dragged out – as soon as she wanted to say something, she’d express it.
Crawford, our other main protagonist is slightly less exciting. He’s someone who has been incredibly hurt by the events of his past and this results in him being quite quiet and reserved. I’ll admit, I found him quite boring at first but there was an element of “mystery” around him so I gave him a chance. Luckily he grows on you.
Verity by Colleen Hoover overall summary – 4/5
Verity by Colleen Hoover was sold to me as one of the best books people had read – “amazing” and “mind-blowing” were some of the terms used on social media when I asked if anyone had read it. I have to say – it’s so hard to review as for the first 95% it was tense but incredibly easy to guess, however, the final 5% completely changes everything you’ve read in the book and I don’t know whether it was a great book as a result or an easy way for Hoover to make a fairly average novel suddenly flip on its head and mean something entirely different.
For some, Verity will blow your minds, for others, it may frustrate you. I sit firmly in the middle. I loved it but I will forever remain confused as to how much I loved it.
