Book Review- Verity by Colleen Hoover

“No matter which way I look at it, it’s clear that Verity was a master at manipulating the truth. The only question that remains is: Which truth was she manipulating?”

This was my first encounter with Colleen Hoover. “Verity”, a book that is popularly suggested on many online sites, is now added to my overflowing shelves.

A mind-boggling story that moves toward an artful twist is psychological suspense with a striking ending. It seems that the book shall remain imprinted in my mind… well…at least till the time I read another great nail-biter. It has set a bar in the thriller genre in my reading fling.

The book begins with Lowen, a stumbling writer, who is offered to become a “ghost” writer with Verity Crawford, a top-name author who is currently incapacitated to finish what this popular author started. Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, keen to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. While sorting through Verity’s notes and belongings Lowen makes numerous shocking discoveries. One of those discoveries includes a mysterious manuscript outlining Verity’s life story. This spine-tingling confession-style manuscript outlines all the tragic events that have impacted Verity’s family. And there switches on page after page of bone-chilling admissions and a nightmare-type saga.

“Take care of your physical being. Feed it what it needs, not what the conscience tells you it wants. Giving in to cravings of the mind that ultimately hurt the body is like a weak parent giving in to her child. “Oh, you had a bad day? Do you want an entire box of cookies? Okay, sweetie. Eat it. And drink this soda while you’re at it.” Caring for your body is no different from caring for a child. Sometimes it’s hard, sometimes it sucks, sometimes you just want to give in, but if you do, you’ll pay for the consequences eighteen years down the road.”

All the major characters in the story are flawed and they seem to be dealing with grief and pain in other ways, which makes them more real. The book is fast-paced and includes many pesky descriptions. If you are a more traditional thriller reader and prefer books that are intricately and methodically plotted or more character-driven, books with a well-developed setting, or books with a large cast of characters and a lot of suspects, you may not appreciate Verity. Otherwise, give it a shot and be ready to get yourself surprised.