Book Review: Verity by Colleen Hoover

‘Verity’ by Colleen Hoover was published in 2018 and is a domestic thriller which follows Lowen, a writer on the verge of financial ruin after moving into an apartment out of her budget to offer her mother with dignity whilst also providing end of life care, but then receives a job offer she can’t turn down – as a ghostwriter for esteemed author Verity Crawford!

Upon accepting the contract, she learns from Verity’s gorgeous husband, Jeremy that the Crawford family is prone to misfortune. Within months his twin daughters, Chastin and Harper died in unrelated accidents and then Verity found herself in a car wreck that left her incapable of finishing her exhilarating series of novels, all written from a hard to implement, immersive, morally grey perspective.

Lowen moves into a guest room in the Crawford house, living alongside the bed-ridden Verity, her carers, her son Crew, and of course, Jeremy. While living there, she is allowed free reign of Verity’s notes and instead stumbles upon a manuscript she was never supposed to find, an autobiography in Verity’s hand, offering a new insight into what had actually happened in the lead-up to her accident.

As Lowen, and Jeremy grow closer, she becomes engrossed in the story Verity never wanted anyone to read.

I really enjoyed the eerie and creepy atmosphere of ‘Verity’, and found myself on the edge of my seat as I demolished the latter end of the book. It was disturbing on so many levels and immensely off-putting. Hoover did an amazing job of keeping my attention.

The themes of obsession and possession were really exciting to see through an outsider’s perspective, especially as the manuscript calls to Lowen and she finds herself growing more disturbed and thus more obligated to read. She justifies her feelings to find out the answers as an obligation to Jeremy, who had just lost his daughters and to Crew, who was grieving for his sisters. It was an exhilarating build-up to what, in my opinion, could have been a better ending.

The ending, in my opinion, was okay. However, I wanted it to have more gravitas and linger with me for a greater stretch of time, like it inevitably would do with the characters involved. I didn’t feel the immersion in the events like I had with previous books, which was somewhat disappointing.

From what I’ve heard from other people who’ve read this book, it appears that ‘Verity’ is a very marmite title and thus I encourage you to give it a go! Even though I wasn’t spellbound by the conclusion, it might just end up being your new favourite book!