A dark and passionate psychological thriller, ‘Verity’, written by Colleen Hoover, keeps you on the edge from the beginning to the end. Compared to her usual romance novels, this one is full of mystery, suspense, and troubling moments. It’s a story about lies, secrets, and how much people are willing to cover them up.

The protagonist is Lowen Ashleigh–a writer who lacks the inspiration and self-esteem to write, but goes on to complete works of a popular series of books for a famous author, Verity Crawford. Verity was in an accident; she cannot write any more. Verity hires Lowen to read her old notes and outline, hoping she can finish her series.

Lowen comes into the Crawford family household to begin the job. When she gets there, she finds a secret manuscript by Verity, a sort of autobiography that tells some very dark and shocking truths about her life, her marriage, and her children. As Lowen reads more of it, she starts feeling unsafe and confused. Does Verity really suffer from some illness, or is she just pretending? Is Jeremy telling the truth? Who can she trust?

The book is full of tension from the beginning. The creepy house, Verity's silence, and the odd things Lowen keeps finding are all scary. No chapter is without new questions and even more doubt about what is happening in that house.

Lowen is a relatable character. She is unsure of herself, timid, and pursuing the right opportunity. The longer she stays in the house, the further she gets dragged into Verity’s twisted world. She also begins to have a crush on Jeremy, and so it gets even messier.

Despite that, in the story’s present time, Verity speaks very little; her autobiography makes her one of the most unforgettable characters. She writes horrific things—shocking, cruel and incredulous things. How she speaks about her own children and how she’s fixated on Jeremy is creepy. You can’t put it down because it makes you uncomfortable.

Jeremy himself initially appears to be a nice guy–sweet, good-looking, and mourning. But when you get to the story, you begin to ask if he is hiding something, too. That is what makes the book interesting. Nobody is perfect, and nothing is the way it looks.

The house is creepy—quiet, secluded and full of memories. Hoover uses the setting to create a scary and tense mood. You sense as Lowen senses it–someone’s watching, something isn’t right.

The most striking part of the book is the manuscript created by Verity. Hoover inserts it intermittently between chapters of the main story, so readers learn what Lowen is experiencing, and also what Verity said happened in the past. These sections are written in Verity’s voice, conveying how messed up she is—or perhaps how good she is at lying. That’s part of the mystery. Is the manuscript true? Is it a story?

‘Verity’ handles weighty subjects like loss, obsession, jealousy and even child abuse. It isn’t an easy read, and some sections are rather upsetting. However, that’s what makes it powerful. It makes you ponder how men will go to protect themselves, or to get what they want.

The last part of the book is among the most discussed. Without any spoilers, it leaves you with a big question: What is the truth? Hoover doesn’t give you a straightforward answer. She allows readers to decide what they want to believe. Some people enjoy this type of ending, and others hate it. Either way, it makes the story come with you after you are done reading it.

The tone of Hoover’s writing in ‘Verity’ is easy and rapid. She doesn’t use big words and complicated sentences. Rather than concentrating on writing a good story and tugging at the reader’s nerves, she focuses on telling a good story. The suspense starts slowly, but if it gets going, you won’t want to put the book down.

This book is a very different style from Hoover’s typical romance stories, but she shows she’s just as good at writing in a different genre. If you enjoy thriller novels with dark revelations and moody niceties, ‘Verity’ will be your thing. However, you need to prepare for some very intense scenes.

This adventurous and intense novel combines mystery and horror and presents them through emotion. It makes you wonder what is real, whom to trust, and whether it’s possible to change. It’s not a light or feel-good story, but it’s unforgettable. There is no doubt that Colleen Hoover is good at getting into your head.

Verity

Author: Colleen Hoover
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Pages: 336
Year: 2018