Verity... a twisted tale of unanswered questions....

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Verity by Colleen Hoover

We took a little trip to the bookstore today. My little one has developed a thing for Manga, so he heads over to the Crossword any chance he gets. He’s a reader, which is what I always wished for him. But what he reads, is not something I do. Frankly, I don’t even understand half the things he reads. But I guess that’s what makes the world… doesn’t it? We all are different people with different likes and dislikes. What you like, I might despise, and what I enjoy, you might think is trash. Strangely, I’ve seen that the overall reading community… we are very prudish and sometimes, downright judgemental about other people’s reading choices. And nothing proves that better than the book we are discussing today.

Verity was released in 2018. I read it in 2022. When I decided to give this a try, it was being hyped in all reading groups I was a part of at the time. And people were all over the place about it. Some were singing praises, some harsh critics. Reviews were poles apart… some claimed they loved it… some say it is the worst Colleen Hoover novel there is. The only common thing was.. that most people finished it in one sitting. So when heaven and hell show up on the same page in the reviews section on Goodreads, you know you hit the jackpot.

Now Colleen is typically lauded for her romance and women’s fiction books. I’ve not personally read it, but most reviews for other books say she writes tearjerkers… That’s why my curiosity was piqued when reviews for Verity didn’t match up with her other work. The point is… if you’ve never read any of Colleen’s books, you would probably be better suited to read Verity. But be warned, Verity isn’t a book for everyone. Exactly like all the reviews say.

 

Verity is story of Lowen Ashleigh. She’s a struggling writer who is finding how harsh author’s life is. Lack of work and dwindling income source is causing hardships. For the lack of a better word, she’s on the verge of financial ruin. Just when she is thinking life can’t get worse, she is contacted by Jeremy Crowford. He is married to Verity Crowford. A successful author, who had met a horrible accident that has left her catatonic, unable to finish her series of books. Lowen is contracted by Jeremy to complete his wife’s work, on the premises by sorting through her prep work and notes in her office. It seems like a wonderful opportunity for Lowen, who’s pretty much homeless.

With Lowen, we enter the house of the famous and successful Verity Crowford. She has been in the middle of a very successful novel series. Unfortunately, she’s suffered some rather drastic events and has been catatonic. Hence unable to complete the series. The house is a beautiful big oasis. And Lowen is more than delighted to be able to work the series. While she’s going through notes in Verity’s office, she stumbles upon a manuscript for Verity’s autobiography. Like any red-blooded woman, she’s curious to know more about the elusive author and reads the manuscript. What she ends up reading is not what she expected to read. Not even in her wildest dreams. There’s pages and pages of all sorts of confessions. And none of them are comfortable. None are easy to read and digest. Lowen feels that she can’t share this with Jeremy. Who she has developed feelings for. As days go by, things between Jeremy and Lowen intensify, and so does the contents of the manuscript. Lowen’s reading through manuscript changes her feelings towards Verity and fuels her feelings for Jeremy. Some revelations in the manuscript would prove devastating for Jeremy. Especially about the death of their daughter.

What follows in the pages of the novel keeps you engaged as a reader. Even while you are feeling uneasy. As a mother, I couldn’t reconcile what I was reading. I was upset, uncomfortable and even cringed at times with what I was reading. But couldn’t look away. Like one of those scenes of accidents that people just can’t stop staring at while feeling nauseous.  It became clear and clearer to me why the world was divided on the topic of liking Verity. It’s a deeply twisted book. While the narrative is fast n gripping and engaging… the twists at the end of the novel are equally engaging and riveting. It’s a good fast paced, kinda thrilling kinda chilling novel that makes you FEEL. However, WHAT it makes you feel is completely personal.

 

The novel at the end of it all, makes you question.... Question your moral judgements, question your understanding, question human nature.... Through the narrative it kept me wanting the manuscript to be false... When it ended, I wasn't sure if I still wished that...

Verity is a book that makes your head spin, and even when it ends, it lingers on… I guess, if you don’t want to read it for sensational nature, read it for the sake of reading something that stirs emotions and stays with you for a long time.