The moment I discovered myself spontaneously theorising about an alternative ending to this novel, I knew this novel had left a mark on me.
For weeks, I was in a reading slump. I struggled to read books, both educational and recreational and I strongly believe this was caused by a novel that I still haven't finished reading. A few days ago, I decided to download a few books that were recommended to me a while back and just like that, I was gracefully dragged out of the reading slump. How I love good book recommendations.
The book Verity by Colleen Hoover is a psychological thriller and suspense novel published in 2019. Despite spanning only 431 pages, this book is undoubtedly one of the most exceptionally concise novels I've had the pleasure of reading.
Lowen Ashleigh, a writer struggling to stay afloat, receives an offer to complete the remaining books in a successful series by a renowned but irreversibly injured author鈥揤erity Crawford.
Lowen arrives at Verity's home to carry out the necessary research for the novels. Here, she reunites with Verity鈥檚 husband, Jeremy Crawford, and discovers a very disturbing manuscript that reveals Verity's darkest secrets.
This suspense novel was a really engaging one. The plot twist was absolutely jarring, leaving me with so many questions. Questions that had obvious and very visible answers. From the very first paragraph of this novel to the last, every word, every sentence complimented each other.
I have a thing for novels with dramatic and intriguing introductions and Verity was an example of such novels. The ripple effect phenomenon was present in this novel but very subtle. Right from the time when a young man walked up to a traumatised Lowen to the time when Lowen and this young man became a couple, the phenomenon just kept unfolding. This just went on to show how one little and very unexpected encounter or experience can change a person's life forever.
The characters in this novel were multidimensional and complex to an extent. Take Lowen Ashleigh for instance. Her relatability and vulnerability made her an excellent protagonist. Verity Crawford鈥搕he renowned author鈥搊n the other hand took readers on an entirely different course. Her obscure presence just went on to blur the lines between what was true and what was fictional. Who would have thought an injured author could play such an intricate part in a novel when all she did was eat and sleep?
One aspect that stood out for me while reading the novel was the skillful character development by the author. My first thought when I saw the number of pages in this novel was that the story would be an overly rushed one and with most rushed novels comes poor character development. While still steering the course of the plot, readers were introduced to important parts and experiences in the characters' lives. Experiences that moulded them. This made understanding the characters and their actions way easier.
The act of fauxing was one very prominent theme in this novel. Characters seemed to be two sided and almost everyone seemed to have ulterior motives.
Another aspect that stood out for me was the smooth transitions between the occurrences in the manuscript and those that were occurring in the present. The intermittent transitions were as smooth as butter but at some point the storyline seemed to focus more on the transcripts and less on Lowen's experience and how she was able to match a renowned author鈥檚 writing energy.
Asides from the seamless transitions, the emotional descriptions throughout weren't just vivid but remarkably insightful and engaging.
However, for a brief moment, I felt this novel ended too suddenly. When I approached the end of the novel, I was expecting a sudden twist that would create more yearning but there was nothing. I guess that's why the sequel was created; a sequel that I haven't been able to get my hands on till date. If the novel was left this way, I would have argued that this novel had an unbelievably happy ending.
In general, this was a really engaging novel. A novel ideal for fans of psychological thrillers. I would gladly give the novel a 4.7/ 5 rating. However, if you're a reader who is sensitive to graphic content, proceed with caution.
screenshots were taken from my e-library
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