Colleen Hoover has enthralled audiences over and over again by spinning reality into gut wrenching traumas meant to tug on the heartstrings of readers everywhere. Nearing almost a million copies sold, BookTok sensation, “Verity,” has captivated the nation by the thousands as Hoover continues to bring on the waterworks and unpredictable plot twists in this psychological romance thriller. 

Anyone who considers themselves to be a reader either sings the praises of Hoover or dismisses her as overrated and overhyped. Being a reader myself, I typically gravitate towards her books. I read novels almost as one would breathe air. They consume me and fill my body and mind with worlds and realms, people both good and evil and realities so much like and dislike my own. “Verity” highlights the absolute monster within someone and shows that they live among us, hidden in plain sight, with families who love them and jobs that value them. It shows that even those who are well loved and cherished can do horrific things and those closest to them may not know the extent of their true sanity.

The book “Verity” is about author Verity Crawford, widely known for her nine book thriller series, who was recently in an accident after the loss of two of her three children. She is now in a comatose state thus rendering her unable to finish writing the last three novels in her series as only six of them are currently published. Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling suspense author who was called upon by Verity’s attractive husband, Jeremy, to finish Verity’s books. After careful deliberation, and a heavy paycheck settlement, Lowen agrees to continue Verity’s work and moves into the family’s mansion to go through Verity’s notes. Shortly after arriving, Lowen feels extremely unsettled by the comatose Verity, her attractive husband, and the couple’s only living child, Crew. The longer she stays the more she becomes aware of the family’s history including what really happened to the Crawford’s twin daughters, how Verity may have really got injured, and who Jeremy Crawford might be outside of his role as a wonderful father and dutiful husband.

While Lowen is going through Verity’s notes in her office, she stumbles upon a manuscript that seems to be written as an autobiography of Verity’s life. She is unsure if she should read it or if she was meant to find it but ultimately decides that it would help her get into Verity’s mindset better and would help her write the remaining books in the series. The book is narrated through Lowen’s perspective with intermissions of Verity’s past as conveyed through her manuscript. 

As the book continues, the reader begins to question the sanity of the family as well as ponder who’s mad and who’s sane. Verity herself claims to commit unforgivable acts throughout her autobiography and at the end  a new piece of information comes to light that makes the reader question if Verity really is a victim and how much information Jeremy really let on. As she reads the manuscript and dives into the world of Verity’s novels and home life, Lowen experiences a shift in her character and thinking as well as she develops a mindset a lot like Verity’s but with her own values and beliefs. The book continues to have plot twists around every corner and adds just the right amount of spice and romance to keep a reader, like myself, entranced and on the edge of my seat.

I thought this book was excellent. I gave it four out of five stars simply because I didn’t like how it was left open ended and how many questions I had remaining after finishing the novel. In theory, having remaining questions and ending the story in an interpretive way is nice because it allows fans to discuss the conclusions that they have in regards to the characters and the future but, as someone who prefers complete closure within their stories, I would’ve liked a more fulfilling ending. The beginning captures readers right away as it opens with a rather graphic scene and has enough suspense and romance to keep readers up at night. Overall, I highly recommend this book. I was unable to put it down, finishing it in just three short hours. It was an exhilarating experience and a novel I won’t soon forget.