Synopsis:
Verity Crawford is one of the most notable authors of her time. However, she is in an unresponsive state after a tragic car accident, to finish her series she needs a new co-author. Lowen is on the brink of financial run until she is offered the job of a lifetime. Lowen accepts the challenge and moves into her house with her husband Jeremy, however as she dives deeper into Verity's own story one question emerges. What is fiction and what is reality?
'' Have you ever heard of people referred to as chronics? he asks. I shake my head. I think Verity might have made up that term. After our daughters died, she said we were chronics. Prone to chronic tragedy. One terrible thing.''
'' The things lurking around inside the mind can be just as dangerous as the tangible threats.''
Colleen Hoover is one of the best authors of the 21st century. After reading It Ends with us and Ugly love I did not think there was anything more she could give. However, Verity proved that theory wrong. The novel unlike her other books is a psychological thriller with an underlying theme of romance. From the start the theme of eeriness was weaved into the text, this was significant at creating a sense of danger for the reader. The book from the very start had you gripped wanting to uncover three main questions. Why did Verity have her accident? Why are the Crawfords suffering one tragedy after the other? Where does Jeremy's love lie?
Before we dive deeper into the effects on the reader, the structure, and simply why this book was destructively unique it's important to reveal more context - without spoiling. Lowen moves into Jermey and Verity's home to help her uncover more about Verity's books to help her form the sequel. However, when doing so she comes across an autobiography of Verity which talks about the death of her twin daughters. After reading it, nothing will be the same.
The structure of the book was extremely effective. This is because half of it was Lowen reading Verity's manuscript that she uncovered in her office which explains Verity's story whilst the other was from Lowen's perspective trying to uncover who the real Verity is. This had a fundamental effect on the reader as it helps us see the dichotomy between the two different Women and builds a sense of tensity as like Lowen we are uncovering Verity's past as well. Whilst reading the novel You can scarcely see the freshly hideous future taking shape ahead of you, yet you can feel it all the same. At times you want to scream to Lowen to get out of the house however you also want her to stay and uncover the truth.
Something I love about Hoover's books is her ability to push against boundaries and deliver what the reader would think to be impossible. The way she achieves this is conveyed through her characterization. the characterization of Verity was flawless at the end of the book you are left utterly in shock. The plot twist is none like any other psychological book I've read before. Even at the very end, your left questioning everything and everyone. It can be hard for Authors who are comfortable with one genre to be able to write in another, however, Hoover displays that this was no challenge. Verity is a book like no other, there will be times you will hate one main character and love the other. Times you are confident with the text and times your mind cannot comprehend it. For these reasons Verity is a book that you cannot put down nor would want to.
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