Verity

Aryaki Santosh Vyavahare, BA LLB 1st Year, Yashwantrao Chavan Law College, Pune
Overview:
The story weaves together themes of suspense, love, and dark secrets. The story revolves around Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer hired to complete the remaining books in a best-selling series by Verity Crawford, who is unable to continue due to a tragic accident. As Lowen explores Verity’s unfinished manuscripts and personal journals, she reveals harrowing confessions and secrets that blur the lines between reality and fiction. This discovery immerses her in a thrilling narrative filled with unexpected twists and turns, keeping both her and the reader on the edge of their seats.

In “Verity” by Colleen Hoover, The characters are portrayed as well-developed individuals crucial to the story’s engaging and unsettling narrative. The story centers around Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who unexpectedly discovers that she must finish a famous book series after the mysterious Verity Crawford is incapacitated. Intrigued and naturally reserved, Lowen comes across Verity’s hidden manuscript, which unveils a sinister web of disturbing secrets that will leave readers breathless. Curious and somewhat reserved, Lowen discovers Verity’s hidden manuscript, which reveals a sinister web of disturbing secrets that will leave readers breathless.

Verity Crawford is a famous author surrounded by mystery and serves as the central character in this psychological thriller. Though she seems bedridden and mute, the shocking revelations in her manuscript reveal a manipulative and disturbingly twisted personality, compelling readers to confront her true identity.

Jeremy Crawford, Verity’s husband, appears devoted and supportive of Lowen’s work, but his actions raise doubts about his role in the story’s events. Their young son, Crew, adds an unsettling innocence to the eerie household.

Together, these characters create a tense and unpredictable atmosphere, keeping readers hooked and questioning who to trust.

The book has an exclusive edition that includes bonus chapters after the horrific plot twist in the first book. The exclusive edition ends with a cliffhanger, leaving readers questioning the entire story.

Writing style:
Hoover’s writing is vivid and approachable, pulling readers into the unsettling atmosphere of “Verity.” Her skill in building tension and suspense makes it a captivating page-turner.

Rating:
Verity is a thrilling psychological story that keeps readers hooked, debating about the true antagonist behind its dark twists and turns.. The writing style is engaging, but some may find the intense themes and language unsettling.

(Book Review By Priya Varma, St. Vincent College,Pune)
Verity Crawford, Jeremy Crawford, and Lowen Ashleigh are the main characters. Verity and Jeremy are married with three children: Crew, and twins Harper and Chastin.
The story revolves around Lowen, a struggling young author facing financial difficulties. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she’s offered a job as a ghostwriter to finish the book of Verity, a notable author who has fallen into a coma. Verity’s husband, Jeremy, proposes the job, which includes moving into their home temporarily. As Lowen settles into Verity’s study, she discovers an unfinished manuscript that appears to be Verity’s autobiography. However, as she reads on, Lowen uncovers Verity’s dark side and the lies Jeremy has been hiding. The autobiography reveals Verity’s obsession with Jeremy and her descent into madness after becoming pregnant. The narrative takes a disturbing turn as Verity attempts to kill her unborn child and after years she succeeds in killing twins. Lowen is shocked and convinced that Jeremy is unaware of Verity’s true nature. She discovers that Verity is faking her coma and confronts Jeremy, who ultimately kills Verity. The story concludes with Lowen and Jeremy getting married and moving away, but returning to the house seven months later. There, Lowen finds a letter from Verity, revealing that the autobiography was just a fictional story, and she had been planning to escape with her son.
Lowen’s discovery sets off a chain of events that ultimately leads to Verity’s demise. However, in a shocking twist, it is revealed that Jeremy knew the truth about Verity’s dark past all along and had been planning to kill Lowen and stage it as a car accident.
The book’s conclusion raises more questions than answers, leaving readers to ponder the true nature of Verity and Jeremy’s relationship. Was Verity a victim of Jeremy’s manipulation, or was she a master manipulator herself?
“This open-ended book leaves the reader questioning: is Verity a cold-blooded murderer or an innocent victim?”