Verity. By Colleen Hoover. Audiobook

Emma Smith

A friend recommended this book to me, insisting it was "just my style." Let's just say I'm reevaluating that friendship. The only reason this isn't a zero-star review is the baffling fact that some people - including said friend - genuinely enjoyed it. I understand that sometimes a book just isn't for you, a simple mismatch of taste.

But I'm stretching that principle to its absolute limit here. I typically enjoy thrillers, psychological mind-benders, and yes, even a good romance - all genres this book claims to be. The reality? It fails spectacularly at all three.

Frankly, I'm mystified by Colleen Hoover's bestseller status if Verity is representative of her work. If a client handed me this manuscript for developmental editing, my feedback would be extensive, focusing on foundational character and plot issues. The story hinges on unbelievable scenarios, and its key narrative beats are structurally unsound.

The premise itself isn't the problem. A struggling writer gets the career-making chance to complete the series of a famous novelist, Verity, who lies comatose in her home. Verity's husband is grieving the recent loss of their two children. Mystery, potential murder, and drama are all built-in. It's a setup that should practically write itself.

Hoover, however, doesn't navigate this plot - she bulldozes through it. We're greeted by a bizarre, irrelevant prologue that never pays off. We're asked to accept medically impossible scenarios. The much-hyped twist ending is insipid and contrived. Even the frequent and explicit sex scenes are dull and vanilla.

The cardinal sin, however, is the writing itself. A core device involves reading two different manuscripts - one by our narrator, and a chilling autobiography by Verity. To work, these must sound like distinct voices from different authors. Instead, it's painfully obvious it's the same writer attempting a poorly executed ventriloquist act. The characters never come to life; even when the finale renders them morally bankrupt, I felt nothing. Their potential for evil evoked no reaction from me whatsoever.

The execution is so poor it felt offensive to my reader's intelligence. I don't begrudge anyone commercial success. What frustrates me is when subpar work is celebrated as genius. Seeing quotes on the cover proclaiming the story "riveting and unexpected" - adjectives it absolutely does not earn - is disheartening.

This experience is precisely why I'm wary of contemporary bestseller lists. Too often, they promote the flash-in-the-pan over lasting quality. The books we still discuss a decade later are the ones truly worth your time. I've found more compelling narratives and authentic voices among debut and self-published authors than in many chart-toppers, and I'll always champion those hidden gems.

My verdict on Colleen Hoover is final: once bitten, twice shy. Unless you have a profound appetite for nonsensical, poorly crafted drama, steer clear. Save your time for a story with substance. If you're curious, perhaps listen to a sample of the audiobook first - it might save you the trouble of reading it. For everyone else, I'd recommend picking up a celebrated classic or a lesser-known indie darling instead. Your bookshelf will thank you.