When it comes to promoting books on TikTok, there is something to be said for how BookTok has truly changed the publishing landscape. And in a lot of ways, it has helped smaller authors be seen in a way that they may have struggled with before.
One big that has been hyped up exponentially by BookTok has to be Verity by Colleen Hoover. In fact, it is impossible to deny that the hype on TikTok is likely why the book is now being turned into a film starring Anne Hathaway.
Once the news that Anne Hathaway would be starring in a movie based on Verity, I decided I needed to give this book a read to see exactly what they hype was all about. And I have to say that I don't get it.
For me, Verity doesn't live up to the BookTok hype. And I know I am going to get plenty of hate for this, but I really don't understand all the love for this book. While I am more of a romance reader than a suspense or thriller reader, that is not to say that I haven't read them over the years. And at least for me, the ones I have read from people like J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts) and Lisa Jewell were better in terms of keeping me engaged and coming back for more.
Verity by Colleen Hoover is not the win that BookTok would have me believe
While the book may have seemed to start off strong, the writing style itself didn't really do it for me, as it felt more like a YA book with adult themes. And while I can appreciate the way that Hoover ends her chapters with a hook that keeps you coming back for more, it didn't really work for me.
The characters didn't really grow in any meaningful way that I could see. And even though I am an avid romance (and spicy romance) reader, I didn't care for all of the sex scenes. I'll admit I skipped a lot of them in an effort to finish the story and see what happened in the end.
That being said, I struggled to finish this book and by the end, I honestly didn't care what was coming next. I didn't find myself nearly as engaged as so many of the TikTokers expressed in their video reviews. And I also hated that there was so much repetition. (For me too much repetition will ruin what could have otherwise been a good story.)
And speaking of struggling to finish the book, the last part of the story just didn't work for me. It almost felt like a complete retcon of the story and a way to blow everything up so that what happened at the beginning of the story meant very little.
Considering some of the reviews I have seen, I feel like I am very much in the minority here, but I just do not think that Verity lives up to the BookTok hype. And I say that because for me, I just don't connect with the author's writing style.