Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Disordered thinking drives gripping dark, erotic thriller.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
VERITY Crawford is a wildly successful author of a bestselling series and has three children with husband Jeremy. Some time after two of their children die tragically within months of each other, Verity is in a car crash that leaves her unable to finish the last few books in her popular series. Enter Lowen Ashleigh, an author who's published a few book that haven't sold enough to keep her from being evicted from her New York City apartment. Together with Jeremy, Verity's publisher offers Lowen a life-changing amount of money to finish the series, so off Lowen goes to the Crawford mansion to research Verity's plans for the series. While staying in the mansion and starting to fall for Jeremy, Lowen discovers the manuscript of Verity's autobiography and starts reading. What she finds in those pages is very dark and disturbing, as are strange little incidents that happen around the mansion that start to make Lowen suspect all is not as it seems. What is the truth, and how can Lowen be sure?
Is It Any Good?
This book is successful as a dark, erotic thriller for mature audiences who can handle the disturbing, disordered thinking that leads to horrific consequences, but it certainly isn't for everyone, including young teens. The characters in Verity, especially Lowen, are well developed enough to have believable, conflicting, and sometimes negative or selfish motives. Lowen's slow uncovering of Verity and Jeremy's past, as well as the slow build of her romantic feelings for Jeremy, add suspense and keep the pages turning. Readers may sometimes be frustrated with the main character as they sense that no one in their right mind would stay in that house another minute. The ending doesn't answer every question, but it does wrap up the story in a fairly satisfactory way.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Verity. Is it too much? Is reading about it different from seeing it in movies, games, and other media? If so, how?
What about the sexy stuff? Do you think it's realistic? What kinds of expectations does it create for adult romantic life? Do you find yourself comparing yourself to the characters and their behavior? Why, or why not?
How does looking at events from another point of view affect what you think is true? Which truth, if any, do you believe most in this story?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Contemporary Fiction
- Character Strengths : Integrity
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Grand Central Publishing
- Publication date : October 26, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 18 - 18
- Number of pages : 336
- Available on : Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : August 19, 2025
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