An autobiography encouraging the reader to like the author is not a true autobiography. No one is likable from the inside out. One should only walk away from an autobiography with, at best, an uncomfortable distaste for its author.
–“Verity” by Colleen Hoover
When it comes to picking a genre to read from, thrillers aren’t exactly high on my list. Most of the (very few) thriller novels I’ve read in the past were “just okay,” never more than 3 stars, which only further solidified my opinion that it’s just not the genre for me. But people love them! Every time I happen to run into a reader in the wild and I ask them what genres do they primarily read from, “thrillers and suspense novels” are a constant response. So what is it about this genre that seems to have everyone so enthralled? And what is it about them, or the few I’ve read, that don’t work for me?
That’s what I intend to find out this year, and Verity by Colleen Hoover was a good place to start. This novel gripped me from the very first line; it is a fast-paced story with unlikeable characters that make you reel in disgust, jump in surprise, and stare out into the abyss trying to digest what just happened. This is the first thriller novel I’ve read that I can say I unabashedly enjoyed. There is something quite atmospheric about this story; it’s eerie and twisty–but the twists make sense when looking at the story in its totality.
Could it be that it’s just Colleen Hoover’s magical pen that allowed me to *finally* appreciate a suspense novel? Maybe. We know Colleen has an unique ability to write a story that’s just compulsively readable. (Has anyone ever DNF’ed a Colleen Hoover book? Is that even possible?) But we’ll see. For right now, I think I can say that I will be looking for thrillers that are atmospheric, character-focused, and take place for the most part in a single location (like a house, a small town, or even an island!) Verity has all of these things, and part of my enjoyment of this book were these elements.
Do you have a favorite thriller novel? I’m open to any and all recommendations!
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