Books With Your Besties

Episode: Unpacking the Controversy behind Verity
Hosts: Emily & Ashley
Date: September 26, 2025

Episode Overview

In this lively, banter-filled episode, Emily and Ashley dive deep into the phenomenon and polarization surrounding Colleen Hoover’s blockbuster thriller, Verity. They dissect its contentious reputation, share personal stories and book club anecdotes, and draw on psychological concepts to explain the heated discourse that makes this book so infamous among readers. The conversation is rich with humor, critical insight, and the best-friend chemistry listeners love, offering both keen analysis and relatable moments.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Histories with Verity

• The hosts recount first encountering Verity in summer 2021, back when the book was largely unknown and far less controversial ([03:00]–[06:59]).
• Emily recalls gifting the book to Ashley on a trip to Vail, and their early reactions were enthusiastic:
  • “Both of us loved it. Loved it.” – Emily [06:22]
• Discussion of the book club’s polling history: In a 2023 poll, Verity overwhelmingly beat another thriller, reflecting its growing popularity ([04:30]–[05:12]).

2. The Evolution of Thriller Popularity

• They highlight the rise of thrillers as a genre, noting how Verity coincided with a social media-driven boom in psychological thrillers ([06:22]–[06:59]):
  • “I also think at the same time was the rise of the real popularization of thriller books.” – Emily [06:22]
• Ashley notes the apparent snowball effect of word-of-mouth and online discussion ([06:23]–[07:40]).

3. Why Is Verity So Controversial?

• Emily brings in her psychology expertise to explain the book’s divisiveness:
  • “What’s most interesting about this is the love it or hate it kind of concept. And I think it relates to our culture and politics.” – Emily [08:08]
• She discusses the false uniqueness effect: the human tendency to see oneself as more unique than reality supports, which affects how people engage with popular phenomena ([10:26]–[11:58]):
  • “We want to believe that we are different and unique and special... but you’re actually much more alike to most people than you think.” – Emily [10:39]
• Popular things often get labeled as “basic” and are sometimes scorned as a result ([12:01]–[12:57]).
  • “‘Basic. Basic. And that’s like, that’s an insult. You’re basic. You’re not unique.’” – Ashley & Emily [12:00–12:03]

4. Reader Reactions: Love, Hate, and Bandwagoning

• The hosts explore why so many people claim to hate Verity, even when statistics (Goodreads ratings) suggest overwhelming positivity ([08:08]–[10:26]):
  • “It has 3.62 million ratings… and it’s rated 4.3 out of 5 stars… only 4% of people who read this book gave it one or two stars. Everybody else somewhat liked it or more.” – Emily [08:08–09:45]
• They suggest some hatred may stem from wanting to reject what’s popular or from reading it after excessive hype ([12:57]–[14:02]):
  • “There are also people who love to jump on the bandwagon of how stupid this book was… which they probably wouldn’t have done if they’d read it before all the hype.” – Emily [12:57]

5. Analyzing the Book’s Content

• Both hosts praise the execution of plot twists, with Verity ranking among the most memorable in the genre ([13:55]–[14:29]).
  • “This is, to me, still one of the best twists of all time.” – Ashley [14:16]
• They discuss the ambiguous ending and the controversial extra chapter, highlighting the narrative's refusal to offer easy answers or moral clarity ([14:29]–[15:24]).
  • “It’s still the cool thing about the [extra] chapter... it doesn’t answer the question for me.” – Emily [15:04]
• Spicy/romantic content: Ashley found it surprisingly “super sexy,” which can be a sticking point for some readers ([07:43]–[08:03]).

6. On Colleen Hoover and Genre-Crossing

• The hosts admire Hoover’s capacity to write both romance and thrillers, comparing her agility to other multi-genre authors ([18:24]–[19:55]).
  • “Go you. To be able to switch between those genres and write so well for that audience cannot be easy in any form.” – Ashley [18:33]
• They touch on the broader controversies surrounding Hoover’s oeuvre, particularly criticisms for romanticizing problematic relationships ([20:30]–[22:16]).
  • “I don’t think you can be as big as Colleen Hoover and not step into controversy.” – Emily [20:35]
• Personal experience: Some find value in Hoover’s depictions of difficult relationships, others find them problematic—the hosts advocate for a nuanced understanding ([21:57]–[22:16]).

7. Book-to-Screen Adaptation & Casting Hype

• Upcoming Verity adaptation is discussed with anticipation—star-studded cast (Josh Hartnett, Dakota Johnson, Anne Hathaway) and expected release date: October 2026 ([22:30]–[23:20]).
  • “This movie is made for people our age because Josh Hartnett was a heartthrob in our day.” – Emily [22:30]

8. Humorous Personal Antics

• The episode winds down with a funny story about Emily and Ashley’s comical sleep-talk night, tying it back to the creepy themes in Verity ([23:55]–[25:52]):
  • “What? What? What? What?... We had a little night fight.” – Emily & Ashley [25:12–25:26]
• Their laughter and ease exemplify why listeners love their dynamic.

9. Final Thoughts: Perception, Loud Voices, and Reality

• Emily reiterates that while haters might seem numerous, data shows most people actually enjoyed Verity.
  • “82% of people gave it four or five stars. The people who just didn’t like it… are just really, really loud.” – Emily [26:25]
• The conversation closes with a reflection on how loud opinions often misrepresent the true majority in both book fandom and broader culture ([26:54]–[27:04]).

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “We want to believe that we are different and unique and special... but you’re actually much more alike to most people than you think. There is far more that connects us than divides us.”
  — Emily [10:39]
• “Liking or not liking a book doesn’t make you more unique or better than anybody else.”
  — Emily [12:01]
• “We’re totally willing to suspend reality for basically every thriller book ever. But people who are like, this is so unrealistic. I mean, okay, that’s how we read it.”
  — Emily [13:13]
• “It’s still the cool thing about the [extra] chapter... it doesn’t answer the question for me.”
  — Emily [15:04]
• “Go you. To be able to switch between those genres and write so well for that audience cannot be easy in any form. Like, good job.”
  — Ashley [18:33]
• “I don’t think you can be as big as Colleen Hoover and not step into controversy.”
  — Emily [20:35]
• “The people who just didn’t like it, the 18% are just really, really loud. They just try to represent the whole, but it doesn’t mean they’re actually representative.”
  — Emily [26:25]

Important Timestamps

• 03:00–06:59: Early personal experiences with Verity.
• 06:22–07:40: The rise of thrillers and Verity’s initial reception.
• 08:08–10:26: Controversy and psychological analysis (false uniqueness effect).
• 13:55–15:24: Twist discussion and reactions to the extra chapter.
• 20:30–22:16: Colleen Hoover’s controversies and authorial controversy in general.
• 22:30–23:20: Movie adaptation and casting excitement.
• 23:55–25:52: Sleep-talk story; bonding through bookish and personal experiences.
• 26:25–27:04: The “loud minority” phenomenon in fandom and society.

Summary

This episode offers an engaging, multi-layered take on the Verity debate: part critical literary discussion, part cultural critique, and part hilarious friendship vignette. Whether a diehard Hoover fan or an intrigued outsider, listeners come away with a well-rounded understanding of why this book stirs such strong reactions—and why, despite the noise, it remains beloved by so many.