BookTok has never shied away from a "team" debate, and these feelings are only intensified when their favorite books come to the big screen. (I'm still defending Team Conrad for my life, IYKYK). The latest debate that's taking the book community by storm is Team Letter versus Team Manuscript from the best-selling novel, "Verity."
Colleen Hoover's romantic thriller, "Verity," was first published in 2018, and eight years later, it made its film debut on Oct. 2, 2026. "Verity" became an instant hit for its nail-biting, sinister plotlines interwoven with romance that made the book hard to put down.
But its true impact lay in its ambiguous conclusion.
A Quick Synopsis
"Verity" follows thriller author Lowen, who is hired by Jeremy Crawford to finish his wife Verity's book. These events transpire after Verity is paralyzed following a car accident. While staying at the Crawford residence to piece together Verity's work, Lowen uncovers a hidden manuscript: an autobiography of Verity's life.
Packed with eerie and bone-chilling confessions, the manuscript reveals the darkest parts of Verity's mind and what appears to be the horrifying truth behind the family's child loss, including her role in it. The shocking memoir pushes Lowen to question the validity of Verity's comatose state.
What follows is a chain of unfortunate events marked by suspense, revenge, and horrible realizations. Near the end of the book and movie, it appears there is closure, or at least the best there could be after such disturbing events.
But then a letter changed everything.
The letter, addressed to Jeremy, is Verity justifying the manuscript and claiming innocence. She says her editor suggested the manuscript as an exercise and a way to tap into an antagonist's perspective through personal recollections to get her into the mind of a villain. It points blame at Jeremy, saying he found the manuscript and attempted to avenge his daughter's death, hence the car accident.
Both the book and the movie end with one statement that is the crux of the debate:
"Verity was a master at manipulating the truth. The only question that remains is: Which truth was she manipulating?"
When I first read the book, I was a Team Manuscript truther. Now, in 2026, the movie only reinforced what I already thought.
Why Go To Such Lengths?
Hypothetically, if the letter was true, why was faking paralysis the best course of action? If she really wanted what was best for Crew and their safety, she could have gone directly to the police with what Jeremy did.
Instead, she seemed to accept her fate.
Verity has a history of being territorial over her relationship with Jeremy and, in her manuscript, she explains in great detail how she resented her kids because they were now the core of her husband's attention. She wasn't pretending to be catatonic because she was scared of Jeremy. Rather, she wanted him to care for her like he used to, before the kids.
It Takes A Master Manipulator To Do What Verity Did
To pretend to be unable to walk or talk for months on end takes profound dedication...and insanity.
I honestly applaud her for keeping the charade up, no matter which version of the truth you believe in. But the extent of her charade is what propels me to think the deceit shown in the manuscript reflects real life.
When Lowen becomes suspicious of Verity's paralysis, she tests her, from screaming in her face to placing a camera in her room. In the book, she throws a wooden ball on the floor to see if Verity flinches — no reaction. In the movie, Lowen pushes a thumbtack into Verity's hand. Again, no reaction.
It takes a master manipulator to hide pain and pretend to be paralyzed for months, especially at the height of your family's grief. With a history of deception — she was a suspense writer after all — it's difficult to trust her after the events that transpired.
Simply Call the Editor
In the book, Verity tries to explain the "truth" of the manuscript to Jeremy when he first found it, but he refused to believe her. In the movie, she didn't even try to explain herself, or at least didn't have the opportunity to.
This change begs the question: If Jeremy actually found the manuscript, wouldn't his first reaction be to question its validity and go directly to Verity?
She could explain the exercise, which the editor could confirm if it was true.
The movie did, however, omit key details that led me to Team Manuscript in the first place, such as Chastin's existence and her death, Verity locking Lowen and Jeremy in a room, Verity's past actions towards her kids, and more. As much as I would love to blame Jeremy, because let's be real he wasn't innocent in all of this, there are still too many clues and plot holes in the movie to make me jump ship.
The timing of the letter isn't lost on me, either. I believe she wrote it once Lowen came into the picture and Verity finally realized she lost her husband for good. Much like her feelings toward her kids in the manuscript, Verity became sick at the thought of someone else consuming her husband's attention.
The manuscript was filled with disturbing detail, intense emotion, and specificity that is hard to fake.
The manuscript was her confession, and the letter was her alibi.