Chapter 37: Contact Colleen Hoover - A Meta-Chapter
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Chapter 37 of Verity is not a narrative chapter but a backmatter section titled "Contact Colleen Hoover." It provides readers with direct links to join the official Verity discussion group on Facebook and access the author’s website, Instagram, Facebook author page, Twitter, and Snapchat accounts. This chapter serves as an invitation for readers to engage further with the story and community, offering resources for discussion, additional novels, and social media interaction. It marks a departure from the novel’s suspenseful plot, acting as a bridge between the reading experience and the wider fandom.
Key Events
- The chapter presents a list of URLs and social media handles for Colleen Hoover.
- Readers are directed to request membership in a Facebook-based Verity discussion group.
- No plot events occur within this chapter.
Character Development
No character development takes place in this chapter. It is entirely non-diegetic, existing outside the story world. The only implied presence is that of the author, Colleen Hoover, addressing her audience directly.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs Actually Evidenced Here
- Community and Shared Experience: The invitation to join a discussion group underscores the theme of collective interpretation and the shared journey of readers.
- Author-Reader Connection: This chapter blurs the line between narrator and creator, offering a direct line to the author—a motif of accessibility in modern publishing.
- Meta-Textual Awareness: By stepping out of the fictional frame, the novel acknowledges its own existence as a created work, inviting analysis and engagement beyond the page.
Why This Chapter Matters
Despite its brevity, Chapter 37 is significant because it breaks the fourth wall and transforms Verity from a standalone text into a participatory experience. It validates the reader’s emotional investment by providing outlets for discussion and further exploration of Hoover’s work. In an era of social media, this chapter functions as an interstitial space where the fictional tension can be processed communally. It also reinforces the novel’s status as a cultural phenomenon, encouraging fans to connect with one another.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why might Colleen Hoover have included a chapter with only contact information and a discussion group link? Hoover likely included this chapter to foster a sense of community around the intense, ambiguous ending of Verity. The novel’s many unanswered questions (e.g., the “shadow truth” of Verity’s letter) invite debate, and the discussion group provides a dedicated space for readers to share theories. This move also extends the book’s lifespan and strengthens the author’s connection with her audience.
2. How does this meta-chapter affect your interpretation of the novel’s ending? The presence of a real-world discussion group encourages readers to treat the narrative as open to multiple interpretations. Rather than providing a definitive answer, Hoover allows the community to weigh evidence and argue perspectives. This reinforces the idea that the “truth” in Verity is not fixed—it depends on what each reader chooses to believe.
3. Compare the tone of this chapter to the rest of the novel. What effect does the shift produce? The rest of Verity is tense, psychological, and often horrifying. Chapter 37 is direct, friendly, and promotional. This jarring shift releases the narrative pressure and reminds the reader that they are separate from the story. It can feel disorienting, but it also provides a healthy boundary between the fictional trauma and the real-world reader, offering closure on the suspense.