Without Merit

Without Merit is a young adult standalone from the great Colleen Hoover. I have read a couple of Colleens previous books and I enjoyed them both, but I havent read all of her books. (though they are on my TBR) Without Merit felt like a very different kind of read to me. It felt unexpected. It features a family that felt realistic in some ways and so hauntingly broken in other ways. There really isnt a great way to describe Merits family. It is dysfunctional and atypical, thats for sure. Without Merit is the kind of book that you cant stop reading, because you have to know what direction the story is going to veer off to next. For starters, merits family lives in a church. View Spoiler But her family living in a church is only the tip of the iceberg with them. Honestly, I really enjoyed the zany ride that Without Merit took me on. I can honestly say, I have not read a single book like this one out there.

Without Merit is told entirely from Merits point of view, which I found to be the perfect narration method to tell this story. I really enjoyed getting to know Merit. Right from the moment she told her trophy stealing story. I thought it was hilarious. That is what I think I love most about Colleen Hoovers stories.she does not shy away from talking about really difficult subject matter. And without Merit deals with a lot of tough themes, but there are always zany moments to balance out the difficult. Without Merit had so many funny characters and conversations and really interesting personalities that this story never felt overly dark or depressing to me. It felt like life. Life is sometimes tough, and sometimes dark but there are also moments of levity. Colleen Hoover is the queen of balancing tough subject matter with big personalities and moments of levity. It is why I have enjoyed all of the books I have read from her. And why I want to read more.

Without Merit is a story that should be read. I know it made me stop and think at multiple points while I was reading it. Yes, I enjoyed the romance and yes Merit is a completely unique and utterly fascinating character, but the book felt totally fresh to me, as a whole, which is what I loved most about it. If you are looking for a flat out great read, pick up Without Merit. I cant wait to see what you think of the story.

It literally pains me to type this but I did not like this book. Sagan and Merit had insta love and nothing ever really justified it. The theme was relatively weak. I felt like symptoms of depression were shoved down my throat. Maybe if I had been in a younger age bracket it would have elicited more emotion from me? It really felt like an after school special on depression and dysfunctional families in novel form.

I love Colleen Hoover and all of her other books have always made me feel but this one left me feeling flat.

I’m a huge Colleen Hoover fan and have read all of her amazing, captivating novels but sadly this book did not have her signature style of writing. I wanted to love the book with its complexities and character development but it didn’t happen for me. I think too much of the novel ( around 60% ) of it was spent trying to make you understand the main characters family and sadly because of this, it felt stale, dragged on and made me want to skip pages. I completely understand that as a reader we should have a feel for all the characters and it’s essential in order to built a plot but there was a lot of fluff that the reader didn’t need to know.Having said that, the last 40% of the book was what you would expect a Colleen Hoover book would be. I’m still a Colleen Hoover fan and will most likely buy every book she will ever write because I know she’s an amazing writer and not everyone can create masterpieces every single time. It just so happens that this book fell a little short for my taste. This is an honest review …. I will repeat I’m a HUGE FAN …. sorry I didn’t like this Book…. I tried really hard to love it …. I even bought the audible version with the Ebook so I could force myself to not skip pages.

So many secrets in this house. And yet, the one secret I should have told years ago is the one Ive kept the quietest.

Colleen Hoover is one of the queens of modern day romance. She always takes on dark topics and provides the reader with unexpected twists that will rip your heart out. Ive read and enjoyed almost everything shes written, but Without Merit is a different beast.

I keep seeing reviewers say that this is a coming of age story, which is true, but this book is so much more than that. This book is about depression; the ugly, the bad, the denial, the finding out, the coping, the normalcy, the everyday living. This book is so important. More important than I could possibly find words for. This is a heavy book about mental health, and its equal parts quiet and loud at the same time. The story itself has me torn between four and five stars, but Im going to give this five stars because I wish I could put this book in the hands of every young adult.

Trigger warnings for depression, suicide, drug and substance abuse, childhood trauma, and a somewhat outing (maybe, questionable, Im not sure, but I still feel it is important to mention).

But, let me scream from the rooftops: this book has pansexual representation. Like, Im not sure if you guys know how rare it is to see that on the page still in 2017, but it is. Its a side character, but this character still plays a pretty big and impactful part in this story. I was in tears when I read it, and I think Colleen Hoover so damn much for adding this into an already important and impactful book.

Labels were invented for people like you who cant grasp a reality outside of a defined gender role. I like what I like. Sometimes I like women, sometimes I like men. A few times Ive liked girls who used to be guys. Once I liked a guy who used to be a girl. He pauses. I liked him a lot, actually. But thats an after-school special for another day.

Without Merit has one of the best first chapters Ive ever read, out of any of the genres Ive read, from any book Ive read. And, guys, Ive read a lot of first chapters. From the opening line to the last line, I was so immersed and so completely enthralled in this story and, more importantly, with Merit.

I have an impressive collection of trophies that I did not win

Merit is a very unusual girl, with a very unusual living situation. Her father, out of spite, bought a church and revamped it into a house for their family to live in.

No one would be able to determine from the outside of our house that our family of seven includes an atheist, a home wrecker, an ex-wife suffering from a severe case of agoraphobia, and a teenage girl whose weird obsession borders on necrophilia. No one would be able to determine any of that from inside our house, either. Were good at keeping secrets in this family.

Merit also collects trophies that she did not win. She stole her first after something hurtful happened to her, and ever since she has been getting them every time she has a significant bad thing happen to her. Merit is feeling more fed-up than usual, and decides to peruse an antique store, because there is a certain trophy she has had her eye on for quite some time that will maybe fill the void she is feeling at this moment. And in this antique store, she crosses paths with a boy named Sagan, who ends up changing her life.

Out of all the places we could be, were right here. At the same time.

Merit is carrying a lot of sadness, most of which she doesnt realize she is carrying. This book is centered around depression, but its also about perspective. This story is told only in Merits point of view, and we get to see how loneliness is easy to feel, even when you do live in a house with many different people. Yet, Merit is a borderline unreliable narrator. Well, she isnt, but its just like when you read Harry Potter, why does Gryffindor look like the best house and why do Slytherins look so evil? Well, its because youre reading this story told from Harrys perspective. The same goes for Without Merit, you are reading these events form Merits perspective, not the other members of her family.

Also, this story is so important because it talks about how every single person is fighting their own battles and trials. Just because you feel like someone has it worse than you doesnt make your situation less. Everyone feels things differently, everyone accepts differently, everyone copes differently. I loved how this book brought this up, and how we should never use so and so has it worse than me as a way to rationalize and ignore what we are really feeling and experiencing.

I guess I should also touch on the romance in this book, because it is a CoHo book! The romance in this is beautiful. There are no steamy scenes or anything like that, but the romance is prevalent from chapter one. But the relationship between Merit and Sagan is a healthy and supportive one that I think is pretty important for teens to read about.

A person cant help their attraction to another person, but a person can help their actions toward another person.

As for the negative things about this book. I am not sure if I like the way the agoraphobia was handedly in this book. I can speak for days on own voices pan and depression rep, but I dont feel comfortable speaking about agoraphobia. I will say that some of the statements towards the person made me a little uncomfortable, and just in general I just didnt love the way this character and all the aspects of their mental health were treated. Also, if I find an own voices agoraphobia review, I will totally link it here! And if you guys find one, please link it in my comments!

Another thing that made me a little uncomfortable is a MILD SPOILER: There was an almost sex scene between a seventeen-year-old and a twenty-year-old. Like, I know this is okay in some states, also, they did not actually have sex, but I was still a little uncomfortable reading it. Also, I think its important to mention, because I know many readers would like to know this going in.

And the last thing I disliked was the big reveal to the secret that Merit has been holding on to and trying to suppress for years and years. I know things like this happen, and I know they are uncomfortable to read about, because we as a society sweep dark things under the rug, but I just didnt like the reveal. I wish it was something different, maybe even worse than what it was. Yet, I still think the problem was important, and something that probably should be talked about A LOT more. And like, this book really is a love letter to communication, and how important communication in any and all relationships is. Sexual relationships, parental and child relationships, sibling relationships, any kind of relationship.

Maybe thats the root of a lot of family issues. It isnt actually the issues people are hung up about for so long. Its that no one has the courage to take the first step in talking about the issues.

But besides these three things, I really loved this book. And I think its the second most important book Ive read all year. Plus, like, Colleen Hoover is such a good writer. People can talk about the problematic elements and toxic masculinity in some of her books, but Colleen Hoover has one of the best contemporary lyrical proses out there. Shes probably only second best to Tarryn Fisher. (Colleen is going to hate this comment if she ever sees this review!) Her words are magical, and addicting, and I always am able to read her books in a 24-hour period, because I just cant put them down. And the writing in Without Merit is no exception, it is absolutely beautifully crafted and written as well.

I also dont trust people who claim for a classic to be their favorite novel. I think theyre lying just to sound educated, or they simply havent read another book beyond high school English requirements.

And I also feel the need to just gush a little bit about the character of Merit and my undying and unwavering love for her. I know I called her a bit of an unreliable narrator up above, but she is easily one of the best protagonists Ive have the pleasure of reading in 2017. I feel like everyone can at least see a little bit of themselves in Merit, even if theyd rather pretend that they dont.

This book, these characters, this family, and this story means so very much to me. Pick this book up. Give this book to your kids. Share this book with everyone you know. Then talk about the topics and discussions. We need to normalize depression, because it really is just that; normal. Its just like needing glasses, or being lactose intolerant, its a normal thing that happens way more frequently than we think, because people stigmatize it so much. And for the record, you dont have to be sad or suicidal to have depression. We need to also normalize therapy and talk about how important seeking help for mental illness is! And all of these conversations can save lives. Please pick up this book.

What a totally different book, about an incredibly difficult topic. Written with humour, compassion, sensitivity, awareness, and understanding. A family who is disfunctional. A family whos lack of communication has totally affected all of their lives. Merit and identical twin, who feels lost, unloved and totally misunderstood and alone, finds Sagan a lad with a magic peen and very deep thoughts. The story is full of multi coloured characters, that wander and bubble through every day life, but although living under one roof have developed the knack of not observing the obvious. Clinical depression, a tabo subject. One that is addressed wonderfully in this excellent novel. In a form that is definitely not difficult to digest, understand or not offensive. Colleen has a marvellous penmanship, and any one that reads this will not only experience an excellent storyline, but hopefully get a better insight in the need to talk things through, and not bottle up one thoughts. Well worth 5 stars. An excellent well written novel about a very delicate, subject that most people tend to ignore or believe it doesnt exist, or cannot happen to them. Depression is not contagious, but can be overcome. One way to do this is to understand.

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