ambercolangelo's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lindaunconventionalbookworms's review against another edition
5.0
This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookviews
Without Merit brought out all the feels, and it also explained the DYS when it comes to dysfunctional families and relationships. I loved every word!
Merit, the main character, is fairly self-absorbed, and still, I really loved her. Growing up in a household with three children with less than a year between them (total). And an identical twin sister whom she doesn’t really get along with, Merit lives inside her own head quite a bit. Between the resentment she feels towards her family, and the weirdness she feels about school, she throws herself a curve-ball and then tries to just go with it.
There is a lot going on in Without Merit, and most of it has to do with the extremely complex family relationships, and all the secrets that they keep. It makes things more difficult for Merit that she feels like an outcast in town, and in school. All because of her dad, and the decisions he has made that led up to them moving into an old church.
Merit is 17 years old, and she’s not very self-aware. And at the same time, she’s not all that aware when it comes to the rest of the world, either. She does have her own preconceived thoughts and judgements about her family and other people living in the same house as her, though.
Honor is Merit’s identical twin, and at the surface, she seems very different from her. Honor has a thing for boys with terminal illnesses, and Merit judges her quite harshly for this.
Barnaby is Merit’s father, and she hates him with a passion. She feels as if he doesn’t care about anyone but himself - he divorced her mother, Victoria, when his mistress (also Victoria) was three months pregnant... And to add insult to injury, the 2nd Victoria was the first Victoria’s cancer nurse.
Utah is Merit’s older brother, and their relationship is nothing but a huge strain. On both of them.
Sagan... what can I say about him? I loved this character the most, even if he was kind of an outsider. He was wise for his years, and he was able to see things from more than one perspective.
Victoria - the mom in the basement, she was definitely a mystery for most of the story, but once things came to light, she became more ‘real’.
Victoria - the step-mom... seemed like a bitch, but I don’t really think she was one.
Moby, Merit’s half brother was one of the sweetest four-year-olds I’ve ever read about.
Hoover has a way with words, and she proved that with Without Merit! The novel is written in first person point of view from Merit’s perspective, and in present tense. The many dialogues helped me get to know all the characters well, and they also moved the story along at a nice pace.
A tangle of feels for Without Merit! Even with how self-absorbed Merit could be, I really felt for her, the difficulties she was living through, and how her past put a huge shadow on her present. I was sad, happy, elated, afraid, and I wanted more. Which is usually the case when I read a Hoover novel.
He takes a step closer to me and it suddenly feels like I’ve swallowed his heart because I have all these extra beats in my chest.
This is almost comical - this stranger kissing me as if it were the last thing left on his bucket list. It makes me wonder what compelled him to do this.
I can feel the color drain from my face at that sentence. All the color in my body - in this ridiculous moment with this random guy - pools at my feet, leaving me feeling like a second-rate carbon copy of Honor Voss. My twin sister.
Without Merit brought out all the feels, and it also explained the DYS when it comes to dysfunctional families and relationships. I loved every word!
Story:
Merit, the main character, is fairly self-absorbed, and still, I really loved her. Growing up in a household with three children with less than a year between them (total). And an identical twin sister whom she doesn’t really get along with, Merit lives inside her own head quite a bit. Between the resentment she feels towards her family, and the weirdness she feels about school, she throws herself a curve-ball and then tries to just go with it.
There is a lot going on in Without Merit, and most of it has to do with the extremely complex family relationships, and all the secrets that they keep. It makes things more difficult for Merit that she feels like an outcast in town, and in school. All because of her dad, and the decisions he has made that led up to them moving into an old church.
Characters:
Merit is 17 years old, and she’s not very self-aware. And at the same time, she’s not all that aware when it comes to the rest of the world, either. She does have her own preconceived thoughts and judgements about her family and other people living in the same house as her, though.
Honor is Merit’s identical twin, and at the surface, she seems very different from her. Honor has a thing for boys with terminal illnesses, and Merit judges her quite harshly for this.
Barnaby is Merit’s father, and she hates him with a passion. She feels as if he doesn’t care about anyone but himself - he divorced her mother, Victoria, when his mistress (also Victoria) was three months pregnant... And to add insult to injury, the 2nd Victoria was the first Victoria’s cancer nurse.
Utah is Merit’s older brother, and their relationship is nothing but a huge strain. On both of them.
Sagan... what can I say about him? I loved this character the most, even if he was kind of an outsider. He was wise for his years, and he was able to see things from more than one perspective.
Victoria - the mom in the basement, she was definitely a mystery for most of the story, but once things came to light, she became more ‘real’.
Victoria - the step-mom... seemed like a bitch, but I don’t really think she was one.
Moby, Merit’s half brother was one of the sweetest four-year-olds I’ve ever read about.
Writing style :
Hoover has a way with words, and she proved that with Without Merit! The novel is written in first person point of view from Merit’s perspective, and in present tense. The many dialogues helped me get to know all the characters well, and they also moved the story along at a nice pace.
Feels :
A tangle of feels for Without Merit! Even with how self-absorbed Merit could be, I really felt for her, the difficulties she was living through, and how her past put a huge shadow on her present. I was sad, happy, elated, afraid, and I wanted more. Which is usually the case when I read a Hoover novel.
He takes a step closer to me and it suddenly feels like I’ve swallowed his heart because I have all these extra beats in my chest.
This is almost comical - this stranger kissing me as if it were the last thing left on his bucket list. It makes me wonder what compelled him to do this.
I can feel the color drain from my face at that sentence. All the color in my body - in this ridiculous moment with this random guy - pools at my feet, leaving me feeling like a second-rate carbon copy of Honor Voss. My twin sister.
kristenmitchell2017's review
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
rorysponhouse's review against another edition
4.0
so good. not sure why this one took me so long to read because i loved it! i was entertained and so eager to see what happened. i felt the pain of the characters. love it
embeckman's review against another edition
5.0
I think this book brings light to much needed conversation about mental health and the toil it can take on a family. It is done in a way where I still feel an escape reading the book
scarlettnevill23's review
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
liv_gull's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
macneill___rae's review
3.0
Listened to this one on Libby while doing a lot of my classroom set up.
Was a fairly quick read (as in I could listen to it for long periods at a time without getting bored) & audiobook was quite well done.
However it wasn't my favourite Colleen Hoover book but also didn't hate it. I just enjoyed some of her other books much, much more. The storyline wasn't my favourite. Almost too many things going on at once.
I'd give this a 3.5 star.
Was a fairly quick read (as in I could listen to it for long periods at a time without getting bored) & audiobook was quite well done.
However it wasn't my favourite Colleen Hoover book but also didn't hate it. I just enjoyed some of her other books much, much more. The storyline wasn't my favourite. Almost too many things going on at once.
I'd give this a 3.5 star.
bookedbyruqs's review against another edition
5.0
So, I wasn't sure where this story was heading at first. It was random, the family dynamic was messy and that's a fuckin understatement, but I decided to read on as usually with a Hoover book, it'll be gut-wrenching at some point. And it was.
I like that there was a specific focus on family and mental health rather than just sex and boy-drama. It made for a nice change.
One thing I can say about Colleen Hoover is that she never writes the same book twice. I love that every time I pick up a book from her, it’s different than the last. She doesn’t have the same formula, but her writing is consistently strong and endearing. It’s refreshing! Without Merit is nothing like any of her other books. First of all, I wouldn’t classify this as a romance at all. It’s a book of self discovery and a coming of age tale.
Merit Voss comes from an interesting family. The Voss family is full of dysfunctional characters, and Merit is just as dysfunctional as the rest in a lot of ways. Merit is also the keeper of secrets in her family.
Merit is a unique character. I think she will be relatable to a lot of teenagers, and even adults. We all go through things. We all have familial relationships that aren’t 100% healthy, family members that are a tad bit crazy, and we all have hard times. I loved that Colleen surprised me with this one. There were so many secrets and parts of the story I didn’t see coming, and that’s always a good feeling while reading.
Everything is not how it seems when it comes to these characters and this family. People are redeemable. Forgiveness is key. There are so many important themes and great points made in this story.
Without Merit is a book that hooked me from the first page. Merit’s story was original, powerful, and addicting. I loved the family drama, the surprises, and the topics that Hoover brought to light. Even though there wasn’t a ton of romance, I really did adore the love interest. If you’re looking for a book that will make you laugh, make you feel, and one that’s heavy and light at the same time, and something that’s a little different, Without Merit is the book for you.
It's a slow building, slow burning story that eventually takes you completely by surprise. The most important thing to keep in mind when reading this book is that perspective changes everything. The story doesn't tell, it shows you. It's real, raw, and painful. And yet also deeply heart-warming and healing. It conveys a powerful message that tackles tough subjects with grace. It's relevant and relatable. The story takes you right into the dark, but also brings you back and leaves you smiling.
Everything about her life was unusual, odd, different than normal and as the story goes on you could really see how much she suffered from a loss of identity. When you think about 'child neglect', your mind often jumps to extreme - abusive - cases. But it can manifest in so many ways. Sometimes a simple lack of attention can be enough to make a child feel so invisible that they lose their sense of self-worth.
This story has many layers to it and they build. The writing is brilliant. And it builds so quietly that you don't even notice that a storm is brewing until the moment where everything just explodes. Implodes. Everything is turned on its end and as the reader you're RIGHT THERE with it.
Perspective. You'll keep coming back to that theme throughout the book. And when you're finished it, you'll look back and just realize how much perspective matters. The Voss Family was brimming with secrets. But the thing with secrets is that they aren't always what they seem. Sometimes the villain isn't the bad guy. And as the quote at the top of the blurb says, “Not every mistake deserves a consequence. Sometimes the only thing it deserves is forgiveness.”
Perspective changes everything.
The story shows you every detail. It doesn't tell you what to think. It makes you draw your own conclusions. Without meaning to, you can't even help but judge situations. But then it shows you this one missing piece that makes you realize how wrong you were. It's very cleverly written and eye opening.
This was a story about depression. The ins and outs and in betweens. I love that over and over it's written that depression can take so many different forms of exhaustion. That it's not as visible as we may think. That it can take so many different forms that, more often than not, the person with depression has no idea they're going through it every day. I think it's very eye opening to see it written in a way that makes it clear depression is more than just being very sad. It's a sum of so many different, contrasting feelings put together.
I love that every character had a purpose, and every character had a hand in helping Merit to start her journey in treating her depression. I love that these secrets she keeps, and watching her confront them, isn't glossed over. That each one is hard, and painful, and we see her work through them anyways. I love that she isn't miraculously "cured" in the end... but truly starting her journey with the help of a professional.
I love books about family. Forgiving family. Working through family pain. I love knowing that we all feel so similarly about the lives we start with, and I love knowing that (even if it's fictional) enough people fight for their family afterwards that it's written about so much... and so kindly, after.
Spoilers and thoughts:
- Merit annoyed me sometimes but wasnt that big of a deal
- I loved sagan as a character. Sagan was by far my favorite character.
- I loved how merit and sagan had these little conversations throughout the book and how he always drew art for her. That was so cute. I wish we got to see more of that from the beginning instead of the whole first chunk of the book her avoiding him cause she thinks his her sister's boyfriend.
- The whole end of the book was INSANEEEEE. That letter that merit wrote. I was so shocked and i understand why she wrote it.
- The whole secret between merit and her brother was so disturbing. Like a freakin prick. Who forces their own sister to kiss them on the lips. No wonder they drifted apart and merit outed him. I don't blame her. That was so fucked
- Merit's attempted suicide. I felt like the author did a really good job with that scene and how it played out.
- I loved how sagan took care of her after that happened and how he saved her. Not that many guys will put their hands down ur throat to force you to vomit and then count the amount of pills u took through ur vomit
- Merit too had issues that she didn't understand at first, but slowly uncovered herself and had someone to help her find herself and her family again.
- I loved when Luck brought everyone in to Merit's room to show her that "normal" isn't real, and that everyone has their own things they're dealing with.
- I think my favourite part of this story was Sagan reminding Merit that we all have different stress levels for the things we're going through. I think that's just such an important reminder.
"It annoys me when people try to convince other people that their anger or stress isn't warranted if someone else in the world is worse off than them. It's bull. Your emotions and reactions are valid, Merit. Don't let anyone tell you any different. You're the only one who feels them."
Basically, don't let anyone make you feel like your pain is less than theirs simply because theirs sounds heavier, harder, and More. They aren't experiencing what you are. You're the main character of your own story and everything you think and feel is valid. And important. And real. Any comparison of feelings is never valid because we all experience things so differently. That's why talking it out with someone who experienced something similar can be so helpful.
I personally loved it only bc I thought it was one of the few books is YA literature that did not glorify depression and molestation as some kind of unique plot twist, but rather showed how illness and these events can tear families apart and split them down the middle. Colleen was very frank about Merit's character flaws and how they were only further influenced by depression. In my experience depression literally turns you into the worst version of yourself and I loved that Colleen did not shy away from this aspect. I feel as though Colleen was not necessarily trying to make this particular character super relatable or likable to her readers, but rather trying to accurately portray a character with depression and the struggles they go through which are not always entertaining or poetic in any sense.
I like that there was a specific focus on family and mental health rather than just sex and boy-drama. It made for a nice change.
One thing I can say about Colleen Hoover is that she never writes the same book twice. I love that every time I pick up a book from her, it’s different than the last. She doesn’t have the same formula, but her writing is consistently strong and endearing. It’s refreshing! Without Merit is nothing like any of her other books. First of all, I wouldn’t classify this as a romance at all. It’s a book of self discovery and a coming of age tale.
Merit Voss comes from an interesting family. The Voss family is full of dysfunctional characters, and Merit is just as dysfunctional as the rest in a lot of ways. Merit is also the keeper of secrets in her family.
Merit is a unique character. I think she will be relatable to a lot of teenagers, and even adults. We all go through things. We all have familial relationships that aren’t 100% healthy, family members that are a tad bit crazy, and we all have hard times. I loved that Colleen surprised me with this one. There were so many secrets and parts of the story I didn’t see coming, and that’s always a good feeling while reading.
Everything is not how it seems when it comes to these characters and this family. People are redeemable. Forgiveness is key. There are so many important themes and great points made in this story.
Without Merit is a book that hooked me from the first page. Merit’s story was original, powerful, and addicting. I loved the family drama, the surprises, and the topics that Hoover brought to light. Even though there wasn’t a ton of romance, I really did adore the love interest. If you’re looking for a book that will make you laugh, make you feel, and one that’s heavy and light at the same time, and something that’s a little different, Without Merit is the book for you.
It's a slow building, slow burning story that eventually takes you completely by surprise. The most important thing to keep in mind when reading this book is that perspective changes everything. The story doesn't tell, it shows you. It's real, raw, and painful. And yet also deeply heart-warming and healing. It conveys a powerful message that tackles tough subjects with grace. It's relevant and relatable. The story takes you right into the dark, but also brings you back and leaves you smiling.
Everything about her life was unusual, odd, different than normal and as the story goes on you could really see how much she suffered from a loss of identity. When you think about 'child neglect', your mind often jumps to extreme - abusive - cases. But it can manifest in so many ways. Sometimes a simple lack of attention can be enough to make a child feel so invisible that they lose their sense of self-worth.
This story has many layers to it and they build. The writing is brilliant. And it builds so quietly that you don't even notice that a storm is brewing until the moment where everything just explodes. Implodes. Everything is turned on its end and as the reader you're RIGHT THERE with it.
Perspective. You'll keep coming back to that theme throughout the book. And when you're finished it, you'll look back and just realize how much perspective matters. The Voss Family was brimming with secrets. But the thing with secrets is that they aren't always what they seem. Sometimes the villain isn't the bad guy. And as the quote at the top of the blurb says, “Not every mistake deserves a consequence. Sometimes the only thing it deserves is forgiveness.”
Perspective changes everything.
The story shows you every detail. It doesn't tell you what to think. It makes you draw your own conclusions. Without meaning to, you can't even help but judge situations. But then it shows you this one missing piece that makes you realize how wrong you were. It's very cleverly written and eye opening.
This was a story about depression. The ins and outs and in betweens. I love that over and over it's written that depression can take so many different forms of exhaustion. That it's not as visible as we may think. That it can take so many different forms that, more often than not, the person with depression has no idea they're going through it every day. I think it's very eye opening to see it written in a way that makes it clear depression is more than just being very sad. It's a sum of so many different, contrasting feelings put together.
I love that every character had a purpose, and every character had a hand in helping Merit to start her journey in treating her depression. I love that these secrets she keeps, and watching her confront them, isn't glossed over. That each one is hard, and painful, and we see her work through them anyways. I love that she isn't miraculously "cured" in the end... but truly starting her journey with the help of a professional.
I love books about family. Forgiving family. Working through family pain. I love knowing that we all feel so similarly about the lives we start with, and I love knowing that (even if it's fictional) enough people fight for their family afterwards that it's written about so much... and so kindly, after.
Spoilers and thoughts:
- Merit annoyed me sometimes but wasnt that big of a deal
- I loved sagan as a character. Sagan was by far my favorite character.
- I loved how merit and sagan had these little conversations throughout the book and how he always drew art for her. That was so cute. I wish we got to see more of that from the beginning instead of the whole first chunk of the book her avoiding him cause she thinks his her sister's boyfriend.
- The whole end of the book was INSANEEEEE. That letter that merit wrote. I was so shocked and i understand why she wrote it.
- The whole secret between merit and her brother was so disturbing. Like a freakin prick. Who forces their own sister to kiss them on the lips. No wonder they drifted apart and merit outed him. I don't blame her. That was so fucked
- Merit's attempted suicide. I felt like the author did a really good job with that scene and how it played out.
- I loved how sagan took care of her after that happened and how he saved her. Not that many guys will put their hands down ur throat to force you to vomit and then count the amount of pills u took through ur vomit
- Merit too had issues that she didn't understand at first, but slowly uncovered herself and had someone to help her find herself and her family again.
- I loved when Luck brought everyone in to Merit's room to show her that "normal" isn't real, and that everyone has their own things they're dealing with.
- I think my favourite part of this story was Sagan reminding Merit that we all have different stress levels for the things we're going through. I think that's just such an important reminder.
"It annoys me when people try to convince other people that their anger or stress isn't warranted if someone else in the world is worse off than them. It's bull. Your emotions and reactions are valid, Merit. Don't let anyone tell you any different. You're the only one who feels them."
Basically, don't let anyone make you feel like your pain is less than theirs simply because theirs sounds heavier, harder, and More. They aren't experiencing what you are. You're the main character of your own story and everything you think and feel is valid. And important. And real. Any comparison of feelings is never valid because we all experience things so differently. That's why talking it out with someone who experienced something similar can be so helpful.
I personally loved it only bc I thought it was one of the few books is YA literature that did not glorify depression and molestation as some kind of unique plot twist, but rather showed how illness and these events can tear families apart and split them down the middle. Colleen was very frank about Merit's character flaws and how they were only further influenced by depression. In my experience depression literally turns you into the worst version of yourself and I loved that Colleen did not shy away from this aspect. I feel as though Colleen was not necessarily trying to make this particular character super relatable or likable to her readers, but rather trying to accurately portray a character with depression and the struggles they go through which are not always entertaining or poetic in any sense.