Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

Without Merit by Colleen Hoover

32 reviews

libri_amoris's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Infidelity, and Suicide attempt

books_unraveling's review

emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book surprised me. About halfway through it got really deep and tackled some important issues. I loved the character growth and found them extremely likable. Their struggles were emotional and well written. With this being said, this book is not a light read. As always, CoHo is a mastermind.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Infidelity

Minor: Terminal illness

teawitchontravel's review against another edition

0.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Biphobia, Cancer, Chronic illness, Drug use, Homophobia, Infidelity, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Sexual assault, Outing, and Sexual harassment

laffi's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Cancer, Chronic illness, Drug use, Gore, Infidelity, Rape, Self harm, Terminal illness, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Sexual assault, Outing, and Sexual harassment

roseisvibing's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.25

reading this feels like being the pizza guy in that one scene from that one spider man movie. you're just. dropped into this chaotic, disgusting, horrendously written shitstorm and left with no idea of what the fuck is going on when you're done. do not read this if you want a book that deals with sensitive topics well- it just feels like more traumatic bullshit is being thrown at you with each new chapter. 90% of the dialogue is either weirdly forced or just fucking stupid. there were several moments (for example, the

THREE instances of incest/basically-incest, dialogue where an uncle flirts with his niece right after referring to her as such, weird descriptions of terminally ill people, straight up implausible plot moments that make you feel like you're watching a faked reality show on acid, descriptions of alcohol that sound like they were written by an 8 year old who has no understanding of how tolerances work, etc.

) where i was questioning how this got professionally published. if i let myself bang my head against a wall every time i wanted to while reading this, i would be in hospital with an extreme concussion right now. the only reason i finished it is because i was annotating it for my friend's bday present (we have a shared interest in critiquing/laughing at shitty books, so coho's worst rated book seemed like a silly funny gift. i am no longer sure of this). chris, if you're seeing this, i want you to know i endured six hours of colleen hoover's worst material for you. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child abuse, Drug abuse, and Vomit

jeandie_leone's review against another edition

emotional sad tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Suicide attempt, and Outing

Moderate: Animal death, Infidelity, and Sexual assault

Minor: Cancer

dwdillydally's review

challenging dark emotional funny slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Without Merit (2017) by Collen Hoover
#youngadultfiction #mentalhealth #familydramafiction #slowromance #mildspicy #dwreads24

Finished my first Colleen Hoover book! I wasn't sure that I'd like her flavors (dark modern romance, dysfunctional characters), so I started with a title recommended for teens / young adults. When I say "for teens", this is NOT for tweens / preteens. Here are screenshots of the content warnings I tagged, and I'm happy to elaborate on any of them, if you ask.

Depsite alllllll the CWs listed, I do recommend this to the right teen or to us, non-trendy-readers who are Hoover-curious. If it's too much for you, then you probably won't enjoy Hoover's adult books 

There were so many scenes where I was telling the 17yo main character, "Oh no honey, don't do that. Oh nnnnoo!" 🫣 But overall, this book is about family trauma and mental health - vital to talk about. It's meant to be f_<ed up. How bad can the main character's day-to-day life get before she turns a corner and starts unraveling the mess around her? For me, it was rough to read from the start through the middle, then I slowly came around, and by the end, I was rooting for the main character. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Cursing, Drug abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, and Alcohol

Minor: Cancer, Eating disorder, Terminal illness, Car accident, Death of parent, Outing, and Abandonment

kotashomelibrary's review

adventurous emotional funny 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Alcohol

Minor: Incest, Infidelity, Grief, Car accident, and Gaslighting

daydaybookbay's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-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

4.0

I had a tough time relating to Merit since I was on the outside looking in. This wasn't a twisty book, but when all the secrets were revealed, I had to finish reading. I would be interested in more YA novels by CoHo.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Drug use, Incest, Car accident, and Outing

Minor: Child death and Death

viktoriadoyle's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 
The characters in this book are captivating and leave you constantly pondering their personalities and true identities. Each character harbors secrets that come as shocking revelations. What sets this family apart is their unique dynamic, as imperfect individuals grappling with their own hidden struggles. One aspect I particularly appreciate is how the author provides resolutions for each character's problems, delving into their complexities throughout the story. It's refreshing to see these issues being openly addressed and discussed. For instance, the exploration of Merit's suicidal attempt and her initial denial of being depressed was thought-provoking. As the story progresses, her journey towards healing is portrayed through Luck's list and her realization that everyone is striving to overcome challenges, while emphasizing that there is no shame in being depressed. Sagan's maturity is another highlight, as he navigates Merit's complex personality with patience and encourages her to love herself before pursuing their unspoken connection. This book is truly remarkable, leaving readers with lingering thoughts long after they finish reading. The intensity at the beginning gradually eases towards a satisfying resolution, which is a testament to the author's skillful storytelling. I wholeheartedly recommend this book, although it's important to note that there are trigger warnings associated with it. It offers profound insights into various life issues and prompts honest contemplation.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt

Moderate: Animal death, Drug use, Infidelity, Grief, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Body shaming