bbrewer14's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Colleen Hoover’s books are enjoyable to me, but despite how much I enjoyed this book, I will consider it a guilty pleasure since it was kind of poorly written and juvenile. The character names were over the top and despite the decent character development, the ending was so succinct and tidy that it left me wanting. The idea that life in a world as dysfunctional as the one of the characters presented in this book can be wrapped up with a tidy little bow was why I rated the book in the 3’s. It leaves you wanting more from the characters and the author.
The book’s focus is on the Voss family. Twin sisters Merit and Honor, older brother Utah, the father, the mother (Victoria), the stepmother (also Victoria), the young half-sibling Moby, the step-uncle Luck and a family friend Sagan make up the main characters. All of these people live in a remodeled church in a small TX town. The mother lives downstairs and suffers from a multitude of health issues. The father, the kids, the stepparent and stepuncle and friend all live upstairs. The main character, Merit, feels alienated and unwanted. The book explores her journey within her family and other relationships as she discovers the importance of listening, communicating, putting forth the truth, learning to forgive and navigating her teen years. Merit struggles as the self-proclaimed outcast of the family and goes on a journey to discover how to be a part of her family or if she even wants to remain in this world to do so.
It is a good book and is a decent choice to pass the time, but it definitely needed more time to become what it could have been if the author gave it more effort.
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Animal death, and Vomit
Moderate: Suicide, Abandonment, Cancer, Chronic illness, Outing, Infidelity, Death, Drug use, Medical content, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Minor: Eating disorder, Grief, Alcohol, Bullying, War, and Cursing
spkysi's review against another edition
3.75
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Alcohol, Cancer, Drug use, and Suicide attempt
carolineee_86's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Vomit, Alcohol, Drug use, and Suicidal thoughts
anjelicanarvaez's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Alcohol, Cancer, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, and Vomit
Minor: Abandonment and Animal death
kat_rowlen's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Cancer, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Chronic illness, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Incest, Mental illness, and Animal death
lindsayvale's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, and Animal death
pippamillerxoxo_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Cancer, Drug use, Grief, Child death, Chronic illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Car accident, Death, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, and Vomit
graff_fuller's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
We have a connection with books. We don't always agree with each other, but usually we "get" each other.
This book is about a dysfunctional family (Married with Children level) that don't communicate with each other. That's us in a way, but I have to say...we are NOT this bad. Promise.
They live in a church...which is divided into four partitions. Father/new wife, older son, Merit and Honor. Their's an office in there, too.
I liked the twin sisters storyline (Merit/Honor). They are are polar opposites in personality, Older brother that is aloof, Father/husband that seems spiteful and careless. His new wife lives on the first floor with their youngest son (and the rest of the family), while his ex-wife lives in the basement (but never comes up). Then add to the mix a friend named Sagan and a drifter who arrives at the house unannounced named Luck.
Also, the names in this book are very exotic. Utah, Merit, Honour, Moby, Barnaby, Victoria (twice), Sagan and Luck. Really? This is a menagerie of names. Not one that seems real.
The story deals with depression, and the struggles with a family that doesn't communicate, which complicates EVERYONEof their lives in individual ways..
This was FAST read. I immediately loved the protagonist, Merit. I knew that the title of the book would have significance (and it did). Also a great reveal towards the end of the book, well played.
I enjoyed the dynamic of the family, though it seemed a little TOO cartoonish, but by the middle of the book...I had been sucked in.
Odd characters would enter this familys orbit, but then find a home there...not just in the house, but they became intrical parts of the story.
By the end...a poingant story had been told. The problems with miscommunication and how dangerous that can be. AND that we need to find a friend...that will always have our back.
THis was an odd story, but i enjoyed it. Thanks Mathilde.
Moderate: Drug abuse, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Chronic illness, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Animal death and Alcohol
saoirse10's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Great book ,a good few plot twists which is always a plus but on many occasions religion has been discriminated against by the characters in this book.Near the end of the book it became quite cringey by the way characters would talk (flirt) with eachother.Apart from the above it was an easy book to get through and I would recommend.
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Vomit
Moderate: Medical content, Cancer, Alcohol, Animal death, Medical trauma, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Panic attacks/disorders
nicolewithbooks's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Homophobia, Alcohol, Cursing, Grief, Gaslighting, Chronic illness, and Abandonment
Minor: Bullying, Body shaming, Terminal illness, and Cancer
Neglectful parents