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A review by graff_fuller
Without Merit by Colleen Hoover
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
My daughter, Mathilde sent me this book to read. So, when that happens...you read it.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Animal death and Alcohol