Scan barcode
A review by mrsbooknerd
Without Merit by Colleen Hoover
1.0
Colleen Hoover is author marmite. I either love her books so much that I obsess about them constantly, or I dislike them so much that it is a struggle to even finish.
Unfortunately 'Without Merit' fell into the latter category for a number of reasons but all of which stemmed from the same problem: Too many issues were tackled in this one novel and so everything became diluted. None of the characters were particularly well-developed, there was little emotion incorporated and there were so many plots that none were explored in any depth. It meant that I didn't like the characters, I didn't have a central plot to focus on and I felt like I'd watched a years worth of Eastenders just reading this one book.
I wanted to read a novel about a girl - Merit - who was suffering from depression. I wanted to know her intimately, to know what she felt, what her thoughts and emotions were. I wanted to see her cry for no reason and to lose interest in life. I wanted to know why her relationships broke down and why she thought that she was disposable in the family life. Instead, I barely knew Merit at all with any depth. Nothing except the sarcasm and brashness of a teenager. Merit came across as ridiculously immature and I didn’t feel that depression was captured particularly well.
I wanted to know how Merit felt when her parents were so focused on their new lives that she was forgotten, or skimmed over. I didn’t need the complications of her mother being fake ill, mentally ill and still having an affair with the father.
I wanted to see how Merit loved her step-brother but was unable to accept Victoria. I didn't need the added bonus of Victoria coming with an estranged brother with a whole other backstory to contend with, not least the fact that he blew in one day and was naked and ready to despoil Merit the next.
I wanted to see how Merit's depression stopped her from developing a romance with Sagan. I didn’t need the added complications of his own history and back story. Although, I'd have preferred to see the Syrian crisis elements developed more and maintained in the novel, perhaps chucking out other issues to make way.
Choose an issue, make it the focus of the novel and make me fall into it, make me want to help Merit, make me feel sympathy for the family and make me understand them all completely and wholly.
I loved 'It ends with us' and 'Ugly love' because their plots were actually rather simple, but the depth of emotion and connection were astounding, I still think about them and get feels. There were no feels in 'Without Merit'.
I couldn't get over my initial dislike of Merit, and I didn't like Sagan either. He was far too preachy and wholesome. Likewise,
I did read the whole book, but largely out of determination not to DNF a book that I'd been looking forward to for months and had only been given at Christmas. 'Without Merit' just lacked emotion and focus, and wasn't up to the standard that other novels by Hoover have been. I wanted to be absorbed and emotionally scarred by 'Without Merit' but as a book, it was without merit.
Unfortunately 'Without Merit' fell into the latter category for a number of reasons but all of which stemmed from the same problem: Too many issues were tackled in this one novel and so everything became diluted. None of the characters were particularly well-developed, there was little emotion incorporated and there were so many plots that none were explored in any depth. It meant that I didn't like the characters, I didn't have a central plot to focus on and I felt like I'd watched a years worth of Eastenders just reading this one book.
I wanted to read a novel about a girl - Merit - who was suffering from depression. I wanted to know her intimately, to know what she felt, what her thoughts and emotions were. I wanted to see her cry for no reason and to lose interest in life. I wanted to know why her relationships broke down and why she thought that she was disposable in the family life. Instead, I barely knew Merit at all with any depth. Nothing except the sarcasm and brashness of a teenager. Merit came across as ridiculously immature and I didn’t feel that depression was captured particularly well.
Spoiler
I wanted to see that her relationship with Utah and Honor had suffered because Merit didn't feel worthy of them. I wanted to see whether they picked up on that or whether they just wrote her off, causing a bigger rift. What I didn't need was an abuse storyline chucked in that dealt with incest and abuse, and a storyline about Honor being obsessed with dying boys. It fractured the dynamic and took away focus from Merit's depression.I wanted to know how Merit felt when her parents were so focused on their new lives that she was forgotten, or skimmed over. I didn’t need the complications of her mother being fake ill, mentally ill and still having an affair with the father.
I wanted to see how Merit loved her step-brother but was unable to accept Victoria. I didn't need the added bonus of Victoria coming with an estranged brother with a whole other backstory to contend with, not least the fact that he blew in one day and was naked and ready to despoil Merit the next.
I wanted to see how Merit's depression stopped her from developing a romance with Sagan. I didn’t need the added complications of his own history and back story. Although, I'd have preferred to see the Syrian crisis elements developed more and maintained in the novel, perhaps chucking out other issues to make way.
Choose an issue, make it the focus of the novel and make me fall into it, make me want to help Merit, make me feel sympathy for the family and make me understand them all completely and wholly.
I loved 'It ends with us' and 'Ugly love' because their plots were actually rather simple, but the depth of emotion and connection were astounding, I still think about them and get feels. There were no feels in 'Without Merit'.
Spoiler
When Merit tries to kill herself, I barely felt sympathy toward her, because I didn't feel as if I knew her or liked her well enough to care. I then disliked her family for not even going to see if she was okay afterwards. How can you support characters who were all so terrible?I couldn't get over my initial dislike of Merit, and I didn't like Sagan either. He was far too preachy and wholesome. Likewise,
Spoiler
the father was an immoral character, Honor was judgemental and quick to throw Merit under the bus, Utah was painted as reprehensible but then supposedly forgiven as just being misunderstood… I didn't know any of them well enough to change my initial opinions of them, and actually, not all of them required a change of opinionI did read the whole book, but largely out of determination not to DNF a book that I'd been looking forward to for months and had only been given at Christmas. 'Without Merit' just lacked emotion and focus, and wasn't up to the standard that other novels by Hoover have been. I wanted to be absorbed and emotionally scarred by 'Without Merit' but as a book, it was without merit.