Name: Kellie Davis's review of Without Merit by Colleen Hoover
Item: Without Merit
Rating: 5
Author: Kellie Davis

Colleen Hoover

A moving and haunting story of family, love and the power of truth, by international bestselling author Colleen Hoover ‘Not every mistake deserves a consequence. Sometimes the only thing it deserves is forgiveness.’ The Voss family is anything but normal. They live in a repurposed church, the once cancer-stricken mother lives in the basement, the father is married to the mother’s former nurse, and the eldest siblings are irritatingly perfect. Then there’s Merit. Merit Voss collects trophies she hasn’t earned and secrets her family forces her to keep. Then she meets Sagan. His wit and unapologetic idealism disarm and spark renewed life into her – until she discovers that he’s completely unavailable. Merit retreats deeper into herself, watching her family from the sidelines, when she learns a secret that no trophy in the world can fix. Merit decides to shatter the happy family illusion that she’s never been a part of before leaving them behind for good. When her escape plan fails, Merit is forced to deal with the staggering consequences of telling the truth and losing the one boy she loves. Poignant and powerful, Without Merit explores the layers of lies that tie a family together and the power of love and truth. Praise for Without Merit 'Emotionally wrenching and utterly original, Without Merit's characters stayed with me long after I finished.' Sara Shepard, New York Times Bestselling author of Pretty Little Liars 'Hoover does an excellent job of revealing the subtle differences between healthy teenage rebellion and clinical depression… This quirky, complex, and frustrating heroine will win hearts and challenge assumptions about family dysfunction and mental illness in a life-affirming story that redefines what's normal.' Kirkus Starred Review ‘Hoover joins the ranks of such luminaries as Jennifer Weiner and Jojo Moyes, with a dash of Gillian Flynn’ Library Journal, starred review

Without Merit

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Ends With Us and November 9 comes a moving and haunting novel of family, love, and the power of the truth. “Not every mistake deserves a consequence. Sometimes the only thing it deserves is forgiveness.” The Voss family is anything but normal. They live in a repurposed church, newly baptized Dollar Voss. The once cancer-stricken mother lives in the basement, the father is married to the mother’s former nurse, the little half-brother isn’t allowed to do or eat anything fun, and the eldest siblings are irritatingly perfect. Then, there’s Merit. Merit Voss collects trophies she hasn’t earned and secrets her family forces her to keep. While browsing the local antiques shop for her next trophy, she finds Sagan. His wit and unapologetic idealism disarm and spark renewed life into her—until she discovers that he’s completely unavailable. Merit retreats deeper into herself, watching her family from the sidelines, when she learns a secret that no trophy in the world can fix. Fed up with the lies, Merit decides to shatter the happy family illusion that she’s never been a part of before leaving them behind for good. When her escape plan fails, Merit is forced to deal with the staggering consequences of telling the truth and losing the one boy she loves. Poignant and powerful, Without Merit explores the layers of lies that tie a family together and the power of love and truth.

A Novel

Riley Gallagher

“I think we all just got to the point where we were waiting for someone else to initiate it. Maybe that’s the root of a lot of family issues. It isn’t actually the issues people are hung up about for so long. It’s that no one has the courage to take the first step in talking about the issues.”

“Not every mistake deserves a consequence. Sometimes the only thing it deserves is forgiveness.”

Cassie French

“What I'm saying is, the same two things could happen to two people, but that doesn't mean they would experience the exact same stress over it.”

"You don't get to decide what your life means to anyone else." 

The way she found out properly through her dad and how he broke the rules makes it even better of a confession 

Emma

My father raises an eyebrow. "Then why did he agree to when I told him that was his only option if he wanted to date you?

Cissy

They aren't normal," he savs "Having depression is no more out of your control than Sagan's intolerance to milk, or Utah's pale skin, or Honor's bad vision. It's nothing to be embarrassed about. But it's not some- thing you can ignore or correct on your own. And it doesn't make you abnormal. It makes you just as normal as these idiots," he says, waving toward everyone else. 

“I like you enough to kiss you. Believe me. But I just wish you could like yourself as much as I like you."

 Not every mistake deserves a consequence. Sometimes the only thing it deserves is forgiveness.

Sarah cirino

"You know. Are you with him because... is he dying?"

He tasted like mint and he was so warm, and then the water splashing us and it was a sensory overload that I wanted to be an overdose.

Out of all the places we could be, we're right here. At the same time.

My entire senior class consists of twenty-two students. Twelve girls and ten guys. 

We had been dating two months and it was the first time I allowed him to put his hand all the way up my shirt. 

Kamilla Béres

Rhiannon Steers

 "Dont make your presence known make your absence felt"

Alma 

“מריט , תפסיקי!״ הוא אומר, מתוסכל. הוא קם ומתחיל להתהלך בחדר. שהוא נעצר סופסוף הוא אומר, ״אני עושה כמיטב יכולתי, בסדר? אני לא אבא מושלם.אני יודע שלא. אם הייתי מושלם, לא היית מגיעה לנקודה שבה את מעדיפה למות מאשר לחיות איתי.״

amelia grace 

Eva-Liis

"From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Ends With Us and November 9 comes a moving and haunting novel of family, love, and the power of the truth. In Colleen Hoover's gripping novel, reminiscent of the bestselling works of Liane Moriarty and Jojo Moyes, a young woman decides to reveal the dark secrets of her seemingly-happy family before she leaves them behind, but when her escape plan fails, she must deal with the staggering consequences of telling the truth"--

Chiara Tallir

Jocelyn Smith

Kellie Davis

Colleen does it again! She has a way of making you fall in love with her characters from page 1. I didn't even see what this book was about before I bought it and dove in. I was not disappointed. If you love books that will take you on an emotional rollercoaster Colleen is the author for you.

This was weird. That seems to be a general consensus I have gathered on this book. I’m finally getting to books I have had for forever and this one was on the list. This book definitely needs a warning list at the beginning because there are some heavy topics in the books, not just something at the end of it. It was interesting to se it all play out but dang there was a lot going on that was resolved very quickly. My thoughts are kind of flustered with this one. I liked it but a part of me is asking myself did I really like it at the same time😂

Priscilla Stanfield

Vicky  Nuñez 

Bailey Johnson

Idk why y’all keep lying on tiktok. I was 73% of the way through this book before I gave up. And I had to wait like 10 weeks for the hold to release! Everyone in that family is nasty and honestly merit isn’t a good person either. They are fucking family members and stealing sisters boyfriends not boyfriends. It’s wild and there was no redeeming character

Another Hoover Book completed off the ever growing list of her back catalogue and I have to admit that when I started this one I had no idea where the story was going to go, It seemed a little darker than normal and seemed a little all over the place but it got better with each and every page turn and all of a sudden I was invested in the characters and completely drawn into the story!

Merit lives in a small Texas town and is certain her family is the most dysfunctional family ever.... and she may not be all that wrong, from the fact that they live in a renovated church with the marquee still on the lawn to the fact that both her stepmother and mother live in the same house.

It’s very difficult to explain or go into detail within the review for fear of spoiling the book and giving away the plot twists that are within the book does touch on several difficult subjects but its all done very subtly using all these wonderful characters who slowly reveal their secrets to us through Merit.... I also appreciated that there weren’t any clear answers given as to what everybody “needed “To do to fix themselves.

This character driven book definitely takes you on a rollercoaster of emotion and it is absolutely a ride!

Ian Brakspear

Another Hoover Book completed off the ever growing list of her back catalogue and I have to admit that when I started this one I had no idea where the story was going to go, It seemed a little darker than normal and seemed a little all over the place but it got better with each and every page turn and all of a sudden I was invested in the characters and completely drawn into the story!

 

Merit lives in a small Texas town and is certain her family is the most dysfunctional family ever.... and she may not be all that wrong, from the fact that they live in a renovated church with the marquee still on the lawn to the fact that both her stepmother and mother live in the same house.

 

It’s very difficult to explain or go into detail within the review for fear of spoiling the book and giving away the plot twists that are within the book does touch on several difficult subjects but its all done very subtly using all these wonderful characters who slowly reveal their secrets to us through Merit.... I also appreciated that there weren’t any clear answers given as to what everybody “needed “To do to fix themselves.

 

This character driven book definitely takes you on a rollercoaster of emotion and it is absolutely a ride!

Loved how this book discussed the struggles people have with mental health. 

Melinda Wooten

I need a epilogue to this book so bad it was such a good book the only thing I didn't like was the long chapters and merit annoyed me sometimes but REALLY good book

Keira

Absolutely loved this book, one of the best books I’ve read in a while 

Katie Roberts

Jenna Wooten

This book was so stressful, not in a good exciting way. The main character has about 80% of the book in a highly anxious depressive state- and you feel it on this end. It was easy to read after getting about halfway through, but it was rough getting into it in the beginning. Focuses heavily on mental health.

A coming of age story about a girl struggling in her home she shares with a multitude of people. She struggles with her depression and her constant need to pick at already unstable relationships. 

The way the story was written was well done, but it was overall dull for me. I enjoyed all the character interactions and banter. The story just didn’t really seem to have a middle. 

A coming of age story about a girl struggling in her home she shares with a multitude of people. She struggles with her depression and her constant need to pick at already unstable relationships. 

The way the story was written was well done, but it was overall dull for me. I enjoyed all the character interactions and banter. The story just didn’t really seem to have a middle. 

Victoria

I don't think I've ever read a book this fast. It was captivating in all sense of the word. I wanted to know so much more and I want to be engulfed in the world of Merit. I wanted to make sense of what's going on and I wanted to bad to be right next to her, comfort her, be her friend.

This is one great read. It talked about almost everything that's wrong with our current society but didn't drown us, the readers, with them. It's just, ugh... you have just to read it to experience it.

P.S. I'm glad I didn't read the reviews prior to reading as that would have ruined my entire experience with the book. Yes, she tackled one too many issues at once. Yes, there were some moments where you're like meh. But as a whole, this was still something more than the regular family drama, teen angst novels out there. At least here, we get to see ALL sides of the story and not just that of the protagonist. Jesus Christ, people. Why make everything so damn political.

Enna Burton

The message behind the book is good. It addresses important things regarding mental health. However. This is not the typical coho read. Not in a bad way, but not really in a good way either. It wasn't thrilling (except one or two parts) and it definitely doesn't have you on the edge of your seat. I think it's an okay read if you're in between heavier reads. 

Caelyn Dionne

I just didn’t like this. I felt like there could’ve been a lot more to the story and the characters. I don’t regret reading it, but it wasn’t my favorite. There was a good message behind it but I think the book could’ve dug deeper into mental health than it did.

Alexa M

I finally enjoyed a CoHo book?????? Take the last chapter out completely and this book would be a solid 4 stars

dija

Wow, i mean this book was weird? strange? it was nothing like other CoHo's book and i fishing love that about it. 

I wanted to kick Merit's ass so bad and every character's ass at the beginning and in the process of this book. But now? now i want to kick my ass but that apparently is impossible so am good.

I just finished it and i actually want more.....I want more of Sagan i didn't get enough of my baby.

devin.reads

** spoiler alert **
           I really wanted to give this book 5 stars. I enjoyed the story so much and flew through the book. But then the ending happened. I was left with so many questions. Do Honor and Sagan end up together officially? What happens at therapy? Does Sagan ever hear from his family? COME ON COLLEEN HOOVER. Why’d you do this to me?!

The most amazing book, it is such an underrated book 

Kelly Westraat 

The most amazing book, it is such an underrated book 

I loved it !!!! 

many people didn't like this book but honestly I related to some of the situations like her sisters not believing her and Sagan was amazing 

Loved it thought it changed my perspective on how I look at mental health

Madeleine Beaton

Caroll-Ann

It‘s such a good book. Especially the last chapters were amazing.

Leonor Ribeiro 

havana araia 

THIS BOOK. WOW. it’s definitely in my top 3. so much unfolded throughout the book and I loved all of the plot twists, they made the book even more interesting and exciting to read! i would definitely recommend this book, but make sure to look up the tw’s before reading it!

Jocelyn Smith &
Without Merit by Colleen Hoover

Reviews

Highlights

Join the club

Jocelyn Smith &Without Merit by Colleen Hoover

Reviews

Highlights

Join the club

Jocelyn Smith &
Without Merit by Colleen Hoover