Without Merit: A Novel by Colleen Hoover (Epub)

Description

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.

User’s Reviews

Review “Emotionally wrenching and utterly original, Without Merit’s characters stayed with me long after I finished.” — Sara Shepard, New York Times bestselling author of the Pretty Little Liars series“Honest, funny, and heart wrenching, all spun together perfectly. I couldn’t put it down.” — Anna Todd, New York Times bestselling author of the After series“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)”Merit is complex and charming as she struggles with depression, and Hoover shines here as she reveals hope glowing within a house of dysfunction.” ― Booklist (5-star review)”Hoover has captured the insecurities that make us human in this unforgettable novel. . . A captivating and poignant story delving into the complexities of living in a house filled with turmoil, secrets, and mental illness, and the vulnerability it takes to lean on those we love in times of need.” ― RT Book ReviewsPraise for Colleen Hoover: Hoover joins the ranks of such luminaries as Jennifer Weiner and Jojo Moyes, with a dash of Gillian Flynn. Sure to please a plethora of readers. ― Library Journal (starred review)November 9 is yet another breathtaking novel by Colleen Hoover that’s full of blushing, gushing, and heartache. I loved every page and breathed in every beautiful word. — Anna Todd, New York Times bestselling author of the After seriesIf you haven’t read November 9 yet, then, apologies to your busy schedule, but you’re going to have to put everything down and spend the next day devouring it. ― RT Book Reviews, Seal of Excellence WinnerColleen Hoover’s one-of-a-kind style of storytelling shines with November 9… I dare you not to fall in love with Ben and Fallon. ― Vilma’s Book BlogColleen Hoover reminds readers that love is a fragile thing, built from courage, hope, and tears. Every person with a heartbeat should read this book. — Kami Garcia, #1 New York Times bestselling authorIt Ends with Us isn’t an ordinary love story. It will break your heart while filling you with hope,and by the end of this gripping, pulse-pounding novel, you’ll be smiling through your tears. — Anna Todd, New York Times bestselling author of the After seriesWhat a glorious and touching read, a forever keeper. The kind of book that gets handed down. ― USA TodayIt Ends with Us tackles [a] difficult subject…with romantic tenderness and emotional heft. The relationships are portrayed with compassion and honesty, and the author’s note at the end that explains Hoover’s personal connection to the subject matter is a must-read. Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of the survivors. ― Kirkus, Starred Review

Reviews from Amazon users, collected at the time the book is getting published on UniedVRG. It can be related to shiping or paper quality instead of the book content:

⭐ Without Merit is a young adult standalone from the great Colleen Hoover. I have read a couple of Colleen’s previous books and I enjoyed them both, but I haven’t read all of her books. (though they are on my TBR) Without Merit felt like a very different kind of read to me. It felt unexpected. It features a family that felt realistic in some ways and so hauntingly broken in other ways. There really isn’t a great way to describe Merit’s family. It is dysfunctional and atypical, that’s for sure. Without Merit is the kind of book that you can’t stop reading, because you have to know what direction the story is going to veer off to next. For starters, merit’s family lives in a church. View Spoiler » But her family living in a church is only the tip of the iceberg with them. Honestly, I really enjoyed the zany ride that Without Merit took me on. I can honestly say, I have not read a single book like this one out there.Without Merit is told entirely from Merit’s point of view, which I found to be the perfect narration method to tell this story. I really enjoyed getting to know Merit. Right from the moment she told her trophy stealing story. I thought it was hilarious. That is what I think I love most about Colleen Hoover’s stories….she does not shy away from talking about really difficult subject matter. And without Merit deals with a lot of tough themes, but there are always zany moments to balance out the difficult. Without Merit had so many funny characters and conversations and really interesting personalities that this story never felt overly dark or depressing to me. It felt like life. Life is sometimes tough, and sometimes dark but there are also moments of levity. Colleen Hoover is the queen of balancing tough subject matter with big personalities and moments of levity. It is why I have enjoyed all of the books I have read from her. And why I want to read more.Without Merit is a story that should be read. I know it made me stop and think at multiple points while I was reading it. Yes, I enjoyed the romance and yes Merit is a completely unique and utterly fascinating character, but the book felt totally fresh to me, as a whole, which is what I loved most about it. If you are looking for a flat out great read, pick up Without Merit. I can’t wait to see what you think of the story.

⭐ It literally pains me to type this but I did not like this book. Sagan and Merit had insta love and nothing ever really justified it. The theme was relatively weak. I felt like symptoms of depression were shoved down my throat. Maybe if I had been in a younger age bracket it would have elicited more emotion from me? It really felt like an after school special on depression and dysfunctional families in novel form.I love Colleen Hoover and all of her other books have always made me feel but this one left me feeling flat.

⭐ I’m a huge Colleen Hoover fan and have read all of her amazing, captivating novels but sadly this book did not have her signature style of writing. I wanted to love the book with its complexities and character development but it didn’t happen for me. I think too much of the novel ( around 60% ) of it was spent trying to make you understand the main characters family and sadly because of this, it felt stale, dragged on and made me want to skip pages. I completely understand that as a reader we should have a feel for all the characters and it’s essential in order to built a plot but there was a lot of fluff that the reader didn’t need to know.Having said that, the last 40% of the book was what you would expect a Colleen Hoover book would be. I’m still a Colleen Hoover fan and will most likely buy every book she will ever write because I know she’s an amazing writer and not everyone can create masterpieces every single time. It just so happens that this book fell a little short for my taste. This is an honest review …. I will repeat I’m a HUGE FAN …. sorry I didn’t like this Book…. I tried really hard to love it …. I even bought the audible version with the Ebook so I could force myself to not skip pages.

⭐ I have loved this author’s work since I first read Slammed. With each book thereafter, I have come to appreciate and respect her immense talent and the care she puts into each story. She tackles tough issues with such grace and respect. In the last few years, our community has been hurt deeply by several unexpected and “seemingly” meaningless suicides. This book not only sheds light on how perspectives can be so wrong and come between our relationships with others, but it also reveals how insidious depression and anxiety can be. There is some kind stigma that makes people feel that they are “weak” or “damaged” if they admit to feelings of depression or anxiety. Until we can openly admit that we all have those times in our lives, we will continue to unnecessarily lose friends and family. Thanks for sharing your talent to help shed light on this important issue.

⭐ Without Merit is a brilliantly written, coming of age, young adult story. This book centers around a family, with many problems and secrets, hidden and never spoken about.There are two twin sisters, Honor, who is more sociable than Merit, who stays to herself, and is having a problem dealing with secrets, both of her own and others that she has observed.They have an older brother, who is suffering with his own set of secrets and problems. One of these secrets he has involves Merit, who he almost molested when she is twelve .Their mother lives with them and does not ever come out of the basement, she suffers from extensive depression. she is divorced from their dad, while he is remarried to a younger woman, who he got pregnant while she was the attending nurse for his wife! Add all this to the mix and you have the Voss family.This book has so much emotional angst and I felt a range of emotions from laugh out loud hilarity to heartbreaking sadness and anger at the way they are not paid attention to or given any kind of guidance throughout the story. Merit is attracted to a young man named Sagan and she thinks he is one of her sister Honor’s many boyfriends, however since they speak only when necessary, she doesn’t realize at first that he lives there because her Dad lets him!Their father’s second wife lives with him in the house and they have a little boy who is so much younger than the older kids. However they all love him, and look out for him. Add their stepmother’s younger brother who shows up there and gets along with all of the family except his sister, and the stage is set.A huge incident happens that initially sends everyone reeling in different ways, and directions, but yet the author is able to show how out of the power of love this family reshapes itself into a better stronger group of people now ready to move forward together with strength, purpose and determination.I gave this book 5***** stars, and just have to say Colleen Hoover is a great writer and no matter who or what she writes about, it is always a great read!

⭐ I enjoyed Without Merit, it is different in someways from Colleen Hoovers other books. But like her other books deals with situations that are relevant to day. Disfunctional families, depression, forgiveness.Another important thing is perceptions, the families perceptions on each other and our perception of the story as it unfolded. One thing of many that I have learned in the last year is perception is everything. You may think you are doing something good and right, ther person you are helping may perceive it in a totally different light. We need to reach in and be more sensitive and observant. Another thing is forgive if for no other reason then to allow your self to move on.Thank you Colleen for another great book

⭐ “So many secrets in this house. And yet, the one secret I should have told years ago is the one I’ve kept the quietest.”Colleen Hoover is one of the queens of modern day romance. She always takes on dark topics and provides the reader with unexpected twists that will rip your heart out. I’ve read and enjoyed almost everything she’s written, but Without Merit is a different beast.I keep seeing reviewers say that this is a coming of age story, which is true, but this book is so much more than that. This book is about depression; the ugly, the bad, the denial, the finding out, the coping, the normalcy, the everyday living. This book is so important. More important than I could possibly find words for. This is a heavy book about mental health, and its equal parts quiet and loud at the same time. The story itself has me torn between four and five stars, but I’m going to give this five stars because I wish I could put this book in the hands of every young adult.Trigger warnings for depression, suicide, drug and substance abuse, childhood trauma, and a somewhat outing (maybe, questionable, I’m not sure, but I still feel it is important to mention).But, let me scream from the rooftops: this book has pansexual representation. Like, I’m not sure if you guys know how rare it is to see that on the page still in 2017, but it is. It’s a side character, but this character still plays a pretty big and impactful part in this story. I was in tears when I read it, and I think Colleen Hoover so damn much for adding this into an already important and impactful book.“Labels were invented for people like you who can’t grasp a reality outside of a defined gender role. I like what I like. Sometimes I like women, sometimes I like men. A few times I’ve liked girls who used to be guys. Once I liked a guy who used to be a girl.” He pauses. “I liked him a lot, actually. But that’s an after-school special for another day.”Without Merit has one of the best first chapters I’ve ever read, out of any of the genres I’ve read, from any book I’ve read. And, guys, I’ve read a lot of first chapters. From the opening line to the last line, I was so immersed and so completely enthralled in this story and, more importantly, with Merit.“I have an impressive collection of trophies that I did not win”Merit is a very unusual girl, with a very unusual living situation. Her father, out of spite, bought a church and revamped it into a house for their family to live in.“No one would be able to determine from the outside of our house that our family of seven includes an atheist, a home wrecker, an ex-wife suffering from a severe case of agoraphobia, and a teenage girl whose weird obsession borders on necrophilia. No one would be able to determine any of that from inside our house, either. We’re good at keeping secrets in this family.”Merit also collects trophies that she did not win. She stole her first after something hurtful happened to her, and ever since she has been getting them every time she has a significant bad thing happen to her. Merit is feeling more fed-up than usual, and decides to peruse an antique store, because there is a certain trophy she has had her eye on for quite some time that will maybe fill the void she is feeling at this moment. And in this antique store, she crosses paths with a boy named Sagan, who ends up changing her life.“Out of all the places we could be, we’re right here. At the same time.”Merit is carrying a lot of sadness, most of which she doesn’t realize she is carrying. This book is centered around depression, but it’s also about perspective. This story is told only in Merit’s point of view, and we get to see how loneliness is easy to feel, even when you do live in a house with many different people. Yet, Merit is a borderline unreliable narrator. Well, she isn’t, but it’s just like when you read Harry Potter, why does Gryffindor look like the best house and why do Slytherins look so evil? Well, it’s because you’re reading this story told from Harry’s perspective. The same goes for Without Merit, you are reading these events form Merit’s perspective, not the other members of her family.Also, this story is so important because it talks about how every single person is fighting their own battles and trials. Just because you feel like “someone has it worse than you” doesn’t make your situation less. Everyone feels things differently, everyone accepts differently, everyone copes differently. I loved how this book brought this up, and how we should never use “so and so has it worse than me” as a way to rationalize and ignore what we are really feeling and experiencing.I guess I should also touch on the romance in this book, because it is a CoHo book! The romance in this is beautiful. There are no steamy scenes or anything like that, but the romance is prevalent from chapter one. But the relationship between Merit and Sagan is a healthy and supportive one that I think is pretty important for teens to read about.“A person can’t help their attraction to another person, but a person can help their actions toward another person.”As for the negative things about this book. I am not sure if I like the way the agoraphobia was handedly in this book. I can speak for days on own voices pan and depression rep, but I don’t feel comfortable speaking about agoraphobia. I will say that some of the statements towards the person made me a little uncomfortable, and just in general I just didn’t love the way this character and all the aspects of their mental health were treated. Also, if I find an own voices agoraphobia review, I will totally link it here! And if you guys find one, please link it in my comments!Another thing that made me a little uncomfortable is a MILD SPOILER: There was an almost sex scene between a seventeen-year-old and a twenty-year-old. Like, I know this is okay in some states, also, they did not actually have sex, but I was still a little uncomfortable reading it. Also, I think it’s important to mention, because I know many readers would like to know this going in.And the last thing I disliked was the big reveal to the secret that Merit has been holding on to and trying to suppress for years and years. I know things like this happen, and I know they are uncomfortable to read about, because we as a society sweep “dark” things under the rug, but I just didn’t like the reveal. I wish it was something different, maybe even worse than what it was. Yet, I still think the problem was important, and something that probably should be talked about A LOT more. And like, this book really is a love letter to communication, and how important communication in any and all relationships is. Sexual relationships, parental and child relationships, sibling relationships, any kind of relationship.“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.”But besides these three things, I really loved this book. And I think it’s the second most important book I’ve read all year. Plus, like, Colleen Hoover is such a good writer. People can talk about the problematic elements and toxic masculinity in some of her books, but Colleen Hoover has one of the best contemporary lyrical proses out there. She’s probably only second best to Tarryn Fisher. (Colleen is going to hate this comment if she ever sees this review!) Her words are magical, and addicting, and I always am able to read her books in a 24-hour period, because I just can’t put them down. And the writing in Without Merit is no exception, it is absolutely beautifully crafted and written as well.“I also don’t trust people who claim for a classic to be their favorite novel. I think they’re lying just to sound educated, or they simply haven’t read another book beyond high school English requirements.”And I also feel the need to just gush a little bit about the character of Merit and my undying and unwavering love for her. I know I called her a bit of an unreliable narrator up above, but she is easily one of the best protagonists I’ve have the pleasure of reading in 2017. I feel like everyone can at least see a little bit of themselves in Merit, even if they’d rather pretend that they don’t.This book, these characters, this family, and this story means so very much to me. Pick this book up. Give this book to your kids. Share this book with everyone you know. Then talk about the topics and discussions. We need to normalize depression, because it really is just that; normal. It’s just like needing glasses, or being lactose intolerant, it’s a normal thing that happens way more frequently than we think, because people stigmatize it so much. And for the record, you don’t have to be sad or suicidal to have depression. We need to also normalize therapy and talk about how important seeking help for mental illness is! And all of these conversations can save lives. Please pick up this book.

⭐ I love all things CoHo. But this book might be my new fave from her.We meet the Voss family. They live in an old church. There’s a big Jesus on the wall. There are quotes daily on the marquis outside on the church sign. Mr. Voss lives on the main floor with his 2nd wife, Victoria, and their son, Moby, along with his children from his first marriage. His first wife, also Victoria, lives in the basement. Sounds interesting huh?Merit Voss is our main character. She’s a twin (her twin is Honor – Merit & Honor). They couldn’t be more different. And Merit collects trophies. She doesn’t win them. She collects them. The first she stole from her first boyfriend when he broke up with her after (during?) a makeout session. Anytime she’s feeling down, she buys herself one from a thrift store. It’s an odd collection, but there it is!I found myself loving Moby just because he was young and innocent and didn’t care about all the secrets and drama and what if. And Sagan, despite his own worries and issues, he took the time to see and really care about what was going on with Merit.Ohhhh and the secrets. The Voss family has enough secrets to keep a confessional going in the church for days. The whole town thinks they are odd and crazy. And they don’t know the half of it.The story unfolds in such a way that you can’t wait to find out “what next” with the Voss family. And just when you think you figured out what is going on, CoHo unfolds more and you realize that you had no clue. Merit’s letter to the family stirs up everything and makes them all confront and deal with all that has been simmering for years.This book is definitely a “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” story and makes you realize that people have many layers and we should take the time to dig deep and see what is really going on rather than just assume we know by the outer layer alone.

⭐ I’m not quite sure what to say about this book. I wanted to love it, but I didn’t. I didn’t hate it either, though. Without Merit fell in the realms of “Huh…Well, that was interesting.” Interesting because I didn’t have strong feelings about it one way or the other.When Without Merit started off, I was a little surprised at the writing. It wasn’t what I have come to expect from Colleen Hoover. I’m not sure if that’s because this book was marketed as a YA novel (I still think it falls in the NA category, but that’s just me.), or because it felt almost like a one big stream of consciousness. I felt like I was living in Merit’s rambling brain, and it was a little exhausting. I did get some relief when she was interacting with other characters. Thank goodness.I didn’t immediately like Merit. It’s probably safe to say that I never liked her at all. I never connected with her. I understood her thoughts and feelings and how her life was shaped, but that didn’t endear her to me. She had some hard truths to deal with, and I commend her for finally standing up for herself and telling her family how she felt. Setting herself free allowed her to grow and make new discoveries about the life she lived.As for the other characters, I didn’t like them either. They were just as messed up as Merit. I was curious about their secrets, though. That’s probably what kept my attention. I needed to know who they were and what they had done. Well, I did like Sagan. He seemed like a great guy and his advice was priceless.Without Merit touches on some tough topics, and it did that in a way I haven’t seen before. Whether or not it will resonate with readers is hard to say. I liked the outcome of the story, but I felt like so many things were glossed over too quickly. Mainly Merit’s depression. I won’t go into it too much because I don’t want to give anything away, but I didn’t feel like her condition and her actions were taken seriously enough. Maybe that’s because everyone in the story was messed up. I don’t know. I did like the advice Merit was given toward the end and how the truth changed how she perceived everything.Without Merit most likely isn’t going to be one of those books everyone falls in love with. It’s one of those books you have to read for yourself and craft your own opinions about. I am sure there are going to be a ton of people this book helps with healing. There’s going to be another set of people it alarms. I don’t feel there’s a right or wrong way to feel about this book. It just didn’t have much impact on me personally.

⭐ This is an absolute spoil free review!What did I just read? Really? What WAS that? Although it is a young adult story, I found the topic a bit mature. The buildup is slow, for me, almost tortuously slow.The Voss family has a lot going on. Nothing about them is ordinary. From their names to their house nothing is what it seems. Lies, love, luck, and craziness is their normal. Quirky has been the go-to word to describe them. I loved them! They are each unique in their own way. Almost like a “band of misfits”. However, sometimes what appears on the outside is not always what is on the inside. The humor….outstanding! The setting???? Speechless. I don’t think I’ve ever been speechless after a Hoover book.“Sometimes you get stuck with family members that do nothing but make mistakes they never have to apologize for.”I hit the mother-load at 60% in. Ahhh. The direction. The waters became clear. I can see the lighthouse! The light at the end of the tunnel. Whoa. Wow. Why didn’t I read between the lines!There are parts of the book that are parallel to Colleen Hoover’s life and they are awesome! The description of the town square and the Bookworm Box. She even wrote herself into a scene! Of course only a true CoHort fan will recognize and appreciate those tidbits.In the midst of everything is a life lesson, found amongst all of the craziness and “quirkiness” of day to day life of the Voss family.I can say that Colleen Hoover is one of the most genuine writers I have ever read. She puts it all out there for us to devour. She makes us think, reflect.So, I sit here and digest it all…… Colleen Hoover remains a forever 1 click author. You will never read the same story twice and you will always find yourself saying, “what a clever idea for a story!” Usually followed by “Why didn’t I think of that!”This book will stay with you for days. It will marinate in your head as it is digested. And an FYI to Colleen Hoover: this is not a light and fun YA book!“Not every mistake deserves a consequence. Sometimes the only thing a mistake deserves is forgiveness.”5 stars!

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