★★★☆☆
Merit, who collects random trophies she did not earn, lives in an old church with her siblings, mom, dad, and stepmom. While at the thrift store to purchase a trophy, Merit meets Sagan. Through a case of mistaken identity, the two share a passionate kiss. From there, we are embroiled in some serious family drama.
The book tackles several mental health issues as we learn what will happen between Merit and Sagan. It also makes the point that what you think you know about your parents and why they make certain choices may be entirely wrong.
“Not every mistake deserves a consequence. Sometimes the only thing it deserves is forgiveness.”
Colleen Hoover, Without Merit
Without Merit is a quick read, but it wasn’t one of my favorites by Hoover. It reads more like a young adult novel than the other Colleen Hoover books I’ve read. Several of the characters and some of the early events were initially so distractingly quirky that I felt like I was reading satire, which isn’t what I was looking for when I picked up this book by one of my tried and true authors. The book got more serious and came to a satisfying conclusion, which I always appreciate.
Even with its peculiar characters and strange setting, I’m not likely to remember much about Without Merit as time passes, which is what ultimately earns it a middle-of-the-road rating from me.
Visit the Colleen Hoover category to read my reviews of her books.