★★★★/★★★★★
“Not every mistake deserves a consequence. Sometimes the only thing it deserves is forgiveness.”
So, I’ve probably said this a thousand times before that Colleen
Hoover is a brilliant writer because yes, she is! I love all her books
(even the ones I haven’t read, Lol) and now I can’t help but love her
even more. Without Merit is my latest read from Hoover and I still can’t
get over it until now. It’s one of the last books I finished last year.
Honestly, for me, it’s not Hoover’s best but it’s just as brilliant
as her other books! There are relatable characters, exciting storyline
and some unpredictable twists and turns. Also, I dove into the story
without really reading the plot so I’d no idea what to expect but I
trusted Hoover. Fortunately, Hoover never disappoints! I love every part
of the book and yes, I’m in love with Sagan, as I am with Hoover’s
other Male leads. Hahaha.
Without Merit deals with issues around a family who’s like any other.
A family with divorced parents, sibling rivalries and a wicked step
mom. It stars Merit Voss, a girl who feels left out because she doesn’t
know a thing about her family, or rather she knows everything about the
member of her family. There’s Barnaby Voss, her father who cheated on
his wife with his wife’s nurse. Victoria Voss, her mother who never
leaves the basement because she’s sick. Utah Voss, the older brother
with a secret that hurt Merit. Then there’s Honor Voss, Merit’s exact
opposite though they’re identical twins. The other Victoria, Victoria’s
(the first) nurse, the one Barnaby cheated with. And of course, there’s
Luck which I came to really love at first but ended up hating a lot!
Sagan, well, he’s the only normal character in the story, I guess, and
oh, the sweet innocent Moby too,, of course! Butspite having complicated
characters, they are all well-developed and I love how the story
unfolds. I can say I related much with the story and if anything, it
gives us a good message: it’ll surprise you how much communicating with
your family will strengthen your relationship with them!
“I like you enough to kiss you. Believe me. But I just wish you could like yourself as much as I like you.”
Merit and Sagan hit it off the first time they met and I’ll be
honest, it was a bit predictable but I didn’t care. I love how the story
went and every turn of the page was like “can’t you just get together
now please?!” because I was rooting for them from the very first page.
Anyway, I know I’m not really giving you an informative review but
there’s only one thing you need to know about this book: it’s crazy but
not far from the reality of some family out there.
