BOOK REVIEW
Title: Without Merit
Author: Colleen Hoover
Pages: 362 pages
Genre: Family and relationships
Language: English Available formats: paperback, ebook, hardcover
Review:
I was too much skeptical of picking up this book, after the not-so-satisfying reads of the first two books I read by Colleen Hoover; ‘Finding Cinderella’ and ‘Maybe not’, reviews of which will be posted in a while. While many might have loved those books, it was not my cup of tea. I wouldn’t say I hated it, but somewhere I couldn’t come to terms with it. When the scene popped up, where Sagan kisses Merit, I was like ‘oh, there it goes again’. But as I proceeded to read, I was amazed. I felt I was being too judgmental.
‘Without merit’ is a beautiful piece of fiction that revolves around the female protagonist, Merit. The importance of depression is very well portrayed in this story. In the first half of the story, when I read from Merit’s perspective, I felt the pain and frustration of Merit. I held the same anger she felt toward her family. I was being too narrow-minded and never once felt that she was the one at fault or that maybe she had perceived things the wrong way. I’m dumbfounded by the author’s narration style. The story and the characters are portrayed so well that it makes the readers feel what the author intended.
The author has steered the plot so that one can’t guess how the story might end or what might transpire as the story flows. Every scene was well depicted and it made me read more and more. Coho’s narration and writing style are pretty much simple and easy to understand. She interestingly addresses normal things. Holding on to too many secrets and the toll it has on one’s mental health is brought out well. Anxiety and depression, may not look like what it seems to be. One must understand the importance of that and know how to come to terms with it and deal with it.
Acknowledging that one has a mental issue is of more importance that the course of treatment. The protagonist’s character emphasizes these things very subtly yet strongly. I liked the portrayal of other characters too. One has to understand that there’s more to a person than what they show themselves to be. All the characters in the story are well-built, and the role they play as the story progresses is amazing. I can say ‘fucking dazed’ in terms of Sagan. I loved the characters Sagan and Luck. None of the characters felt like they weren’t needed in the plot. I felt connected to every character and felt their emotions very well.
The book’s blurb is perfectly intriguing to make one pick this. The cover is simple and aptly suits the plot. Not to forget the title, the part where it makes sense in the story is mind-blowing. When I started reading, I felt okayish and wasn’t sure if I should proceed. But as the story progressed, I was curious to know what would happen and as it ended, I was like ‘wow!’. I loved the perfect happy ending and couldn’t want more of this. The story is beautiful and perfect in its own way. I’m now eager to read the complete works of Colleen Hoover.
“Not every mistake deserves a consequence. Sometimes the only thing it deserves is forgiveness”
Without Merit, Colleen Hoover
To all writers out there wondering how to make your book a best-seller;
“It doesn’t depend on the uniqueness of the story. It depends on how you make the readers feel. Feel and write from your heart.”
CASCADING WORDS 