Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
I attempted to read this when it was first released in 2017 and I think this was when I started to realize that I had grown out of Colleen Hoover books. It was boring. The characters were bland and dumb. Meh
challenging
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
NOTE: Swearing and spoilers.
Ok... Let's do this.
This book is a hot mess. Do you hear me? HOT. MESS.
And the worst part is it started off okay? I hated Merit pretty much from the beginning, and I found the family interactions to be... less than realistic, but I thought it was an average read. For a while.
But after finishing? I didn't even like enough about this book to do a true "parts I liked" segment. Seriously.
I felt like there was a lot of potential to develop Merit from a pretty terrible person into a less... terrible person. She had depression, she felt alone, I can relate to that. I really wanted to see her grow. And some of that was done, with the suicide attempt and her realizing she needed help. But mostly?? No.
And you know why? Oh, you know why.
Bc this book is fucking packed full of social issues it's trying to take on! Syrian refugee crisis, mental health, sexuality, you fucking name it and it's basically in this book. (Okay, I'm exaggerating. Slightly.) I just felt like it had the potential to be a decent book about teenage depression but instead it chose to be a terrible book about literally every social issue known to man. The end felt so rushed and preach-y and it didn't give each issue the time and attention it deserved. We got, what, 3 paragraphs on the Syrian refugee crisis? Max? And what, exactly, did that add to this book? It's not a central part of the plot, it doesn't get resolved for the happy ending, nothing happens with it, so why shoehorn it in there unless the point was to get as many social justice points as possible?
Ugh, this book just frustrated me. Writing this review was frustrating bc I had to think about this book.
TL;DR - read this book if you need a three-paragraph, mediocre, preachy rundown on all your fave social issues.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3/5/18: How did this get so bad so fast? Small rtc bc I have Shit To Say about this !!
Ok... Let's do this.
This book is a hot mess. Do you hear me? HOT. MESS.
And the worst part is it started off okay? I hated Merit pretty much from the beginning, and I found the family interactions to be... less than realistic, but I thought it was an average read. For a while.
But after finishing? I didn't even like enough about this book to do a true "parts I liked" segment. Seriously.
I felt like there was a lot of potential to develop Merit from a pretty terrible person into a less... terrible person. She had depression, she felt alone, I can relate to that. I really wanted to see her grow. And some of that was done, with the suicide attempt and her realizing she needed help. But mostly?? No.
And you know why? Oh, you know why.
Bc this book is fucking packed full of social issues it's trying to take on! Syrian refugee crisis, mental health, sexuality, you fucking name it and it's basically in this book. (Okay, I'm exaggerating. Slightly.) I just felt like it had the potential to be a decent book about teenage depression but instead it chose to be a terrible book about literally every social issue known to man. The end felt so rushed and preach-y and it didn't give each issue the time and attention it deserved. We got, what, 3 paragraphs on the Syrian refugee crisis? Max? And what, exactly, did that add to this book? It's not a central part of the plot, it doesn't get resolved for the happy ending, nothing happens with it, so why shoehorn it in there unless the point was to get as many social justice points as possible?
Ugh, this book just frustrated me. Writing this review was frustrating bc I had to think about this book.
TL;DR - read this book if you need a three-paragraph, mediocre, preachy rundown on all your fave social issues.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3/5/18: How did this get so bad so fast? Small rtc bc I have Shit To Say about this !!
This was a cute story, with lots of cute characters. Really good how it all comes together near the end.
Colleen Hoover gets a lot of hate for her books, mostly because of how she writes and the topics she chooses to write about. I’m sure this book is no exception to the hate she gets, however I’m not a Hoover Hater. She writes about real things. Things that are raw. Unfiltered. Real. Mental illness, abuse, fertility, miscarriage, etc. This book is no exception.
It’s the story of Merit Voss, who struggles with her body image and self love, and comparing herself to her twin sister, Honor.
This book is wild, heart wrenching, witty & more. It shows that not everyone comes from a perfect family. People have flaws. People have mental health issues. People struggle. It’s the story of being okay with those struggles, and finally getting help with them.
I hope that this book helps others with being okay with their flaws, and getting the help they need. It’s okay to not be okay. Depression, anxiety, sexuality, death, all mentioned in this book, as Merit finally comes to terms with who she is.
It shows that life is not all rainbows and butterflies and families can be really fucked up. It’s real. It’s raw, and it can be hard to read if you’re familiar with what’s going on. Colleen will never get hate from me with the things she chooses to write about, they are real issues that people struggle with. And it’s okay to do so.
It’s the story of Merit Voss, who struggles with her body image and self love, and comparing herself to her twin sister, Honor.
This book is wild, heart wrenching, witty & more. It shows that not everyone comes from a perfect family. People have flaws. People have mental health issues. People struggle. It’s the story of being okay with those struggles, and finally getting help with them.
I hope that this book helps others with being okay with their flaws, and getting the help they need. It’s okay to not be okay. Depression, anxiety, sexuality, death, all mentioned in this book, as Merit finally comes to terms with who she is.
It shows that life is not all rainbows and butterflies and families can be really fucked up. It’s real. It’s raw, and it can be hard to read if you’re familiar with what’s going on. Colleen will never get hate from me with the things she chooses to write about, they are real issues that people struggle with. And it’s okay to do so.
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Had to finally read a Hoover book. This was pretty tame in the romance department, which was what I was reading it for.
slow-paced
This was such a powerful book in so many ways. At first I thought it would be a cheesy romance but it wasn't at all. It was about finding herself in the world and overcoming everything that is thrown her way. This was a beautiful message about sexulaity, grief, love, and depression. I highly recommend this book. It shows how loving yourself first is the first step into having a happy life.
Reread ….. It's just so sad!
Reread ….. It's just so sad!
omg.....
did i ..... actually....give....a colleen hoover book...thrEE STARS. who am i.
I don't know why I didn't like this book as much (although I seriously couldn't put it down) BUT I JUST DIDN'T??? I still liked it though, just not as much as her other books.
did i ..... actually....give....a colleen hoover book...thrEE STARS. who am i.
I don't know why I didn't like this book as much (although I seriously couldn't put it down) BUT I JUST DIDN'T??? I still liked it though, just not as much as her other books.