Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Without Merit by Colleen Hoover

13 reviews

alice593's review against another edition

emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I really liked this book but it was very hard to get through the first half and some of the stuff that happens can be really triggering and there were no trigger warnings but I did enjoy the second half of the book but I can see why others did not like it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Suicide attempt, Vomit, and Chronic illness

dailbrae's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Alcohol, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Cancer, Car accident, Grief, Medical content, and Terminal illness

Minor: Pregnancy, War, Animal death, Sexual assault, Vomit, Bullying, Alcohol, Incest, and Self harm

lakshita64's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, War, Chronic illness, Confinement, and Terminal illness

kat_rowlen's review against another edition

challenging emotional lighthearted sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Would make for a good beach read! Will this book win any literary awards? Probably not. Will it keep you entertained? Definitely! The chapters were too long, but I didn’t mind it as much as I normally would because I’d get so lost in the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Chronic illness, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Incest, Mental illness, and Animal death

pippamillerxoxo_'s review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Cancer, Drug use, Grief, Child death, Chronic illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Car accident, Death, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, and Vomit

graff_fuller's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

My daughter, Mathilde sent me this book to read. So, when that happens...you read it.

We have a connection with books. We don't always agree with each other, but usually we "get" each other.

This book is about a dysfunctional family (Married with Children level) that don't communicate with each other. That's us in a way, but I have to say...we are NOT this bad. Promise.

They live in a church...which is divided into four partitions. Father/new wife, older son, Merit and Honor. Their's an office in there, too. 

I liked the twin sisters storyline (Merit/Honor). They are are polar opposites in personality, Older brother that is aloof, Father/husband that seems spiteful and careless. His new wife lives on the first floor with their youngest son (and the rest of the family), while his ex-wife lives in the basement (but never comes up). Then add to the mix a friend named Sagan and a drifter who arrives at the house unannounced named Luck.

Also, the names in this book are very exotic. Utah, Merit, Honour, Moby, Barnaby, Victoria (twice), Sagan and Luck. Really? This is a menagerie of names. Not one that seems real.

The story deals with depression, and the struggles with a family that doesn't communicate, which complicates EVERYONEof their lives in individual ways.. 

This was FAST read. I immediately loved the protagonist, Merit. I knew that the title of the book would have significance (and it did). Also a great reveal towards the end of the book, well played.

I enjoyed the dynamic of the family, though it seemed a little TOO cartoonish, but by the middle of the book...I had been sucked in.

Odd characters would enter this familys orbit, but then find a home there...not just in the house, but they became intrical parts of the story. 

By the end...a poingant story had been told. The problems with miscommunication and how dangerous that can be. AND that we need to find a friend...that will always have our back. 

THis was an odd story, but i enjoyed it. Thanks Mathilde.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug abuse, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Chronic illness, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Animal death and Alcohol

reneeschauer's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt and Suicide

Minor: Infidelity, Mental illness, Cancer, and Chronic illness

nicolewithbooks's review against another edition

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Homophobia, Alcohol, Cursing, Grief, Gaslighting, Chronic illness, and Abandonment

Minor: Bullying, Body shaming, Terminal illness, and Cancer

Neglectful parents

lila_books's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Incest, and Drug use

Minor: Chronic illness and Incest

sophiecglenn's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Chronic illness, and Animal death