Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Without Merit by Colleen Hoover

28 reviews

kotashomelibrary's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny mysterious medium-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Animal death, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Death, and Alcohol

Minor: Infidelity, Incest, Grief, Car accident, and Gaslighting

lcintron10's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

1.0

After listening to the book I wasn’t moved by the book. The end sucked and there was no trigger warning.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Vomit, Mental illness, and Drug use

daydaybookbay's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

I had a tough time relating to Merit since I was on the outside looking in. This wasn't a twisty book, but when all the secrets were revealed, I had to finish reading. I would be interested in more YA novels by CoHo.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Mental illness, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Vomit, Grief, and Infidelity

Moderate: Car accident, Outing, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Incest, Cancer, Drug use, and Bullying

Minor: Child death and Death

karifaye's review against another edition

hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Drug use, Cancer, and Animal death

viktoriadoyle's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense medium-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

4.0

 
The characters in this book are captivating and leave you constantly pondering their personalities and true identities. Each character harbors secrets that come as shocking revelations. What sets this family apart is their unique dynamic, as imperfect individuals grappling with their own hidden struggles. One aspect I particularly appreciate is how the author provides resolutions for each character's problems, delving into their complexities throughout the story. It's refreshing to see these issues being openly addressed and discussed. For instance, the exploration of Merit's suicidal attempt and her initial denial of being depressed was thought-provoking. As the story progresses, her journey towards healing is portrayed through Luck's list and her realization that everyone is striving to overcome challenges, while emphasizing that there is no shame in being depressed. Sagan's maturity is another highlight, as he navigates Merit's complex personality with patience and encourages her to love herself before pursuing their unspoken connection. This book is truly remarkable, leaving readers with lingering thoughts long after they finish reading. The intensity at the beginning gradually eases towards a satisfying resolution, which is a testament to the author's skillful storytelling. I wholeheartedly recommend this book, although it's important to note that there are trigger warnings associated with it. It offers profound insights into various life issues and prompts honest contemplation.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt

Moderate: Animal death, Grief, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, and Drug use

Minor: Body shaming

spkysi's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective relaxing sad fast-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness

Minor: Alcohol, Cancer, Drug use, and Suicide attempt

carolineee_86's review against another edition

reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Vomit, Alcohol, Drug use, and Suicidal thoughts

ellissej's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

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

3.0

This was a promising concept but one too many tropes were included. The characters were almost trying too hard to be complex and so lacked complexity in any authentic way. Certain of the characters, like Victoria - the stepmother, seemed to be "throw away" characters and it would have been great to have had more of her perspective and story told. I found the titular character completely unlikeable and found it problematic that her growth centred so wholly around her relationship with Sagan. Her attempted suicide was clumsily handled and inauthentic and it felt as though the story ended before it was actually over or fully told, I think it would have benefited from a proper epilogue. It also really bothered me the way the Syrian conflict was referenced in Sagan's backstory. The author had a great opportunity to also help educate people about this conflict and missed an opportunity to include resources at conclusion of the novel (as she did with the suicide / depression support). Probably my last Colleen Hoover book as this is now the fourth or fifth one that I've not quite enjoyed.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Cancer, Mental illness, Self harm, and Suicide attempt

_issazeppa12's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Cancer

binta_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

i liked this book. i really did. but the thing is that all hoover books have the same plot- some people meet each other, they have complications and they call in love throughout the story. It’s the same plot in different fonts. i really did love this book, i love how dark it is at first then how it moved to the positive sides of the voss family 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use