Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

Without Merit by Colleen Hoover

18 reviews

arthur_ant18's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Mental illness

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Sexual assault, Medical content, Outing, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Vomit, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Biphobia and Homophobia

amorales107's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Incest, and Vomit

Moderate: Animal death, Homophobia, and Infidelity

saraellenme's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.5

There are some interesting twists in this, but in general it was an overall bummer. The narrator is unlikable, and I know that’s the point, but listening to this book always soured my mood. It is also one of those books that ties up all the plot points neatly with a bow at the end. Very happily ever after.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Incest, Homophobia, Animal death, and Medical trauma

Minor: War, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Toxic relationship

rhianbailey's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Sexual harassment and Vomit

Minor: Cancer, Animal death, and Homophobia

book_dragon_'s review against another edition

emotional 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

1.5

It was bad.
Maybe I didn´t like it because I listened to it as audio book, maybe because I listened to it in German. or both.

Merit was unlikeable but in the worst possible way. She just assumed things and lived in her own parallel universe. She was just annoying and didn´t just ask how things really are. She also it totally ableistic and gives me some weird slightly homophobic vibes. In the beginning her biggest problems are that she 1st doesn´t really talk to anyone and 2nd that he never had sex. And that is basically what the first half of the book is about. Sex - or the fact that she is a virgin (which also comes with a lot of misinformation about the hymen).

Honor is just like Merit. Just annoying and aggressive. Yes she has a reason for dating half dead boys but she never explained them to Merit (till later in the book) which let to their hate for each other.

Utah (I don´t know how to write him) must have realised that there is a great distance between him and Merit. Just: Talk. To. Each. Other!!!!!!!!!!!

Victoria (the wife) never made an afford to be liked by the children. Yes the situation sucks and she´ll never be the real mother but that doesn´t change the fact that she should have been nice and loving to them.

The father just should´ve talked to the kids earlier.

The mother has her problems and should have talked to the kids.

Sagan is perfect. Aaaand that´s the problem. He is to perfect. But he also should run away from Merit because he deserves to much more than her and their non existing chemistry. 


The book is filled with slight homophobia, ableism, sex or the lacking of it and miscommunication.

I´m really disappointed because I read It Ends with Us at the same time and really loved it. 


(1,2 stars because it was bad and not horrible)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism and Homophobia

tml_emily's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Animal death, Biphobia, Car accident, Cancer, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Medical content, Outing, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

sarahmarie094's review against another edition

emotional fast-paced

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

2.5

This book was a ball and a half of confusion! First of all, the TROPES! Identical twins that are polar opposites, uninvolved parents (for different reasons) who are out of touch with their kids, an adorable baby brother, and a wayward nuisance neighborhood dog that everyone secretly loves. If you can think of a cliche, it’s probably done (at least in passing) in this book. 

I thought the pace of the book was a little too quick, if anything. I feel like Colleen Hoover could’ve easily split this book into at least two and built up some more details and thickened the plot. I really wish there was more resolution around Luck, Mother Victoria’s progress, Sagan and Merit, Honor’s obsession with sick guys, and at least a passing update on lil Moby. 

Still looking for the pull to Colleen Hoover. This is the second book I’ve read by her. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Mental illness, and Incest

Moderate: Infidelity, Outing, Terminal illness, and Vomit

Minor: Homophobia

catherinegnz's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt and Mental illness

Minor: Homophobia