Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Without Merit by Colleen Hoover

29 reviews

lindsayvale's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, 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

---

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.

---

Content Warnings

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

Minor: Animal death and Alcohol

saoirse10's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

4.5

MINOR SPOILER ->

Great book ,a good few plot twists which is always a plus but on many occasions religion has been discriminated against by the characters in this book.Near the end of the book it became quite cringey by the way characters would talk (flirt) with eachother.Apart from the above it was an easy book to get through and I would recommend.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Vomit

Moderate: Medical content, Cancer, Alcohol, Animal death, Medical trauma, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Panic attacks/disorders

nicolewithbooks's review against another edition

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

2.0

---

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

missrosymaplemoth's review against another edition

1.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Outing

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Cancer, and Death

Minor: Alcohol, Cursing, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Homophobia, and Vomit

isco1428's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Death, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Animal death

aryexo's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad 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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Self harm, Animal death, Mental illness, and Infidelity

garabear's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, and Suicide attempt

zchaensich's review against another edition

emotional funny medium-paced

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

3.5

I enjoyed this book. I think the ending especially was really well done and left me feeling like the plot and conflicts were thought out. I didn't feel myself pulled to it and anxious to find out more, and that is what really catches my attention. I think it was a little slow to start, but once the action started happening it was interesting to read. I feel like all of the characters I liked, but none of them I really cared for and was rooting for. I generally felt indifferent to them until the very end, when I was happy there was some resolution. I enjoyed the book and it was entertaining, but definitely isn't my favorite Colleen Hoover book. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Mental illness

Moderate: Incest and Animal death

Minor: Homophobia