Colleen Hoover quickly became one of my favorite authors in 2015. With just a few of her books under my belt, I knew I would follow her wherever she went. When Without Merit was announced, I preordered it immediately. It truly didn't matter what the book would be about...I'd read it no matter what.
As the release date got closer and bloggers were reviewing their ARCs, there was a common theme in each review: This book is different from her other books.
Sometimes, that's a good thing. Many people enjoyed It Ends With Us, despite disliking her previous books. But in this case, for me at least, I don't think it's working in her favor. Reviews are still at a good average, but I noticed that even the biggest CoHorts were not afraid to give this book a 1 star review.
Without Merit is Hoover's first "YA" book in a long time, and it is the most "YA" book she's ever written (I'm putting YA in quotes because it isn't technically cataloged or promoted as such). Merit, our MC, is 17 years old and dealing with the secrets and sullied reputation of her mixed up family. On top of that, she has quickly fallen for her twin sister's boyfriend after a moment of mistaken identity. Hoover is known for throwing a lot of angst, humor, heart, and emotion into her books. The foundation was set, but it never blew me away.
The book deals with a lot of issues, almost to the point where there are too many to focus on. Mental illness seems to be the one Hoover chose to address the most. That being said, and considering a serious event that takes place around the middle of the book, I don't think it was handled in the best way. While I'm not personally offended by the way the material was handled, I do think some people might think a serious situation was glossed over or not taken care of in the best possible way, and those feelings are valid.
As I read this, I kept trying to find CoHo's voice and it had me thinking about authors who use pen names to write different novels. I almost feel like this book belongs under someone else's name and not in CoHo's repertoire. It makes me wonder, though...if someone other than Colleen Hoover wrote this (or she wrote under a different name and no one knew the identity), would I have even tried to read it? Would I have finished it? I'm not so sure.
Overall
Halfway there. I read this during a stressful time when reading wasn't easy to do, and I think that shows that her books are easy to dive into and compel you to finish them (as always). But the heart, soul, swoons, and smiles that usually come with a Hoover novel just weren't all there for me. Here's to the next one!
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