I'm completely flabbergasted after reading Without Merit. I went in with high expectations, having seen the rave reviews for this book and having previously enjoyed another book by Hoover. However, after reading this, I have to say it completely misses the mark on every single front for me.
To start, there is not a single likable character in this book. The narrator, Merit, is especially foul. She's selfish, rude, needy, immature, nosy, disrespectful... I could go on. Pretty much every bad characteristic you can think you, she is that. It's hard to be sympathetic to her at all. Every time someone tries to talk to her, she snaps back with something mean and rude, then spends all her time lamenting why people don't like her. She digs around and when she finds dirt on others and they ask her not to share, she makes a big fuss on having to hold their secret. She refuses to talk to people and when they don't pay attention to her, she throws herself pity parties. She obsesses over the sex she's never had and begrudges everyone else having sex. My eyes rolleth out of my head.
The other characters in here aren't any better. There's the guy who falls head over heels in love with Merit after seeing her for a few minutes, and then proceeds to follow her around like a lovesick puppy even though she is mean to him and everyone else around. She even pretends to be someone else just to trick him into kissing her, and he still likes her. There's the half-brother who cruelly makes fun of her virginity, but then they are all still buddies. There is her dad who seems not to notice or care that Merit is skipping school. The list goes on.
I can see that the author is trying to tackle the topic of depression with this book, but it comes across as saying depressed people are mean and cruel, but hey, they just need some hugs and everything will be ok.
One part of the book that is particularly disturbing is when someone outs a gay person, it comes across as homophobic. There is talk about the gay person trying to cure themselves by making out with a girl. I'm just speechless at this point.
This books tries to cover so much--mental illness, depression, suicide, homosexuality, bisexuality, divorce, cheating. At some point, it even explains the Syrian refugee crisis. It feels like everything is just thrown in there to manipulate the plot and for shock value. It ends up being a big old mess with no redeeming qualities.
Please, do yourself a favor and skip this book.
Readaroo Rating: 1 star
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