Without Merit

"Without Merit" is a novel by Colleen Hoover that was published in 2017. The story follows the life of a teenage girl named Merit Voss who is struggling to cope with the dysfunction in her family.

Merit lives in an old church with her parents, her stepmother, her twin sister, and her younger brother. Her parents are constantly fighting, her stepmother is overbearing, and her sister is the golden child who seems to have everything together. Merit, on the other hand, feels invisible and overlooked.

Things start to unravel when Merit falls for Sagan, her stepmother's boyfriend's son. As she spends more time with him, she begins to question her own identity and the way she has been living her life. At the same time, she discovers a family secret that threatens to tear them all apart.

Through the course of the novel, Merit learns to confront her own issues and to communicate with her family. She also discovers that things are not always as they seem, and that the people around her have their own struggles and secrets.

Hoover's writing is engaging and emotional, tackling themes such as mental health, identity, and family dysfunction. The characters are complex and flawed, making them relatable and human. The novel is told from Merit's perspective, allowing readers to experience her journey of self-discovery firsthand.

Overall, "Without Merit" is a thought-provoking and poignant novel that explores the complexities of family relationships and the importance of communication and understanding.