Without Merit

Every family has secrets, but some are too heavy to carry alone.

Without Merit by Colleen Hoover is an emotionally layered, must-read contemporary novel about a girl stuck between the lies she tells and the truths she can’t escape. Seventeen-year-old Merit Voss lives in a house full of secrets—some hers, most not. With a quirky, dysfunctional family and a reputation for being the odd one out, Merit keeps her pain buried behind sarcasm and collected trophies she didn’t earn.

But when she meets Sagan, a boy who sees right through her facade, everything begins to unravel. As long-held truths surface and her mental health spirals, Merit is forced to face what she’s been running from—starting with herself.

Told with Colleen Hoover’s signature emotional depth and honesty, Without Merit is the best book for readers who appreciate complex characters, real-life struggles, and stories that challenge the idea of what it means to be “fine.” It’s raw, insightful, and ultimately, healing.