Content levels
Hero archetypes
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Synopsis
*Not every mistake deserves a consequence. Sometimes the only thing it deserves is forgiveness.* The Voss family is anything but normal. They live in a repurposed church, newly baptized Dollar Voss. The once cancer-stricken mother lives in the basement, the father is married to the mother’s former nurse, the little half-brother isn’t allowed to do or eat anything fun, and the eldest siblings are irritatingly perfect. Then, there’s Merit. Merit Voss collects trophies she hasn’t earned and secrets her family forces her to keep. While browsing the local antiques shop for her next trophy, she finds Sagan. His wit and unapologetic idealism disarm and spark renewed life into her—until she discovers that he’s completely unavailable. Merit retreats deeper into herself, watching her family from the sidelines when she learns a secret that no trophy in the world can fix. Fed up with the lies, Merit decides to shatter the happy family illusion that she’s never been a part of before leaving them behind for good. When her escape plan fails, Merit is forced to deal with the staggering consequences of telling the truth and losing the one boy she loves.
Tags
Is Without Merit appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 14 and up.
Merit Voss navigates a dysfunctional family filled with secrets and lies while falling for an unavailable boy. Contains themes of family dysfunction, deception, and emotional turmoil, with mild romance and likely moderate language.
What to know going in
This book has no graphic violence, mild sexual content, and moderate language. Content notes include emotional abuse, family dysfunction, and deception (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teens will relate to Merit's struggle to find her place in a chaotic family while dealing with first love and discovering hard truths.