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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
I enjoyed this book - even though I'm only giving it 3 stars, it still managed to grip my attention and as I finished it, I found the closure I needed - I'm satisfied. But it's just not something I'd tell my friends, "oh my gosh, you HAVE TO read this"... it's more like, "Ah yeah, I enjoyed it." Def not a waste of your time if it's something you're looking to read; just don't expect a reinvention of the wheel.
adventurous
challenging
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Easy to read and I liked each chapter being written from a different point of view at first.
Over the course of the book I found it really difficult to read Asa’s chapters specifically, and to just come to terms with his portrayal. You are encouraged to hate Asa, to want him exiled, to want him just out of the picture because he was so mentally ill and it manifested in tragic ways. You could pinpoint the traumatic origins of his behaviors, yet he was still even more sinister. I wish the author didn’t villainize mental illness like that.
I also didn’t love how the legal system was portrayed. Nothing highlighting how Asa ended up dead because he was let down by the system. Instead of receiving treatment and support, he was pushed through the process with a lawyer who brushed off obviously incompetent manifestations. He never was given a chance ever.
Over the course of the book I found it really difficult to read Asa’s chapters specifically, and to just come to terms with his portrayal. You are encouraged to hate Asa, to want him exiled, to want him just out of the picture because he was so mentally ill and it manifested in tragic ways. You could pinpoint the traumatic origins of his behaviors, yet he was still even more sinister. I wish the author didn’t villainize mental illness like that.
I also didn’t love how the legal system was portrayed. Nothing highlighting how Asa ended up dead because he was let down by the system. Instead of receiving treatment and support, he was pushed through the process with a lawyer who brushed off obviously incompetent manifestations. He never was given a chance ever.
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Some books make you feel something long after you turn the last page..this wasn't one of them. The romance, was more insta-love than slow burn, making it hard to root for them.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Rape
⭐️ 3.0
Let me start by saying that I am not a Colleen Hoover fan. Her writing style just doesn’t do it for me, but somehow, Too Late ended up being my favorite of the four books I’ve read by her. That said, this book is dark... and I mean DARK. If you have any sensitivities, tread carefully because this one comes with a laundry list of content warnings.
What I did enjoy? The sheer amount of drama. It just kept escalating, and every time I thought, surely, this can’t get crazier, it absolutely did. The whole book gave me flashbacks to the Mexican telenovelas I grew up watching: so chaotic, messy, and impossible to look away from. I also liked that it completely called out the failures of the American judicial system. And the constant back and forth with Asa over whether he was actually crazy or just pretending to be kept me on the edge of my seat.
Now, onto the things that had me eye-rolling into another dimension (from here on out it's all spoilers!!):
The Spanish was wrong—and I mean painfully wrong. Look, how hard is it to find a fluent Spanish speaker instead of relying on Google Translate? The translations were technically correct but sounded unnatural. No one actually says "usted engaña" or "mi compañera de clase está correcta." I cringed every time.
The insta-love was unreal. These two fell in love after one 50-minute class? Be so freaking for real right now. Eye roll.
Sloan’s supposed intelligence vs. her actions. She’s smart enough to to outsmart Asa but didn’t think to contact her brother’s social worker years ago? Make it make sense.
Luke’s career timeline doesn’t add up. He’s 24 and supposedly has been in his field long enough to speak on experience? Bro, you graduated at most two years ago. How many co-ops could you have possibly done in that time?
Luke was selfish as hell. He knew being with Sloan would put everyone in danger, and yet… he went for it anyway. Their first kiss was in Sloan and Asa’s room. Then they had sex outside Asa’s house in the driveway like no one would notice a suspiciously rocking car. Come on. Y'all wanted to get caught.
The weird obsession with Sloan sleeping on her stomach. This was mentioned way too many times for something that is, objectively, not even that comfortable.
College tuition—who was paying for this?! Asa and Sloan both came from nothing, yet somehow, they both managed to attend college before Asa was a full-time criminal mastermind? I have so many questions.
Despite all my complaints… I couldn’t put it down. It was a hot mess, but I was invested. Like a bad reality show, I had to see how it all unfolded. Will I read more Colleen Hoover? Probably not. But if I had to, I’d hope it would be as unhinged as this one.
Let me start by saying that I am not a Colleen Hoover fan. Her writing style just doesn’t do it for me, but somehow, Too Late ended up being my favorite of the four books I’ve read by her. That said, this book is dark... and I mean DARK. If you have any sensitivities, tread carefully because this one comes with a laundry list of content warnings.
What I did enjoy? The sheer amount of drama. It just kept escalating, and every time I thought, surely, this can’t get crazier, it absolutely did. The whole book gave me flashbacks to the Mexican telenovelas I grew up watching: so chaotic, messy, and impossible to look away from. I also liked that it completely called out the failures of the American judicial system. And the constant back and forth with Asa over whether he was actually crazy or just pretending to be kept me on the edge of my seat.
Now, onto the things that had me eye-rolling into another dimension (from here on out it's all spoilers!!):
The Spanish was wrong—and I mean painfully wrong. Look, how hard is it to find a fluent Spanish speaker instead of relying on Google Translate? The translations were technically correct but sounded unnatural. No one actually says "usted engaña" or "mi compañera de clase está correcta." I cringed every time.
The insta-love was unreal. These two fell in love after one 50-minute class? Be so freaking for real right now. Eye roll.
Sloan’s supposed intelligence vs. her actions. She’s smart enough to to outsmart Asa but didn’t think to contact her brother’s social worker years ago? Make it make sense.
Luke’s career timeline doesn’t add up. He’s 24 and supposedly has been in his field long enough to speak on experience? Bro, you graduated at most two years ago. How many co-ops could you have possibly done in that time?
Luke was selfish as hell. He knew being with Sloan would put everyone in danger, and yet… he went for it anyway. Their first kiss was in Sloan and Asa’s room. Then they had sex outside Asa’s house in the driveway like no one would notice a suspiciously rocking car. Come on. Y'all wanted to get caught.
The weird obsession with Sloan sleeping on her stomach. This was mentioned way too many times for something that is, objectively, not even that comfortable.
College tuition—who was paying for this?! Asa and Sloan both came from nothing, yet somehow, they both managed to attend college before Asa was a full-time criminal mastermind? I have so many questions.
Despite all my complaints… I couldn’t put it down. It was a hot mess, but I was invested. Like a bad reality show, I had to see how it all unfolded. Will I read more Colleen Hoover? Probably not. But if I had to, I’d hope it would be as unhinged as this one.