Too Late by Colleen Hoover
published 2023
I did an extended article for the i newspaper about the Colleen Hoover phenomenon last year – you can see it here – and am fascinated by her and her startling booksales, her interesting books, the way young woman react to her, and the role of social media in her success.
So obviously I wanted to review her latest book, Too Late – which isn’t
wholly new, but is a tidied up and edited version of a book she originally
revealed chapter by chapter on the internet a good few years ago.
It is a strange and slightly disturbing book – but one that
I’m sure her readers will love. But it has trigger warnings, and is definitely
not for her younger readers.
The review is here in the i:
You can view a small number of articles for nothing each
month before they disappear behind a paywall.
It is interesting, I think, how some authors become phenomena like that, Moira. If I'm being honest, this one's too much on the dark and graphic side for my taste, but I give her credit for taking an innovating approach to getting her work out there.
ReplyDeleteYes indeed Margot - there may be some strange content there, but Hoover herself seems a delight, and you have to hand it to her: she found her audience.
DeleteI am definitely not the demographic this is aimed at! Chrissie
ReplyDeleteDefinitely not! Reading about her, I discovered a genre of books called New Adult Fiction - have you come across that (it's in my i article)? It is very targeted fiction, and raises all kinds of interesting questions. I didn't have space to go into it - but there is an idea that many readers only want to read about lead characters who resemble themselves. I simultaneously think that anything that has people reading is great, and that also its a shame not to enjoy everything the world of fiction has to offer.
DeleteI recently read an article about Hoover and was just as puzzled about her appeal when I finished it but I agree that anything that inspires people to read is good (well, nearly anything; there are some nonfiction political books that are just full of lies and I remember when I worked in publishing we were happy we hadn't published an OJ Simpson book, then got stuck with one (and it didn't even sell - double insult)). Some of the New Adult Fiction is simply targeted to take advantage of or reach those who read young adult novels, presuming they are 18-18 or so, but I know lots of people my age who read YA.
ReplyDeleteI didn't love this one, but she really is not bad as an author, she can hold a story together. But the massive attention and sales for her seem to be more of a matter of luck than anything else, she was in the right place at the right time. She does seem to be a very nice person though - funny, self-deprecating.
DeleteThere are plenty of us who will read anything if we hear that it is good, or just interesting, but if classifying books and introducing new genres makes it easy for people to find books they like, then I am all in favour.
I was surprised that you were saying that only young people would have heard of her books (in the article) but then I realized that she is an American author. I have heard of her (a lot) but had only wondered about what she was writing. I don't usually follow up on popular books without something to push me in that direction. So I was curious and for now my curiosity is satisfied. I would not be interested in this particular book but maybe something else she wrote.
ReplyDeleteShe has a huge range Tracy, and many different genres, so there is sure to be something for you to try some time!
DeleteI am interested that people in America do know of her. Here in the UK I have yet to meet anyone of my generation who has heard of her. I quite dread their saying 'what/who have you been writing about?' because I have to embark on explaining who Colleen Hoover is... and they look blank.