What do you think?
Rate this book
Never Too Late
When Amber Portwood debuted on MTV’s hit reality series 16 & Pregnant, no one could have predicted that the teenager from Anderson, Indiana with the dry sense of humor would go on to become one of the most controversial young celebrities in reality TV history. But soon after Amber stepped into the public eye, her life spiraled into chaos. From her struggles with anxiety, depression and addiction to her brutal onscreen fights with her boyfriend, Amber seemed a troubled young woman destined to destroy herself. And that was all before she shocked everyone by sending herself to prison for seventeen months! But behind Amber Portwood’s shocking behavior is a story the cameras never captured. It’s a story of hardship and hope, of relationships torn apart by tragedy and addiction and put back together with strength, love and determination. After years of losing herself in a daze of sex, drugs and depression, Amber made the decision to stand up and do whatever it took to save her life, her family, and herself. With her trademark honesty and dry sense of humor, Amber tells the real story of how she learned to deal with the demons that nearly destroyed her. Never Too Late sends a powerful message that no matter how far down a person might fall, it’s never too late to get back up and change the future.
151 pages, Hardcover
First published August 21, 2014
83 people are currently reading
1499 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
May 21, 2015
DISCLAIMER: I have never watched reality tv. I have no idea who Amber Portwood is - I don't know her from Eve. I have never seen a video clip of her or any footage. This review is of the BOOK and the content of the BOOK and nothing more.
...
I really enjoyed this book.
Is it well-written? No. Don't read this expecting any kind of elegant writing style or prose. Portwood talks to you as if you are her friend, she says "gonna," and swears occasionally.
Why, if you haven't ever watched reality TV and don't know this person, are you reading her book and giving it 4 stars? Isn't she just a trashy reality TV star who is wild and out of control and a druggie who was in prison and someone who makes poor decisions? Wasn't she on that show Teen Mom? Didn't she have a baby at 16? Etc. etc. etc. etc.
I picked this up purely by chance when I was in the bookstore. I was bored and waiting for some friends and decided to start reading it. I could not put it down. I found myself nodding and making sounds of agreement with a lot of things this girl was saying.
It would be easy for me to judge. Sitting in the expensive-coffee-chain section of national-book-store-chain store sipping on my caramel latte and reading about some girl who grew up “poor and sad” in Indiana.
I really, really relate to this girl. I can completely understand how her life turned out this way and why she made the decisions, both good and bad, that lead her to who she is today.
This girl is a fuck-up.
Well, we're all fuck-ups, aren't we? We got pregnant out of wedlock. We are unemployed. We went through a divorce. We're disabled because of what happened in the war. We cheat on our spouse. We are fat. We starve ourselves. We failed the bar. We are alcoholics. We are drug addicts. We are HIV+. We practiced unsafe sex. We gave our partner an STD. We waste all our money on meaningless junk. We hoard. We lost custody of our child. We had sex for money. We dropped out of school. We drive while drunk. We judge others. We gossip. We shoplift. We hate sex. We love sex too much.
I'll stop, but I could go on practically forever. These things listed above aren't really about BEING a fuck-up, but about how these things make you FEEL as if you are a failure – as if you have failed at some part of life or living.
I can't even count how many times I've messed up in my own life and while I didn't make the same choices Portwood did and I didn't fall into some of the vices she did, I can understand her. And I can relate to her.
She's been through some shit.
Well, but most of that shit she brought on herself. True. I can relate. I also mess up things for myself and make bad choices. Just because they don't land me in prison or in drug rehab doesn't mean I get to look down at what she did.
I like a lot of what she says. A lot. And she doesn't say it in a pretty way or a fancy way or the way an intellectual would, but I prefer it raw. I feel like she's just telling me the whole, horrifying story.
I may not be able to be FRIENDS with this woman (I don't like people with tempers or anger management problems) but I definitely relate to her and thought she made some great points in this book regarding addiction and spiraling out of control. She also made some good points about sex and eating disorders, although she doesn't go into too many details about those things.
I actually wanted more. I wanted the book to be longer, I wanted her to go more in depth about a lot of things. I love when a book leaves me with the feeling that I was disappointed that that was all there was.
This isn't a book I would usually read, but I'm so glad I did. I got a lot out of it.
Do you recommend I read this book? No. If you care about writing style and quality, don't read it. If you know her from TV, you probably don't want to read it. If you care about someone being intellectual and using big words and fancy concepts, don't read it. If you get angry thinking about a woman getting pregnant as a teen, or having a serious drug problem while being a mom, or getting into verbal and physical fights with her husband, or going to prison, or dropping out of school, or making herself throw up in order to be thin, don't read it.
If you like amateurish gritty memoirs about a woman going through some serious shit - most of which is her own damn fault, which I DO, then read it.
UPDATE: 09/23/2014
And another thing. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Liking men and liking sex does NOT make you any of these things: a sex addict, a nymphomaniac, or a slut. No, no, no. I have issues with the fact that if men enjoy sex, it's normal and typical, but if women enjoy sex and want a lot of it they're "psychologically disturbed." It's actually pretty common to want more sex than your husband/boyfriend is able/willing to give you. NOTHING IS WRONG WITH YOU. You just like sex. If your man can't meet your needs, invest in a good vibrator. But never, ever let anyone shame you because you enjoy fucking.
Just wait until I read Zane's Addicted. I'm going to tear that shit apart.
...
I really enjoyed this book.
Is it well-written? No. Don't read this expecting any kind of elegant writing style or prose. Portwood talks to you as if you are her friend, she says "gonna," and swears occasionally.
Why, if you haven't ever watched reality TV and don't know this person, are you reading her book and giving it 4 stars? Isn't she just a trashy reality TV star who is wild and out of control and a druggie who was in prison and someone who makes poor decisions? Wasn't she on that show Teen Mom? Didn't she have a baby at 16? Etc. etc. etc. etc.
I picked this up purely by chance when I was in the bookstore. I was bored and waiting for some friends and decided to start reading it. I could not put it down. I found myself nodding and making sounds of agreement with a lot of things this girl was saying.
It would be easy for me to judge. Sitting in the expensive-coffee-chain section of national-book-store-chain store sipping on my caramel latte and reading about some girl who grew up “poor and sad” in Indiana.
I really, really relate to this girl. I can completely understand how her life turned out this way and why she made the decisions, both good and bad, that lead her to who she is today.
This girl is a fuck-up.
Well, we're all fuck-ups, aren't we? We got pregnant out of wedlock. We are unemployed. We went through a divorce. We're disabled because of what happened in the war. We cheat on our spouse. We are fat. We starve ourselves. We failed the bar. We are alcoholics. We are drug addicts. We are HIV+. We practiced unsafe sex. We gave our partner an STD. We waste all our money on meaningless junk. We hoard. We lost custody of our child. We had sex for money. We dropped out of school. We drive while drunk. We judge others. We gossip. We shoplift. We hate sex. We love sex too much.
I'll stop, but I could go on practically forever. These things listed above aren't really about BEING a fuck-up, but about how these things make you FEEL as if you are a failure – as if you have failed at some part of life or living.
I can't even count how many times I've messed up in my own life and while I didn't make the same choices Portwood did and I didn't fall into some of the vices she did, I can understand her. And I can relate to her.
She's been through some shit.
Well, but most of that shit she brought on herself. True. I can relate. I also mess up things for myself and make bad choices. Just because they don't land me in prison or in drug rehab doesn't mean I get to look down at what she did.
I like a lot of what she says. A lot. And she doesn't say it in a pretty way or a fancy way or the way an intellectual would, but I prefer it raw. I feel like she's just telling me the whole, horrifying story.
I may not be able to be FRIENDS with this woman (I don't like people with tempers or anger management problems) but I definitely relate to her and thought she made some great points in this book regarding addiction and spiraling out of control. She also made some good points about sex and eating disorders, although she doesn't go into too many details about those things.
I actually wanted more. I wanted the book to be longer, I wanted her to go more in depth about a lot of things. I love when a book leaves me with the feeling that I was disappointed that that was all there was.
This isn't a book I would usually read, but I'm so glad I did. I got a lot out of it.
Do you recommend I read this book? No. If you care about writing style and quality, don't read it. If you know her from TV, you probably don't want to read it. If you care about someone being intellectual and using big words and fancy concepts, don't read it. If you get angry thinking about a woman getting pregnant as a teen, or having a serious drug problem while being a mom, or getting into verbal and physical fights with her husband, or going to prison, or dropping out of school, or making herself throw up in order to be thin, don't read it.
If you like amateurish gritty memoirs about a woman going through some serious shit - most of which is her own damn fault, which I DO, then read it.
UPDATE: 09/23/2014
And another thing. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Liking men and liking sex does NOT make you any of these things: a sex addict, a nymphomaniac, or a slut. No, no, no. I have issues with the fact that if men enjoy sex, it's normal and typical, but if women enjoy sex and want a lot of it they're "psychologically disturbed." It's actually pretty common to want more sex than your husband/boyfriend is able/willing to give you. NOTHING IS WRONG WITH YOU. You just like sex. If your man can't meet your needs, invest in a good vibrator. But never, ever let anyone shame you because you enjoy fucking.
Just wait until I read Zane's Addicted. I'm going to tear that shit apart.
September 1, 2014
As an avid watcher of Teen Mom I have followed Amber's story over the years. I was interested in the book, because it's always great to hear the actual thoughts of the girls on the show. Sadly I wasn't overly impressed with this book. It really didn't reveal much information about Amber that people who have watched the show wouldn't already know. And it is in dire need of a good editor. I felt as if it was just Amber's ramblings and wasn't very captivating. That said, I do have hope now for Amber and I wish her all the best now that she is out of prison.
June 29, 2015
Conversational tone peppered with curse words, a bit repetitive at times, but brutally honest regarding the author's history of drug use.
Fans of the Teen Mom series should enjoy this book; even if they are pretty familiar with the author's story, they are bound to understand on a more in-depth level the struggle to get and remain sober.
Fans of the Teen Mom series should enjoy this book; even if they are pretty familiar with the author's story, they are bound to understand on a more in-depth level the struggle to get and remain sober.
October 22, 2014
Never too late
The greatest gift she has given to her daughter is the truth, being honest about all she did and not making excuses, becoming clean and being back in Leah's life as a good mom. I wish her happiness and a life full of love.
The greatest gift she has given to her daughter is the truth, being honest about all she did and not making excuses, becoming clean and being back in Leah's life as a good mom. I wish her happiness and a life full of love.
August 30, 2014
Better than Farrah's book, but still stream of consciousness writing that is in SERIOUS need of an editor.
Also, it seems like Gary Shirley is a real a-hole.
Also, it seems like Gary Shirley is a real a-hole.
August 29, 2014
I have read every Teen Mom/16 & Pregnant book so of course I snagged Amber's the day it came out. Like other Teen Mom books, it was a quick read. It is always fascinating to me to read from the Teen Mom's point of view. Amber's was no exception. Amber grew up as a normal middle class girl in Indiana. After her little sister died of SIDS, her family began to fall apart. Her dad became an alcoholic and would constantly fight with her mom. By the time she was a teenager, her parents divorce, leaving Amber with her workaholic mom. With all her free time and unsupervised life, Amber started her downward spiral into boys, drugs, and addictions. When she was 15 she met, Gary, which would lead to her current path. Pregnant as a teen, she dropped out of high school and started her life with Gary. But, as the months went on, Amber and Gary started fighting. After facing domestic battery charges, Amber was forced to sign over custody of her daughter and started her severe addiction. A few trips to jail, and a few near death overdoses later, Amber decided to go to prison to become clean and sober. Amber's time in prison changed her life. Now she is focusing on her life as a mother as best as she can.
September 18, 2014
True to life, telling it how it ' and dedication to her daughter read this book
True to life,telling it how it is, dedication to her daughter and the strength to move forward e very day is what this book is. amber went down many wrong paths but is now found her way back to the right one. we all take wrong turns in life, we can all find our way back just as amber did. read this book great mssg and inspiration. one of my favorite teen mom's. Miss seeing her every week on mtv
True to life,telling it how it is, dedication to her daughter and the strength to move forward e very day is what this book is. amber went down many wrong paths but is now found her way back to the right one. we all take wrong turns in life, we can all find our way back just as amber did. read this book great mssg and inspiration. one of my favorite teen mom's. Miss seeing her every week on mtv
November 16, 2015
3.5
For anyone who is unfamiliar with Teen Mom, Amber made an extreme decision in order to turn her life around. She had struggled for years with anxiety and depression, self medicating with pills. She got pregnant in high school and after the birth of her daughter, got completely lost in her addiction. She had a physical altercation with her daughter's father that landed her in jail, and after realizing she was never going to turn her life around by attending court-ordered drug programs (she was taking drugs that didn't show up on urine tests), she decided to take the other option and go to prison for 5 years to kick her addiction. In her time there, she got her GED and became a part of a program that helped prisoners with anger management. She turned her life around and was released after a year and a half.
I've always had a soft spot for Amber, but I didn't realize what kind of life she grew up with. While she never makes excuses for her actions, her book really outlined how her childhood set her up for failure. Her baby sister died, causing the destruction of her parents' relationship. Her father was an alcoholic whose addiction ended up killing him. It's no wonder she was troubled. She made a huge sacrifice by going to prison. She had gone to rehab facilities and drug programs and nothing would help her. She knew by going to prison she was going to give up years with her young daughter. She did it anyway, knowing that sacrificing that time with her was the only way she would get a handle on her addiction. Her memoir was sad, but Amber has worked really hard to get where she is now. I would recommend this book even if you don't know anything about Amber.
For anyone who is unfamiliar with Teen Mom, Amber made an extreme decision in order to turn her life around. She had struggled for years with anxiety and depression, self medicating with pills. She got pregnant in high school and after the birth of her daughter, got completely lost in her addiction. She had a physical altercation with her daughter's father that landed her in jail, and after realizing she was never going to turn her life around by attending court-ordered drug programs (she was taking drugs that didn't show up on urine tests), she decided to take the other option and go to prison for 5 years to kick her addiction. In her time there, she got her GED and became a part of a program that helped prisoners with anger management. She turned her life around and was released after a year and a half.
I've always had a soft spot for Amber, but I didn't realize what kind of life she grew up with. While she never makes excuses for her actions, her book really outlined how her childhood set her up for failure. Her baby sister died, causing the destruction of her parents' relationship. Her father was an alcoholic whose addiction ended up killing him. It's no wonder she was troubled. She made a huge sacrifice by going to prison. She had gone to rehab facilities and drug programs and nothing would help her. She knew by going to prison she was going to give up years with her young daughter. She did it anyway, knowing that sacrificing that time with her was the only way she would get a handle on her addiction. Her memoir was sad, but Amber has worked really hard to get where she is now. I would recommend this book even if you don't know anything about Amber.
June 4, 2015
Oh, Amber. This book broke my heart a little bit.
You see most of her story on the show, but the extra details about her childhood full of abuse, neglect and subsequent partying are really sad. It's truly incredible that she's still alive despite her best efforts to destroy herself and the fact that she found the strength to turn herself in and accept jail as her best chance of survival is commendable. I definitely feel more empathetic towards her now and I'm really rooting for her to continue in a positive direction.
Now, don't get me wrong - This isn't the most amazing book ever. The writing is repetitive and juvenile with various grammar mistakes, of course, but I'd honestly be suspicious if it were anything but a crude stream of consciousness.
Having read Farrah & Kailyn's books previously I will say that this was my favorite of the three for sure. Amber's story is worth telling, and the book has a purpose other than an easy money grab. It's clear that Amber is trying to use her experiences to actually encourage other girls and of course get the message out there that it is never too late to change your life. We'll have to wait and see if she continues to make positive steps forward to help others, but for now I have hope.
You see most of her story on the show, but the extra details about her childhood full of abuse, neglect and subsequent partying are really sad. It's truly incredible that she's still alive despite her best efforts to destroy herself and the fact that she found the strength to turn herself in and accept jail as her best chance of survival is commendable. I definitely feel more empathetic towards her now and I'm really rooting for her to continue in a positive direction.
Now, don't get me wrong - This isn't the most amazing book ever. The writing is repetitive and juvenile with various grammar mistakes, of course, but I'd honestly be suspicious if it were anything but a crude stream of consciousness.
Having read Farrah & Kailyn's books previously I will say that this was my favorite of the three for sure. Amber's story is worth telling, and the book has a purpose other than an easy money grab. It's clear that Amber is trying to use her experiences to actually encourage other girls and of course get the message out there that it is never too late to change your life. We'll have to wait and see if she continues to make positive steps forward to help others, but for now I have hope.
May 21, 2015
I loved every single chapter and every single page of this autobiography. I've been a big fan of 16 and pregnant and then Teen Mom for years and years, especially with the original girls. I was so excited to read this book by Amber because I felt that she had so many things to tell that the cameras just never showed. In her book she was so raw, she laid out all of her emotions. But she did this in such a classy way. She never meant to trash talk anybody, she really didn't even put names other than herself and her daughter, Leah. We all know that Leah's father is Gary but Amber never once writes his name. When you compare that to Farrah's "tell all book" you start to get this crazy amount of respect for Amber. This is a book that I am glad that I own and will pass on to my kids someday about how people make mistakes but by working hard and owning up to them, it really is Never Too Late to turn your life around.
April 17, 2015
Oh my - what a hot mess this book is, not that I really expected anything more. As an avid Teen Mom and MTV reality show viewer, against my better judgement, decided to check out Amber's book after seeing the episode with her touring in it. Knowing it was going to be an easy, laughable read I was not disappointed. This book is chapter after chapter of disasters that was in dire need of a good proofreading - it's filled with bad grammar mistakes, unnecessary swearing, and basically just blank pages of nonsense. The best part about it was that clearly ex boyfriend Gary wanted nothing to do with the book so she doesn't actually use his name once, which became incredibly funny after about 200 times of calling him her "future fiancé". Oh Amber- this book truly depicts what we all laugh about each week on TV! Don't bother reading it unless you need a good laugh and eye roll!
September 12, 2014
This book was absolutely beautiful. This mom has come so far in life. Ever since the first time watching her I knew there was something special about her. Even though so has made mistakes she certainly has made me proud by getting her life back on track. AWESOME JOB AMBER!!! Can't wait to see you and Leah again when Teen Mom comes back!
January 16, 2017
Amber has overcome many challenges in her life, like depression, relationship struggles and addiction, and she's come out the other side. I'm inspired by how candid she is in this book. She doesn't try to gloss over anything or make excuses. "Teen Mom" shows her struggles as a young mother, but in reality there was a lot more stuff going on that she talks about in this book. She's real. Loved it.
January 14, 2017
Waiting until I meet up with Nikki to review :)
February 14, 2017
I have followed the Teen Moms from the beginning. Knowing already of ambers history from what MTV decided to air this book contained only a few stories that weren't aired. To sum up the book for those who never heard of her it involves a small town girl who had a rough background meets a guy get pregnant at 16. MTV Films a documentary on her life and her pregnancy pays her well for it.the fame and negative attention increase her mental instability while helping her pay for extra drugs to mask her pain. She gets caught a few times with the law and finally straighten herself out after giving up parental rights and wanting to go to jail to get clean. Over the years I have watched her struggles and while I was hoping for a little bit more in the book I am proud of her and the challenges she's overcome to better herself and her daughter's life.
June 24, 2023
As usual I always find it difficult to rate a book that's based on real life
I like the way you could find out about Amber's past and to an extent I can understand why she turned to drugs and even men the way she did.
I can also understand how the sudden over night celebrity status could have a negative impact on mental health and people's actions and re actions, the bullying and being treated like public property, the hate and the nasty comments and bullying would all have been very difficult for anyone to take. I did think I would hear a lot more than we did about her time and friendships in prison.
I like the way you could find out about Amber's past and to an extent I can understand why she turned to drugs and even men the way she did.
I can also understand how the sudden over night celebrity status could have a negative impact on mental health and people's actions and re actions, the bullying and being treated like public property, the hate and the nasty comments and bullying would all have been very difficult for anyone to take. I did think I would hear a lot more than we did about her time and friendships in prison.
June 28, 2018
If you have ever followed the Teen Mom throughout her journey on TV, most of it was the same. However, it dives deeper into her personal life and how drugs effected it. It also helped shed a light on how bad addiction can effect someone. I would suggest reading it if you want to know more about how addiction effects everyone involved.
September 23, 2024
Leído tras la desaparición y reaparición del ex de la autora. Me ayudó a comprender su día a día pero, como sucedió con el siguiente y con el libro de su ex (Matt Baier), no justifica el comportamiento que tuvieron. Es una autobiografía pero se nota que es una autora novel y por tanto comete errores continuamente de estilo. 2.5/10
October 3, 2017
I found Amber to be very honest about the situations we saw on and off-screen. Some of the other Teen Moms vaguely talked about situations or avoided them all together, but I thought Amber discussed a lot.
October 2, 2018
Amber and I have a lot in common, especially our pasts and drug abuse and seeing it from another side was really interesting. My only issue was the editing to be completely honest. I feel like if it was edited better, I would have scored it higher. Proud of how far she has come. It’s awesome.
September 20, 2019
I found it repetitive. Extremely.
Missing many moments I would have liked more insight on.
Learnt a few things about her upbringing.
Overall- it's a story of addiction. And untreated mental health.
I'd not rush out to read it- but- if there was nothing else- it'd pass the time.
Missing many moments I would have liked more insight on.
Learnt a few things about her upbringing.
Overall- it's a story of addiction. And untreated mental health.
I'd not rush out to read it- but- if there was nothing else- it'd pass the time.
March 15, 2023
While I didn’t have high hopes, I felt it was super vague and nondescript. If you hadn’t seen the show, you really wouldn’t have been able to fill in the gaps as the book did not provide enough detail to sufficiently tell a full story.
April 9, 2025
I definitely learned so much more about her if you want to book to pull out your heartstrings this is the one this book made me cry and I don't say that a lot when it comes to memoirs so that tells you something pick it up
March 2, 2017
It's interesting to read about her battles with drug addict and other issues.
November 2, 2017
Very inspirational
Inspirational. This book has helped me out a lot into perspective and will help me in my day to day life
Inspirational. This book has helped me out a lot into perspective and will help me in my day to day life
December 28, 2017
TV's teen mom, Amber Portwood talks of rehab, recovery and life after prison.
July 21, 2018
Boring
Just really quite a dull read, absolutely nothing we didn't know already. Very short as well, I thought there would be more anecdotes.
Just really quite a dull read, absolutely nothing we didn't know already. Very short as well, I thought there would be more anecdotes.
November 23, 2018
took me forever to finish... not bad...just....ok
June 11, 2020
Great read
When you watch teen mom.it doesn't show the hard work Amber put in to turn her life around. Truly inspirational.
When you watch teen mom.it doesn't show the hard work Amber put in to turn her life around. Truly inspirational.
December 13, 2020
Not very well written and often repetitive, but very open and honest and an interesting read. I also liked how it has a very clear message.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews