Review: Slammed

Layken's father died suddenly, leaving her to gather every ounce of strength to be a pillar for her family, in order to prevent their world from falling apart. Now her life is taking another unexpected turn… Layken's mother gets a job which leads to an unwanted move across country. However, a new home means new neighbours… and Layken's new neighbour is the very attractive Will Cooper.

Will has an intriguing passion for slam poetry, and a matching passion for life. The two feel an irresistible attraction but are rocked to the core when a shocking revelation brings their romance to a screeching halt.

Layken and Will must find a way to fight the forces that threaten to tear them apart… or learn to live without each other.

Title: Slammed (Slammed ~ Book 1)
Author: Colleen Hoover
Publication Date: January 4 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster 
Length: 354 Pages
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads
Buy It: Amazon US / Amazon UK

Source: Purchased (Kindle Edition)
Cover Love: It is very pretty but I am unsure as to why there is a key?
Point of View: 1st person, following Layken (Lake)

My Rating: 5 Stars

This is the second book I have read by Colleen Hoover and I have already come to some sound conclusions.

One.  Be prepared to be shocked.  It is always best going into her books with little knowledge of what is going to happen.  The synopsis will give you an idea but you can be sure that there is always going to be plenty of twists and turns along the way.

Two.  Be prepared to laugh.  She beautifully blends in laughter with real life subjects that aren't always laughable.

Three.  Be prepared to cry.  We are not talking the tiny little tears, these are the healthy, giant, sobbing tears.  You won't be upset that she has made you cry, strangely you will be silently thanking her as the tears are falling.

Four.  Be prepared to discover a new favorite author.  I mean this in the most sincere way possible... Colleen Hoover, you rock!

The irony is not lost me that I can't seem to find the words to express the emotions and feelings that I experienced while I was reading Slammed.  Why is it ironic?  Because this is a book about words.  Words thrown together to express feelings through poetry... slam poetry.  But really it is so much more than that.  This is not your typical girl meets boy, girl and boy fall in love and the rest is history type of story.  Yes there is a girl and a boy, yes they fall in love but that is not even the half of it.

“Life happens. Shit happens. And it happens a lot. To a lot of people.” 

This story is about life.  This story is about death.  This story is about living.  The good, the bad and the ugly of it all.

“Three days ago, I was devastated, bitter, and hopeless. Today I woke up feeling happy for the first time in months.”

Layken (Lake) is one of the strongest female characters I have ever read.  She is strong, supportive, mature, stubborn, loyal... the list could go on and on.  She finds herself torn from everything she knows in her life quite suddenly.  Her father dies unexpectedly, her mother then moves her and her brother from Texas to Michigan.  She doesn't want her new life but quickly she finds Will and everything changes.

“And what’s a slam?” I ask.
“It’s poetry.” He smiles at me. “It’s what I’m all about.”

Will is also one of the strongest male characters I have read. Every characteristic I have given to Lake can be given to Will.  What he has done with his life in order to care for and support his younger brother is awe-inspiring.  To be responsible for another life at such a young age shows courage.  He never whines or moans about it.  There is never the 'woe is me' or 'what has happened to my life' speeches.  He is simply amazing.

To be honest there is not a character that is not written well and rounded out beautifully.  You will end up caring and loving each and every one of them and you will care about what happens to them.  Lake's brother Kel and Will's brother Caulder are adorable.  They are so funny and I laughed so many times... I will only say this.  The dead snowman.  Could not have laughed more.  Then we have Lake's new best friend Eddie.  I think she is fantastic and could not love her more than I do already.  oooOOOooohhh Eddie's boyfriend Gavin.  *sigh*  He is so sweet and the love he has for Eddie is apparent.

So, back to point number one about a Colleen Hoover book.  You do not want to know too much about it before you start so this is all you are getting out of me.  I do not want to be the person that ruins this beautiful story for anybody who will be reading it.  And I truly hope that person who will be reading it will be you if you haven't already.  This story will touch you and stay with you for a long time after you have completed it.

Now for me I am off to start book two, Point of Retreat.  I have only just found out that it is actually told from Will's POV and I am so excited I could burst.

“And if you've ever grown up with dreams in your head about life, and how one of these days you would pirate your own ship and have your own crew and that all of the mermaids

would love

only you?

Well, you would realize...

Like I eventually realized...

That all the good things about her?

All the beautiful?

It's not real.

It's fake.

So you keep your ocean,

I'll take the Lake.”

MORE QUOTES FROM SLAMMED