Review: Slammed

Rating: ★★★★★
Author: Colleen Hoover

Genre: Romance; Mature Young Adult

Publisher: Colleen Hoover

Publication Date:  January 1,2012

Pages: 314
Series: Slammed #1
Format: E-Book, Trade Fiction Paperback, Audio
Content Rating: PG-13










“I got schooled this year
by
a
boy.
A boy that I'm seriously, deeply, madly, incredibly, and undeniably in love with.
And he taught me the most important thing of all-
To put the emphasis
On life .”   ~ Colleen Hoover, Slammed

Overview

Falling in love can feel like poetry. Or it can feel like a slam to the heart.

Colleen Hoover’s romantic, emotion-packed debut novel unforgettably captures all the magic and confusion of first love, as two young people forge an unlikely bond before discovering that fate has other plans for them.

Following the unexpected death of her father, eighteen-year-old Layken becomes the rock for both her mother and younger brother. She appears resilient and tenacious, but inside, she's losing hope. Then she meets her new neighbor Will, a handsome twenty-one-year-old whose mere presence leaves her flustered and whose passion for poetry slams thrills her.

Not long after a heart-stopping first date during which each recognizes something profound and familiar in the other, they are slammed to the core when a shocking discovery brings their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together and the forces that tear them apart. Only through the poetry they share are they able to speak the truth that is in their hearts and imagine a future where love is cause for celebration, not regret. (Goodreads.com)

Review

There is a reason this little indie gem has surpassed power house authors like Janet Evanovich, Nicolas Sparks and James Patterson on the New York Times Bestsellers for combined print and e-book fiction. A very good reason. It is quite simply that good and with a 4.44 out of 5 (with over 11,000 votes) on goodreads.com I am most definitely not the only one who has noticed.  

This book works on so many levels it is hard to stick it into one genre.  It is heart-wrenching, humorous, romantic and utterly moving.  As a mother it hit me right in the gut, as a lover of romantic fiction it got me straight in the heart and as a poetry fan it stirred my mind.  I just loved everything about it.

As the story begins, you are lulled into thinking that this novel will follow the same predictable mold of most young adult romance novels but as it unfolds you find that Slammed is really about so much more.  It is, at its core, about all the facets of life.  It is about all the beautiful moments, all the ugly moments and most importantly all the poignant moments that shape you.

Emotion is never lacking throughout the story, but it is the beautifully scripted relationships between all the characters that take Slammed to the next level. Lake and Will's relationship exhibits all the elements of the best angsty romance. It is forbidden, intense and captivating but it does not overshadow Lake's bonds with the other exceptional characters. Lake's relationships with her mother (Julia), her brother (Kel) and her best friend (Eddie) are just as key to the success of this story.

The other element that takes this book to another level is the moving poetry that tie all the pieces together. I couldn't even tell you which poem was my favorite because I loved them all. Hoover proves she is a talented poet as well as an exceptional author. 

Slammed is Hoover's debut novel and if she keeps climbing the bestsellers list at this pace she will be the next self-published author to be scooped up by mass market publishing.  

Point of Retreat, the sequel to Slammed, is out now and trailing not far behind Slammed on the New York Time Bestsellers list. 

UPDATE: Hoover announced on July 30, 2012 that she has signed with Artia (an imprint of Simon & Schuster.)  Look for Slammed and Point of Retreat on bookstore shelves everywhere this fall!