ARC Review: Slammed (Slammed #1) by Collen Hoover

The points are not the point; the point is poetry

Title: Slammed
Author: Colleen Hoover
Series: Slammed Publisher: Simon & Schuster (US) My ratings: 5 out of 5 stars.  Released: 18th September, 2012
When I first saw this book floating around on GoodReads, frankly I wasn’t interested. Many reviews later, I still wasn’t sure but eventually, I caved in and requested it anyway. I’m so glad I did. Slammed is one of those unmissable books which turn you mind around and make you ask the norms of writing. Colleen Hoover has done an outstanding job of mashing poetry and writing into this beautiful piece of literature. More of that later. The premise is pretty simple. Layken (Lake) moves in Yspatani, Michigan from Texas, after the death of her father with her mother and her little brother. She may look strong but inside she is still recovering from the shock of losing her father. Here, she meets that attractive and charming neighbour, Will. Of course, they hit it off instantly. Later, something is revealed (which I can’t say here for I’ll spoil the plot) that puts a stop to both of these young people’s feeling for each other.

“Will is not going to be my first priority anymore. I’m putting my mother first, Kel second and life third. Finally. He no longer has a hold on me” 

  Lake was a brilliant narrator. She was strong willed, stubborn, caring and feisty. She never let her feel sorry for herself and I loved that about her. She puts a solid front for her family so that they see from her and can move on with their lives. When the circumstances with Will were revealed and the motion she goes through felt so real. I could relate to her and feel every emotion off her. Her pain, her dejection, grief, betrayal, confusion, frustration….everything. 

“It won’t take long for me; To tell you who I am. Well you hear this voice right now well that’s pretty much all I am.” 

  Ms Hoover, if by any chance Lake doesn’t want Will, can I call first dips to have him? I mean he is just right. He is someone you can introduce your family to. Responsible, caring and charming with a strange sense of humour, I loved him. I mean he slams poetry! How could I not like him? A man who knows his words . The bibliophilic on me was jumping up and down saying it has found its soul mate. Sigh. There was one particular moving scene where Eddie says to Lake “How can you not be falling in love with him?” That was me. At that point I was truly gone. 

"Well, you would realise …As I eventually realised …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."

  I would be surprised if you’re also not in love with him by simply reading his impromptu poetry.

“The points are not the point; the point is poetry.”

  Coming back to the point I was trying to make. Colleen Hoover made me love poetry again. I never thought poetry could be that interesting or touching. Something which would reach your soul and bring out tears which you didn’t know you could feel. I have to give her credit for what she did. I loved this book so much. The poetry, the writing, the plot, I was never bored and If I could I would have read it all night. The important situations and dramatic scenes were made that much better by the addition of the beautiful line and each chapter opens with a few lines too. If you let me I would go on and on about how much I like this book. I loved the side characters so much and felt really invested in them. Very one was unique and added flavour to the setting and the story. It was moving and I’m not ashamed to say I cried. Many times. No one had warned me this was going to be so emotionally charged and a tear jerker. I cried after a long time whist reading a book and that is some feat. The shocking news, trauma the emotional back and forth, ripped my heart many times. I shut this book with a shredded heart; tear stained cheeks but a content smile on my face. I’m not putting too many quotes in as I had so many sections highlighted that this review would be just bits of the book. 

I would recommend it to anyone who likes to read a little romance or perhaps a tragic piece of life written with passion and a profound knowledge of pulling at your heart strings. Sit down with a box of Kleenx to wipe the tears. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. 

Arc provided by Simon & Schuster via Netgalley