Slammed by Colleen Hoover

Reviewed by April:

I knew I would like Slammed before I even downloaded it because I had just finished reading another of Colleen Hoover's books, and I could just tell throughout that book that the sense of humor that had me literally laughing out loud while reading was inherent to the author and not just the characters. What I didn't know I would find in this book was a fondness for poetry I never remotely had while suffering through many an English Lit class growing up, or a new favorite band I had never heard of but have since burned through my iTunes credit downloading their songs!

We are first introduced to Layken, known by those closest to her as Lake, as she is forced to pack up and move north with her mother and little brother, after the passing of her father, and finish out her senior year as the new kid on the block. Anyone who survived high school can certainly understand the surly vibe she gives off as she makes this trek. But she quickly wins our hearts, and that of our leading man, Will Cooper, as he witnesses her soft spot for her brother with an Emmy worthy performance of “Attack of the Zombies” while both of their brothers play in her new front yard, directly across the street from his front yard. With a smile, a handshake, and a “Welcome to Ypsilanti” our new neighbors are on the fast track to coupledom. As an aside, kudos to any reader who can pronounce this Michigan town without having to rely on Wikipedia like me {Ypsilanti (/ˌɪpsɨˈlænti/, often mispronounced /ˌjɪpsɨˈlænti/), commonly shortened to Ypsi}. Alas, this is not Mr. Rogers' neighborhood (but a song about Ypsi would have been perfect to whistle along with), thus our more-than-friendly neighbors have a few obstacles to overcome and as their story unfolds and you will find yourself craving grilled cheese and chocolate milk on the rocks, cheering on the plight of one very ugly Halloween costume, tearing up over pink balloons and the sweetest birthday moment ever, and wishing your name was capable of being used as a double meaning in poetry like “so you keep your ocean, I'll take the Lake”. By the time you come to the final page (very likely not long after you start the first page, because you just can't put it down!) you will know how Slammed became a New York Times Best Seller and optioned for the big screen (which means we will certainly be discussing over on our Facebook page whom we'd like to see play all of our favorites!). Speaking of the end, while the book does not end with a cliffhanger, that doesn't mean you won't be left wanting more of Will and Lake, and Colleen Hoover does indeed deliver in a big way with a second book, Point of Retreat, which is one of the few sequels one could argue actually trumps its predecessor. In other words, you'll find a review of it here soon too!

Finally, if you are unfamiliar with a poetry slam, you will be thoroughly initiated and quite probably hooked by the time you finish reading Slammed. Hoover depicts this art form at its very best throughout all of the major, and some particularly endearing minor, plot twists and turns but definitely strikes a pleasant balance of 'just the right amount' so as not to turn off those readers who may still be too scarred from high school poetry assignments to really embrace it, so please don't let the poetry deter you from reading Slammed if that's not your thing, I am pretty confident Will Cooper can erase any and all bad English poem memories! 

And as an added bonus, when Lake goes to Will's laundry room to get his sewing kit, play this Youtube video of The Avett Brothers performing Laundry Room while you read what transpires...you can thank me afterwards!!


Alright now...ready, set, read!! And then come back and tell us in the comments or on our Facebook page what you think of Slammed!