Slammed by Colleen Hoover

Slammed by Colleen Hoover
Published: January 1, 2012
Received: Purchased e-book from B&N

Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she's losing hope.

Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.

Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces 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 secret that keeps them apart. [goodreads]

As my new addiction to New Adult continues, I picked up Slammed based on a recommendation of fans who enjoyed Easy by Tammara Webber.  I had heard of slam poetry, but had never witnessed it in a book before.  That element alone intrigued me.  In the last year I've found a new appreciation for all forms of poetry.  So when I saw it being incorporated into this story, I knew it would be something I'd like.

Layken has just moved hundreds of miles from home with her mother and brother after her father unexpectedly passes away.  She is under the assumption that their mother is in search of a better life financially for their brokenhearted family.  Layken is not keen on the idea, until she rolls into the drive way of their new home and discovers the good looking neighbor who lives across the street.  Immediately Layken and Will take a strong interest in one another.  She begins to think that this move could actually be a good thing, a happy thing.  Just as soon as she's smiling though, all her happiness is pulled out from underneath her.  A huge misunderstanding is made that jeopardizes her new-found relationship with Will, and to make things even more unbearable, new developments arise which make losing her father just the tip of the iceberg which is so close to crushing her from the inside out.

I was not prepared for the depth of this novel.  I was expecting a passionate romance with tension, and a little poetry mixed in.  What I got was a story that's both heartbreaking and beautiful.  Through the eyes of Layken we discover the true meaning of how important and precious family can be.  I respect the subtle hints that Colleen Hoover interjected throughout the story about what it means to want to be young and free, but understanding that sometimes life deals us difficult hands forcing us to grow up before we necessarily want to.  The real beauty presented itself through the slam poetry that both Layken and Will performed, as well as other significant characters in the story. 

I highly recommend this novel to those seeking out more New Adult titles.  I devoured it in a day's time and am eagerly wanting more like it.  Slammed is a novel that so beautifully intertwines family, friendship, love, independence, and grief into a story that is so full of hope.