Slammed book review

Slammed
By Colleen Hoover
352 pages
5 out of 5 stars
Get it here: Amazon

Description: 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.

*Spoilers ahead*

Okay let me start of by saying, if you have never read a Colleen Hoover book go get this book like right now. Then get Hopeless and Ugly Love. Trust me. 

Now if you have read Colleen you know full well this woman is a brilliant writer who loves to rip your heart out and smash it! 

T

I will have it known I love Colleen and Regina. 

Our main character Layken or Lake and her family after the unexpected death of her father, move from sunny Texas to cold Michigan. With in moments of pulling up to her new house her little brother has a new friend. Being nine makes it easy for him. She's chasing the boys around the truck pretending to be a zombie. When she hears the boys shouts because they're trapped she rounds the corner she comes face to face with Will. Enter sparks and my heart flying out of my chest!

Sparks fly and Lake and Will are connected. They go on their first date and he takes her to a club *Club N3NE* and they are there for the Slam Poetry night. Lake falls in love with the words and the way people express themselves. She convinces Will to go up and preform. He does a poem titled "Death". His words hit me and I was tearing up as he preformed his poem. 

Death. The only thing inevitable in life.
People don't like to talk about death because it makes them sad.
They don't want to imagine how life will go on without them,
all the people they love will briefly grieve 
but continue to breathe.

He takes her home and she fights everything to not kiss him. He tries so hard to take it slow but the electricity is so strong they finally kiss at the end of the date. This isn't a soft first kiss. This is a kiss full of love and need. Full of everything they're feeling and not knowing they're feeling it. 

The next few weeks are just her and Will and pure happiness. The school comes around. Something else new and scary for Lake. She meets Eddie and the two girls are instant friends. Probably helps that Eddie doesn't really give her a choice just decides that "Hey we're gunna be friends." So school isn't off to a horrible start. She makes her way to her poetry class and runs smack into Will. She instantly thinks he's here to see his girlfriends. Poor Lake its so much more complicated than that. Not only is Will her sexy as hell across the street neighbor that shes falling for. But he's her teacher too!  

Things spiral out of control after this. Will decides that its better that they distance themselves. Of course in his terms that means cut her off completely.  Now before you go and condemn Will, know that he needs this job he is single handily raising his younger brother. 

When the class is asked to write a poem Lake takes all of her anger and writes a poem about Will. She uses just about every word for Jerk known to man in that poem. 

The hot and cold of Will continue for a while until Lake's roller coaster goes even further down hill. She thinks her mom has moved on to a new man already and when she confronts her with it, her world breaks even more. Mom isn't moving on, mom has cancer and is dying. She doesn't have much time left and she needs her kids to know. 

Lake runs to Will and he is there for her as she has her break down. Eddie is also there for her and finally gets her to talk to her mom. 

They mend as best they can and Will and his brother start to come over for the holidays and other things. Its like they're one big happy family but its still so hard. 

When the brothers decide on their Halloween costumes Lake and Will have to go get a tape measure from Will's house. There is a Laundry room scene here that I love so much! The night before Lake had been assaulted and Will saved her because he was jealous.  her heart is happy and it looks like things might be looking up for them. But when she asks Will what this means for them, he shuts the whole thing down again and it rips her apart. Ripped me apart too my heart couldn't take anymore. *Thank you Colleen, so many tissues*

Me 

Colleen 

Lake decides that she's done and will move on. She cuts Will  off and focuses on her Mom spending time with her. But her mom see's it and knows she needs Will as much as he needs her. Even if he won't admit it. 

“I'm serious. You've been doing so much thinking with your head that you're ignoring your heart completely. There has to be a balance. The fact that both of you are letting other things consume you is about to ruin any chance you'll ever have at being happy.” 
― Colleen Hoover, Slammed

Her mom tells her to run to him and show her love. She goes to the only place she can be sure he might be N3NE. She gets up and preforms her poem. 

“I got schooled this year
by
a
boy.

A boy that I'm seriously, deeply, madly, incredibly, and undeniably inlove with.
And he taught me the most important thing of all...

To put the emphasis
On life .” 

I was crying my eyes out by this point. She preforms this beautiful poem and waits for him. But its not like in the movies he doesn't come running up the stage to take her in his arms. She starts to leave when she hears my favorite quote. "That's not a good idea." 

Will is standing on the stage. He was a judge that night and now hes going to preform his poem. 

Life knows. 

Life is trying to tell ne

That the girl I love 

The girl I fell

So hard for?

There's room for her in first. 

I'm putting her first.” 
― Colleen Hoover, Slammed

After both poems they share an epicly magical kiss. The world is right if only for a short time. In the epilogue  they share their first Christmas together since Lakes mom died. She left them one last present and a letter. My heart broke into pieces as I read the letter. 

Don't take life too seriously. Punch it in the face when it needs a good hit. Laugh at it.

This book was perfect it is hands down my favorite read this year. I spent so much of my time crying while I read this book. My heart strings were tugged on and I loved it. I fell in love with Will the moment he opened his mouth.  He is easily in my top 5 book boyfriends now. I had taken way to long to get to this Colleen book but I am so glad I finally read it. Colleen is an amazing Author and she knows how to take her readers on an emotional ride. Slammed will go down as a favorite book that I will reread many times over many years. Will is a boy that I will love forever and always remember.  If you have read this book but none of Colleen's others you have to check out Hopeless and Ugly Love. Both of these tore me apart in a wonderful way. Colleen is an Author that I think everyone should enjoy at least once.