Slammed: A Novel: 1 Paperback – 1 Sept. 2012

I have never had a reading experience like this before! I couldn't put the book down! I stayed awake until 5.30am and all I could think about then was what was going to happen next.I'm not really a poetry person but I loved the poetry here. It was a great idea. I especially loved the poem Will presented at the slam."So you keep your ocean,I'll take the Lake."This is an amazing story and its not just romance. It's mainly about family and life. Both Lake and Will have been dealt a crappy hand that force them to think about life and grow up a little quicker. They meet and fall quickly for each other but another crappy head is dealt and they both have to deal with the damage. I hope that didn't give too much away. No angst.I wasn't a big fan of Lake's mother, Julia. She seemed to be a bit all over the place but it was understandable why she was. She just wasn't my cup of tea but she sure does give great advice that I will definitely be taking."Does he treat you with respect at all times? That's the first question. The second question is, if he is the exact same person twenty years from now that he is today, would you still want to marry him? And finally, does he inspire you to want to be a better person? You find someone you can answer yes about to all three, then you've found your man."Eddie on the other hand I fell head over heels for. I would love a best friend like her. She practically gave Lake no choice in the matter and was probably the happiest character in the whole book. I cried happy tears for her which was also another first for me when it comes to reading.All I can really say is that Colleen Hoover... You are a genius!NOW GO READ THIS BOOK!!!!

Told in first person narrative from the point of view of Layken (Lake). Her father passed away suddenly and her mother has moved them to another state telling Lake and her brother, Kel that they can't afford to stay in their family home.Lake meets Will immediately upon arrival as he lives opposite their new house. Will has a brother the same age as Kel and they hit it off from the first hello. The chemistry between Will and Lake is tangible from the very first interaction.Will takes Lake to a poetry slam where their attraction to each other grows. Only to have the ground pulled from under them when they realize that Will is actually Lake's poetry teacher.Although Will is only a few years older than Lake he has a burden of responsibility not many people his age carry. Following his parents death when he was 19 he has taken custody of his brother, raising him and running a home.The story follows Will and Lake through the minefield that is their relationship as well as some shock events leave them reeling.Add to the dynamic story line a cast of quirky characters enhancing the relationships and interactions. I especially liked Eddie, she's a lovely bubbly character despite the things she has been through in life. Her effervescent personality and instant attachment to Lake soon make them firm friends. Eddie is a wonderful peripheral character the way she is able to give straight forward advice without judgement makes her stand out.Lake's mother, Julia, is another amazing character. Her humor and capacity for love shone through the narrative. Although some of the things she does do not initially seem as if they are for the best there is never any doubt that each decision has been made with the love of her family at the heart of it.The use of performance poetry brought the narrative to a higher level, the emotions more powerful as a result. Chapter headings have song lyrics from The Avett Brothers, while being both Will and Lake's favorite band the lyrics also add to the events within the plot. Plus the added bonus of introducing me to a terrific new band :DThis book tackles some big issues in a compassionate and thought provoking manner. It also shows that no matter what your age sometimes life gives you just as much as it takes away. the usual cliches come to mind about life being short and grabbing hold of each opportunity as it presents itself rather than living with regret. It made me laugh and it made me cry but above all else it made me think.A unique book on all levels.

I had never heard of Slammed until someone on Facebook mentioned it. Intrigued by the title I headed over to GR to look at some reviews and was blown away by the comments and high average rating for a book that only so few have heard of. Well... I saw that Slammed's obscurity hasn't lasted long and it's taking off in the bestseller's lists and I'm not surprised. I predict that if the book ever falls under Hollywood's radar that it won't be long before author Colleen Hoover will hear a knock at the door for film option.I opened my kindle to have a squint at Slammed before I went to bed and ended up staying up to 3am to finish it.Told from the first person narrative of mc Lake, the reader is immediately pulled into her earthen, real and sad story as she moves from Texas to Michigan following the unexpected death of her father. On the first day she meets neighbor Will, and Hoover does a truly magical job (perhaps one of the best I've ever read) of creating an authentic and instant connection between the two. A few days after meeting, everything falls apart for Lake, and we travel through her story feeling every emotion, every shock and every epiphany. Slammed is a beautifully told story, enhanced by the insertion of some truly moving Slam poetry. It's funny because a friend of mine had only just introduced me to some powerful Slam poetry on Youtube a few weeks before reading this. I'm definitely sending Slammed her way.What more can I really say without giving away plot points that really need to be discovered by the reader. All I can say is that this isn't oversentimental or cheesy. It's real and moving ... I think mostly because it reminds us all that even when the world seems to be throwing one bad thing after another at us, there's always someone out there going through bad stuff too. Moreover, we have to learn to remember that so we don't feel victimized by fate and more importantly we have to learn to see promise in everything else so it doesn't get tainted by the bad.Awesome read. Can't wait to read part two.