Review: Slammed by Colleen Hoover

I picked up a copy of Slammed with very few expectations--I knew that it was a romance, that it was Hoovers debut novel and that it somehow incorporated poetry into the plot. In other words, I was expecting to be entertained for a couple of hours by a book that I would probably soon forget. The first couple of chapters seemed to prove me right--Slammed begins as a well, the fantasy that every teenage girl has had at one time or another about moving to a new town and instantly catching the eye of the very attractive and slightly older guy next door, who just happens to be perfect for her in every way.

And then along comes the perfect plot twist ...

No good romance is complete without some kind of stumbling block, and with Slammed, Hoover creates the perfect reason why Layken and Will cannot be together and tortures the pair of them with their mutual longing at every possible opportunity. There are plenty of other things going on as well, one major character has a parent dying of cancer, another is already the full-time carer of their younger sibling. And oh, those star crossed lovers ...

There is a lot of poetry, which although it is not quite Shakepeare is a lot of fun (wait until you read one of Layken's poems about Will,) and readers will need to have their tissues ready. This is contemporary romance at its best--readable, with lots of emotionally charged scenes, great characters, interesting situations (some of them unpredictable,) and, of course, an ending that will have you reaching for the tissues.

Highly recommended. 

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