Book Review: Slammed by Colleen Hoover

Book: Slammed (Slammed #1)
Author: Colleen Hoover
Published: August 10, 2014
Publisher: Atria Books
Number of Pages: 354
Format: ebook
Source: Library
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Tags: YA, Library Book, Love Story, Contemporary, 2017

Goodreads/Amazon

Synopsis: 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.  

-MY REVIEW-

You guys! My first Colleen Hoover book! I've heard so many wonderful things about her novels, but I had neglected to read any of them until now. I'm not sure why, probably because I have heard nothing but wonderful things about her writing. I'm so glad that I read this one first though, because I ended up really loving it.

In this book we follow Layken, as she and her family move to a new city following her father's unexpected death. There she meets Will, her new neighbor. They feel an immediate connection, and after one date, they are already looking forward to another. But they run into each other at an unexpected place, and everything starts to fall apart.

I really loved Will in this one. He was so sweet, and kind, and supportive, and loving, and I just really loved him! Okay? I thought that he was so mature putting his brother before a relationship, making his character really unique compared to other characters in YA books. I always understood why he did what he did, and I thought that he was a fantastic character. 

While I did think that Layken could get a bit annoying whenever something difficult happened, I liked how she didn't accept everything with grace and ease. No, she was mad! She didn't necessarily want to accept everything. I thought that was very human of her, and I enjoyed watching her grow as a character.

This book did have quite a bit of insta-love, but I didn't really mind it. Maybe it was because Will and Layken weren't actually together for most of the book. But (to my surprise) I actually liked that they fell for each other rather quickly. I think that it made the story more exciting, and I'm all for a more exciting story. 

So overall I loved this book! With fabulous characters, plot, and writing, this will not be my last book by Hoover.