Slammed (Slammed, #1) in The Indie Bookshelf

Jul 06, 2012 Tracey rated it really liked it

Get out your tissues for this one. It was such a gut wrenching story. I must have sobbed at least a dozen times. It really is a beautiful story.

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Sep 04, 2012 Cyndy Aleo rated it liked it

Shelves: romance, arc, netgalley, new-adult

I'd heard a lot of great things about Colleen Hoover's Slammed . And... I'd heard a lot of terrible things about it, as well. So when I had the opportunity to read a review copy through NetGalley, I wanted to see for myself what all the fuss was about. I didn't expect to have such a meh reaction to it, however.

Layken's single mother has moved her and her brother from Texas to Ypsilanti, Michigan for a job. The first day she's there, she meets neighbor Will Cooper: handsome, mysterious, and r I'd heard a lot of great things about Colleen Hoover's Slammed . And... I'd heard a lot of terrible things about it, as well. So when I had the opportunity to read a review copy through NetGalley, I wanted to see for myself what all the fuss was about. I didn't expect to have such a meh reaction to it, however.

Layken's single mother has moved her and her brother from Texas to Ypsilanti, Michigan for a job. The first day she's there, she meets neighbor Will Cooper: handsome, mysterious, and really into slam poetry. They have an instant attraction that's quickly derailed when they discover something that will keep them apart: the big secret of the book.

Slammed had a ton of potential, and its emotional resonance is definitely there at points, which is probably what led to its popularity. Still, it's an uneven roller coaster for a reader, with moments of poignant emotion and then moments of roll-your-eyes unbelievability that draw you right out of the story. The very idea that Layken and Will could have forged enough of a connection during their short time together to have sustained them through the rest of the book's drama was one of the biggest eye-rolls of them all: the insta-love trope is one of my least favorites and yet it's rolled out here with a red carpet entrance and VIP seating.

Still, as I said, there are glimmers of what might have been a brilliant novel, which is frustrated time and again by such things as the pat ending, the too-convenient set-up once you see the pieces fall into place, and the over-the-top climactic moments, all of which overshadow subtle, quieter moments, which, left on their own, might have been enough to make this a really good, if not great read. As it stands, I was left with no impulse to read the book's sequel, which picks up a few months after Slammed 's epilogue; I know all I need to know about these characters and based on the short excerpt placed at the end of this book, the manufactured drama of the second book will be more than I can tolerate or believe. ...more

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Jul 27, 2012 Dina rated it it was amazing

While I enjoy myself some Fifty Shades, it was so wonderful to see how literary love can be filled with intense heart-pounding passion, and still be clean. This is a story about two young adults, both who have endured major tragedy and heartbreak in their personal lives (have some tissue on hand), and find solace in each other.

Both characters are witty and kind, and I was truly rooting for them the entire book. I loved this story, and I loved how the author infused her poetry into it...really fu ...more

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May 09, 2012 Shelly rated it it was amazing

Shelves: possible-second-read, tearjerkers, awesomeness

Edit: Second read and I have mixed feelings about a book that was once an all time favourite. Isn't it weird how what we love and enjoy changes so much overtime. I still enjoyed it but it doesn't feel up there with my top books anymore and that makes me feel kind of sad. Maybe it's also because I experienced a loss like the ones mentioned in the book only a few years after initially reading it. Loss does change us after all.

Such a beautiful story. It pulls you and twists you in all sorts of dire ...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Kathy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc

"If I live the life I'm given, I won't be scared to die." - The Avett Brothers, The Once and Future Carpenter

This is the second time I've read Will and Layken's story. I read Colleen Hoover's novel immediately after she self-published it on Amazon. I had seen others talking about it over the internet and found the synopsis interesting. Now, I am a huge Avett Brothers fan...I mean, I'm from the South, and it would be sacrilegious not to be a fan...anyway, I had heard they were mentioned in this b ...more

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