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Title:  Slammed

Author:  Colleen Hoover

Published:  2012 by Colleen Hoover

Genre:  Young Adult, Romance

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Layken, her nine-year old brother Kel, and their mom, have just arrived in Michigan after driving there from Texas.  Within a few moments her brother has made a friend, Caulder, who is also nine, and they begin playing zombies.  Layken gets out of the U-Haul to join the kids when she sets eyes on Will, Caulder’s older brother.

It turns out that Will and Caulder live right across the street.  Will and Layken find themselves drawn to one another and they don’t waste any time going on a first date.  Will takes Layken to a slam, where Layken pretty much gets blown away by the people performing their poetry and she convinces Will to slam as well.

Things are going great for them, until something happens in which they realize that it would be impossible for them to be together.  Feelings are hurt and life moves on as it does.  Will they be able to overcome this obstacle to be together?  Is it something that they are even able to overcome?

What’s a slam, you ask?  Its poetry, but it’s not just reading words.  It’s performing them.   Slamming is pretty powerful, just like this book.  This is a young adult book, but it’s not like the rest of them.  This book deals with real life problems, and how even when it really sucks, life does go on and you just have to go on with it.

I read this book within 24 hours.  It was really well done, and if you choose to read it, I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy it.  There were parts that definitely made me cry (a few times), but I’m going to leave you with a part that made me laugh.  This scene is between Layken and her new friend Nick.

“Hey, Layken,” Nick smiles as he sits in his new spot nearest me.  “Got another one for ya.  Wanna hear it?”

In the past week alone, I’ve had to endure at least three Chuck Norris jokes a day from Nick.  He incorrectly assumes that since I’m from Texas, I must be obsessed with Walker, Texas Ranger.

“Sure.”  I don’t try to deny him this privilege anymore, it doesn’t work.

“Chuck Norris got a g-mail account today.  It’s gmail@chucknorris.com.”

It takes me a second to process.  I’m normally quick with jokes, but my mind has been sluggish lately, and for a good reason.

“Funny,” I reply flatly in order to appease him.

“Chuck Norris counted to infinity.  Twice.”

As much as I didn’t feel like laughing, I did.  Nick did annoy me quite a bit, but his ignorance was endearing.

~Slammed by Colleen Hoover (I can’t give you the exact page number, because my Nook is telling me there are 1112 pages in this book, when there are only 314 pages.  Silly Nook.)

Go read it.  You won’t regret it.  I’m off to read the next one in the series!

My Rating: 4 ½ out of 5 stars

Happy reading!

~Pam