Review: Slammed by Colleen Hoover (Slammed #1)

Title: Slammed 

Author: Colleen Hoover
Publication date: January 1st 2012
Age group: Upper Young Adult/ New Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover rating: 3/5
Content rating: 5/5
Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Smashwords

Description via Goodreads:

Layken Cohen isn’t your typical 18-year-old. After the recent death of her father, she is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she’s slowly losing hope.  

Enter Will Cooper: The 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for “slamming.” Will and Layken immediately form an intense and emotional connection neither of them knew they needed until it was found. However, the two of them are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their relationship to a halt.  

Once again, Layken must put on a brave face and accept that which she cannot control, but when a family secret comes into play, it becomes the ultimate test of her resolve. Unable to accept the harsh reality of her future, Layken puts everything at risk and turns to Will for solace. 

Both Layken and Will struggle as they attempt to find a balance between that which keeps them apart and the feelings that pull them together.

My thought:
Wow. I just finished this a little while ago and I'm having trouble forming coherent thoughts. I have read a lot of books. Hundreds upon hundreds. And Slammed, is, without a doubt, one of the best I have ever had the fortune of picking up. I expected this to be a good read- the reviews are gushing and I've been seeing it (and its sequel) everywhere for weeks now. But I honestly did not expect to find a new favourite. I don't think I'll be able to get this book out of my head for a long time.  It was phenomenal.

The less you know about Slammed before you read it, the better. I was so delighted that the description didn't give away the main point, like so many descriptions tend to do. The mystery is exactly what is needed. When the revelation did come about- I was shocked. Stunned. I put down my Kindle and just tried to take it in. I hadn't seen it coming at all and that feeling was awesome! I definitely recommend not reading any spoiler-y reviews before starting this one. It's powerful to feel the full effects of the situation.

I'm not going to go into a lot of detail. I will just say that this book is positively heartbreaking and it blew me away. I had barely started the book and I was already incredibly emotionally invested. There is so much going on in this novel, it was breathtaking. There are so many characters and they're ALL worth getting to know. Layken, Will, their brothers, Julia, Eddie... everyone. I felt so connected to them all by the time I finished the novel. It's like they were all old friends. They're all described and developed amazingly well.

Obviously, I would recommend this to everyone! I'm so glad I decided to give it a go. It really is a complete gem of a book that left me amazed. It's sad and happy and hopeful all at once! I'm really looking forward to getting a start on the second book but I think I might need a little break first. This is one powerful book that seriously packs a punch! 5 stars doesn't even seem like enough!