I'm pretty sure I've said that I first found this book through the voting period for GoodRead's awards. I didn't have a clue what it was about, but from the cover, I strongly suspected it was about poetry. Once I got it, I found that it was about a lot more.

Hoover weaved a realistically tragic story for both Layken and Will, that was captivating and amazingly written. I fell in love with all the characters in this book, and every side of them (even spiteful Lake, and jealous Will). I loved Eddie and Gavin together, and of course Calder and Kel, who are so fantastically weird. But what I loved more than the amazing characters was the breathtaking and, at times, extremely clever, poetry.

Pieces like "Schooled", Will's sacrifice piece ("Lake"?), "Death", and all the other ones, they blew me away. The depth that was conveyed through the poetry written in this novel was jarring. Hoover brought to light lessons and ideas that people often do not want to confront, like death, like moving on from loss, like confronting people who have let you down. I loved how with each piece, we got a peak into every characters mind, their past, and their feelings.

Aside from all of that, there were a lot of realistic life lessons in this book, like Julia's criteria when it comes to men.

"Does he treat you with respect at all times? That's the first question. The second question is, if he is the exact same person twenty years from now that he is today, would you still want to marry him? And finally, does he inspire to be a better person? You find someone you can answer yes to all three, then you've found a good man."

I've never read a book like Slammed, and I am really glad I decided to pick it up. Memorable, heart-breaking, and enthralling, this story will stick with you long after you finished. Amazing.

Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Cover: 4/5
Overall: 5/5
GoodReads: 4.39/5

-review by Between Printed Pages