Slammed/Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover: Poignant and Heartfelt

This review originally published on Examiner.com 

I get many book recommendations from friends, and when I say many I mean a ridiculous amount. I usually add them to my to-read list, check out the synopsis and move on. I will eventually read the book but I have such a back log of books that I have been eager to read that I rarely allow a one to skip ahead. A few days ago I made an exception for Slammed by Colleen Hoover.

Truth be told, had I known the depth of the book I probably would have put it off. I assumed, wrongly I might add, that it was a fluffy romantic YA book. I felt like I had been reading so many angsty YA and New Adult (NA) novels lately that a bubble gum read was in order. Slammed is not that book.

Without giving too much away, because the book has several important reveals, it is at its core, a romance between Will and Layken. Two people who have experience tragedy in their lives and are slowing recovering from it. A few chapters in, I could tell that I had underestimated this book. The characters are layered, full of love and show the reader how difficult life can really be. It was an emotional read for me. I cried several times, some of the tears were from sadness, most however, were tears of happiness. I honestly wasn't sure what to do with myself once I was done. So, I did the only thing I could, I picked up the second book, Point of Retreat and started reading it. I wasn't ready to let go the characters I fell in love with just yet.

It is rare for me to read a book and feel a sense of, I'm not really sure how to put it into words, completion, I guess. There is always something that I wish had been different, something that I wish could be expanded on. By the time I was done with Point of Retreat I felt an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction. I had been on a difficult, heart breaking, and uplifting journey with Will and Layken and I couldn't be happier about it.

This is a perfect YA book in my opinion. It makes you feel for the characters while teaching the reader some important life lessons. This is a story that begs to be shared. I am so grateful I made that exception.

Suitable for YA readers 14+.

Slammed

Point of Retreat