Slammed

A friend of mine recommended Slammed to me last summer.  I pretty much read it from cover to cover.  It was one of the those books I just didn't want to put down.  In my opinion, the book was poorly edited, and at times it really bothered me.  The story itself was enough to keep me reading and ultimately overlooking all the errors.  If that is something that you just can't abide, don't even bother with this book.

It begins with Layken (Lake), Kel and their mother moving from Texas to Michigan after their father dies of a heart attack.  As soon as Kel steps out of the U-Haul, their new neighbor, Caulder, comes running out to meet them.  The two young boys become instant friends.  When Caulder's older brother (and guardian), Will, comes out to meet them, there are instant sparks between him and Lake.  The two go on a date and have the best night of their lives.  They are quickly on their way to falling in love.  A few days later a bitter truth is revealed that puts a halt to their budding relationship.  The two are forced to try to forget/get over their feelings.

This book has a lot of layers to it.  There is a lot going on in the lives of all the characters.  It is far from boring.  The characters are wonderfully written.  The little boys, Kel and Caulder, provide a humor and honesty when faced with the worst of circumstances.  They are like a ray of light in an otherwise dark world.  Lake's new best friend, Eddie, also provides a much needed energy and optimism that helps buoy Lake up.  The title comes from Will's love of slam poetry, a
fun addition to the story.  It has a lot of poetry, which I usually don't like much.  In this book I found myself rather enjoying it and getting caught up in the energy of it.  There are also lots of twists/reveals in the book that left me feeling "slammed."  The title works in more than one way in this book.  If you enjoy it, the story continues in Point of Retreat, told from Will's point of view.  It isn't quite as good as the first, but still worth reading.  I could have done without the third book.  I was pleasantly surprised by this title.  Perhaps you will be too.  Happy reading!