Emily May's Reviews > Slammed

I am conducting what I'm shelving as a "New Adult (NA) Experiment". I'm going to work my way through some of the popular New Adult books and see if I can weed out the crap and hopefully find some surprising gems. Here's hoping!

It's been a while, my friends. I had to take a break for the sake of my sanity. I decided to return to the NA experiment with Slammed because I'd heard it was less offensive than Hoover's later novel - Hopeless - and also because I've had luck with a NA student/teacher romance in the past (Unteachable). Alas, I was wrong to be so optimistic. I suppose that Slammed is less offensive when compared to the creepy pro-stalker ideas being thrown around in Hopeless but it certainly makes up for it by being an example of terrible writing. Where Hopeless offered entertainment and sexual tension that made it obvious where its popularity came from, I am honestly confused by all the positive reactions to Slammed.



I do think if I'd read this book first I might have at least appreciated the improvement in quality of the author's writing by the time she wrote Hopeless. In this, Hoover's writing is a couple steps below average and looks even less impressive when compared to the fantastic teacher/student romance in Unteachable (and it's beautiful writing). The author struggles with the build-up of the relationship between Layken and Will, forgetting about sexual tension and/or chemistry and jumping too quickly from their meeting to some extremely cheesy moments. The drama is constant but handled roughly - making scenes that should be heart-breaking feel emotionally manipulative and causing me to roll my eyes rather than to burst into tears.

Both characters, as well as the book in general, lack any emotional maturity. Layken frequently behaves like a bratty little kid, slamming doors and calling Will names. I really had no patience for her childish antics. Though, Will wasn't much better. He would constantly lead Layken on and then blame it on a moment of weakness. More than once.



It was cringy and stupid because the reader is well aware that it wasn't a moment of weakness and that he actually wants to be with Layken but he's being an immature idiot and not to mention a complete fucking tease. Just sayin'.

Aside from the writing being awful, the real problem in this for me was the failure to convince me that there was any real barrier to Layken and Will's relationship. Perhaps it was because their ages were too close to give me any sense of the forbidden or because Will wasn't exactly a "real" teacher, but nothing about it got my heart pounding like Raeder's Unteachable. It seemed more like there was no problem except the one the two of them created in their little melodramatic minds. Angst for the sake of angst. But I wasn't buying it. I think it's fair to say that me and Ms Hoover finally part ways for good.