Point of Retreat: A Novel (Slammed) Paperback – September 18, 2012

I'm an honest girl. I have honest opinion. And my honest opinion is that I'm glad I picked up this two-book series! I'll admit that it wasn't something I just HAD to read. I was in a book rut... we've all been there right? The story seemed like it might be a nice young read and although I was currently trolling for something a little more adult, and a little less YA, I decided to give it a go. As I said, this is a two-book series so I'll try to break down my thoughts between the individual reads.First, book one... SLAMMED!As I said, I was apprehensive. A young girl, grieving the loss of her father, uprooted and dragged across the states by her surviving mother and little brother.. sounded like a bit of a downer. But then... Will happened! Poor Layken "Lake" had enough worries.. but they just kept adding up. I don't want to spoil any of the story here, so I really must be a little vague. She can't be with Will.. the boy across the street. Her family life is going to hell. She just wants to move back to Texas and crawl in a dark corner forever. Life continues to suck for Lake. Again, I say the word "downer" but the stolen moments (and kisses) with the forbidden Will keep her going, and kept me reading!The first book in this series rounds out beautifully as everything comes full-circle and our characters, who've suffered so much find peace. I was content to just stop there and not even pick up book two. Slammed really would have worked greatly as a stand-alone. BUT I missed Lake and Will and just had to have more of them.Book two - POINT OF RETREATAgain, no spoilers on here, so I really can't go into much detail about book two without ruining book one for you :( As soon as I read the description, I hesitated yet again to read it. MORE trouble for these individuals who've suffered so much already? I just didn't think my heart could take it. It was almost like I thought that if I didn't read it, none of the rest of the turmoil would have ever existed for them. Of course, I read anyway. I was right.. My heart almost couldn't take it. Just when everything was working out and everybody was finding their way in life.. BAM! (There's always a 'bam' moment isn't there??)Of course, everything has it's way of playing out and I'm ever so glad that I decided to pick up that second book!Generally As a SeriesI must say that each of these two books brought me something different. The first brought me back to my youth. Very YA, it took me back to those times every girl has when you have that first special moment with a boy.. that first heartache.. that giddy feeling you get right before you see 'him'... that feeling that the world will JUST END if he doesn't like you back... and my personal favorite - that gloriously wonderful "punched in the gut" butterfly feeling that boy gives you! Yes, I had butterflies while reading book one!Book two is all about what happens after those moments... it showcased for me what happens after the "honeymoon phase" when real life starts getting in the way of young love. I must say that book two was hillarous to read though! I found a lot of humor in many passages and on several occasions giggled out loud! I had feared that I would hate having the 'happy ever after' conclusion from book one ripped apart, but book two offered me even MORE closure than I could have hoped. So yes, I'm again very glad that I kept reading!This series is very YOUNG... young love, young troubles, but is so much more adult than that at the same time. A child growing up is never easy. A child living the life of an adult full of grown-up responsibilities is even harder. I found myself feeling proud of these characters and how they survived! Roll that over for a minute... I felt PROUD of people I've never met, who technically don't even exist. But of course, we readers become so emotionally invested in our stories that they WERE real to me! If I could see Lake, Will, and the rest of the gang in real life that's what I'd tell them... That I'm PROUD of them!I'm also very proud of Colleen Hoover for putting together these stories so eloquently. Everything was so nicely rounded out and left me feeling complete when it was all wrapped up. I'd also like to thank Colleen for the "butterflying butterflies" she made me feel like I haven't since I was a kid with a crush! --- You'll understand and appreciate that statement once you finish book two. Which, by the way you'd BETTER! of my reviews at book-snobs.blogspot

Hardships and heartache brought Layken and Will together and now it will tear them apart. They have proved that their love can get through anything, until someone from Will’s past returns, leaving Layken questioning the very foundation on which their relationship was built. Will is forced to face the ultimate challenge; how to prove his love for a girl who refuses to stop “carving pumpkins.”Point of Retreat jumps about a year forward from where Slammed ended. When I first realized this, I thought we might miss out on a lot of detail, but as usual, the author wrote it very well. I enjoyed this book just as much as I enjoyed Slammed. We get to know all of the characters; Will, Layken, Gavin and Eddie even better in this book. We also finally get to see the dynamics of Will and Layken in an actual relationship. This book is told from Will’s point of view, where as the first book, Slammed, was told from Layken’s point of view. I liked the way this book progressed and I liked the story line. It never got boring, but I can honestly say that about everyone of the author’s books. This book also focuses on themes such as changing family dynamics, non-traditional families, love, relationships, grief and friendships. This book has Layken questioning the things their relationship is built on and if they would still be in a relationship if their circumstances were different. Layken knows that she loves Will and that Will loves her, she just wants to make sure it’s for the right reasons. This slightly annoyed me at first, but after a chapter or two I completely understood where she was coming from.Just like when I finished Slammed and immediately started reading this book, I immediately started reading the next and final book, This Girl, again thank goodness for e-readers. I usually buy all the books in a series before I start reading it because I am not very patient when it comes to books. Most of the author’s books are stand alone books and it is actually funny that I am now reading the first books she wrote after reading almost every single book she has written. I still have Hopeless and the sequel to that book to read, but I am saving it in case Colleen Hoover doesn’t release another book for a while! Happy reading!

The characters were fun, loving, and kind. It was very emotional and stirred up past feelings. The love of friendship was intense and refreshing. I enjoyed this book from start to finish.