36 pages • 1 hour read
Slammed
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Character Analysis
Layken “Lake” Cohen
Eighteen-year-old Layken Cohen, known to her family and close friends as Lake, is about to enter her senior year when Slammed begins. Lake and her family are still reeling from the loss of Lake’s father, who died of a heart attack six months ago. Lake’s life is further complicated when her mother, Julia, moves Lake and her nine-year-old brother, Kel, from their ranch in Texas to a small rental home in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Julia claims this move is necessary because she can’t afford the mortgage repayments on their Texas home but later reveals that she is dying of cancer and needed to be closer to childhood friends and a treatment center. Lake falls in love with Will Cooper, the handsome 21-year-old poetry lover who lives across the road from their new home; however, their romance becomes illicit when they discover Will is Lake’s poetry teacher.
Lake is a dynamic character who must adapt and cope with trials and tribulations throughout the novel. She is originally furious with her mother for hiding her diagnosis and Will for being inconsistent in his affection, but she comes to a place of acceptance. Her maturity is clear in her decision to prepare for the future with her mother and accept Will’s need to prioritize his career over her. This maturity is also illustrated in Lake coming to terms with her father’s death. She decides to take custody of Kel and prioritizes his well-being, as well as her dying mother’s, rather than lose herself to anger and grief. In the end, she is rewarded for her resolve, with her and Will coming together as one family.
Will Cooper
Will Cooper is a 21-year-old student teacher, who works at the high school he recently graduated from. He teaches a poetry class. Will turned down a football scholarship to take sole custody of his younger brother, Caulder, after Will and Caulder’s parents were killed in a car accident. He trained to become a teacher at the local university in Ypsilanti, Michigan, where he and Caulder live in their family home. Will often travels to Detroit to attend poetry slam events at Club N9NE; he takes Lake there on their first date, before he discovers that she is still in high school and he is her teacher.
Despite his and Lake’s unusual romance, Will is characterized as a thoughtful character for his decision to prioritize Caulder’s emotional and financial security above all else, even his feelings for Lake. The reader is positioned to sympathize with Will’s predicament, especially given the loss of his parents, which left him with debt. In the end, he is rewarded for his resolve, with him and Lake coming together as one family.
Kel Cohen
Kel Cohen is Lake’s nine-year-old brother. He is characterized as a humorous child but suffers from the sudden loss of his father. He copes with the family’s relocation to Michigan by befriending Caulder Cooper, Will’s younger brother. Lake prioritizes the boys’ close friendship, agreeing to stay in Michigan rather than relocate back to Texas after Julia’s death. Kel is left in Lake’s custody after Julia dies. The final scene of the Cohens and the Coopers celebrating Christmas suggests that the two families share lives and parenting duties.
Julia Cohen
Julia Cohen is Lake and Kel’s mother. She initially hides her terminal cancer diagnosis, as her family is still reeling from the death of her husband. She must cope with her impending death, as well as prepare her children for a future without her; she works as a nurse when they relocate to Michigan, using her job to secretly attend cancer treatments. Overall, Julia is characterized as a capable, loving, and wise mother. Early on, she defends Lake against Will’s advances, but she later encourages Lake to admit her love for Will once he is no longer her teacher. She recognizes Lake’s selflessness in caring for Kel and wants Lake to find her own happiness.
Eddie
Eddie, previously named Olivia, befriends Lake on their first day of senior year. She is characterized as resilient, loving, and exuberant in spite of her difficult childhood with an abusive mother and Michigan’s foster system. She eventually finds belonging with Joel, her current foster parent. Eddie is a faithful friend to Lake, even after recognizing Lake and Will’s unusual relationship.
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