Slam

SLAM

I've always looked for literature that I can really relate to so I can be able to understand the story and theme that much better. Nick Hornby wrote something that honestly made an impact on my life.

I am 17 years old and I also have been skateboarding for quite some time. When I started to read this book, I saw something in the main character I saw in myself and that most teenagers, if not most people see in themselves. Sam is someone of individuality but at the same time is lost and needs guidance. He didn't really realize that until things started to get hectic and change drastically.

I can relate to this book almost exactly, except for the pregnancy lol. This is a very good book if you interested in realism, theme-orientated books (teaches a good lesson), and in the unexpected. I could have read the book in one sitting if I had had the time. You definitely get wrapped up in the conflict and the realism of the book. This is a definite must-have for teenagers and parents of teenagers.

The only thing is that it may seem like kind of a grade school level book but I think that was done on purpose by the author to come from the perspective of a teenager.

Overall, 5 out of 5.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great Story

This ia a wonderful book. I love the way Nick Hornby writes. This is a book that every teenager should read, whether sexually active or not. Makes you think twice about decisions in life.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Slam review SMP

I am doing this review on the book Slam by Nick Hornby. I think the book Slam was a very good book. It was a serious book but also a funny book with good humor. Hornby is a great writer. The main character in this book is Sam. He is a teenage boy. His mom gave birth to him at a very early age, and she made sure that Sam knew that teenage pregnancy's get in the way of being a young adult. Sam has a girlfriend named Alicia. And one day, Alicia drops a huge bombshell on Sam...she's pregnant. Sam knows that he is not ready to be a father. This book is about the struggles Sam has being a teenage dad. This book taught me a lot about making good choices so I can have the best opportunity's for myself when I get older. I really recommend this book for anybody, it's a great read!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Excellent, A Must Read!

I just happened to find this book in a bargain section of a store recently and had wanted to read it for a while. Nick Hornby is an excellent writer. Mr. Hornby has given us a realistic story about becoming and being a teenage father. Slam was a witty and serious story all in one. The book was written as if the main character was telling you the story of his life, yet at the same time you felt as if you were living his life. Once you pick up this book, you will have a hard time putting it down. And just the way the ending is written, it will leave you with a smile on your face.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for something to read.

Nice observations on fatherhood

As a new, two time dad, I appreciated the protagonist's fresh observations about fatherhood. The book flows well and is full of characteristic Hornby wit.

Nuts?

im crAzy about this book (i didnt read it)

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A Wonderfully "true" story

Nick Hornby's books are usually an easy read which get me hooked quickly. Then, just as quickly as you're hooked, you realize the depth of his characters hidden underneath all the humor and witty dialogue. Mr. Hornby writes with respect and I never felt like he was belittling any of the characters yet at the same time glorifying any of their actions. I'd read it again!

reality slam presents to you

The book shows the struggle and hard decisions that young teenagers go through when they are on the verge of a pregnancy. The book starts out with Sam, a 15 year old boy telling you about his life. He is a boy that loves to skateboard and idolizes tony hawk. He talks to a poster in his room for advice. His mother, like him, got into the pregnancy issue at a very young age of 16. The book shows the affects of a teenage pregnancy from the eyes of a teenage father. The book incorporated skater language or lingo, it may be an interesting extension activity to have teens compile a dictionary of skater terms to help define the various tricks, etc. With all this teen related activities and such the reader, if a teenager, can easily relate to the story as his own.

The best book for young adults.

If you only want to read one book by Nick Hornby, it's "Slam." Admittedly it has less in common with his other works than "High Fidelity" and "About a Boy" do, but it actually stands alone very well. It's his most recent novel, and reflects not the culmination of his literary technique, but also the effects that other novels such as "The Pigman" have had on his writing style.
The book is about a teen couple (Sam and Alicia), who become parents due to an unplanned child (Roof). The book is both unique and easily relatable; Hornby is different in as much as he narrates from Sam's (the father's) perspective, but tells a story centered around a fairly prevalent issue.
There is a small dose of pure fiction I didn't expect, when Sam is "whisked" to the future a few times by his poster of Tony Hawk (his role model). However, it IS a symbol that solidifies several aspects of the novel: Sam's innocence; his interest in skating; forshadowing (Hawk was a teen father as well); and a father/advice-giver for Sam, who is being raised solely by his mom. This parallelism is also seen in Sam's mother, who had Sam when she was 16 years old, and even gets a new boyfriend later and has another child about the same time that Sam and Alicia have Roof.
Because of Sam's and his mom's plight, this book applies to anyone interested in seeing an every-day account of what parenthood is like, no matter how old the mom or dad. It portrays a life-changing event, as well as common strains in a life such as that led by the characters. It is truly insightful for anybody and everybody; it is one of the best contemporary novels I've read so far!!

Nick Hornby for teens

I love Horby's books, and Slam is not far from his usual style. My grudge with this book was that although Hornby has an unique style that transformed books like A long way down and Fever Pitch favorites, it just didn't work as well with Slam. The characters were not easy to fall for as much as his other characters in different books, and I got tired of reading it. I'd rather read any of his other books instead.

Slam Is Excellent and Realistic

I really enjoyed this book. The protagonist, Sam, is very easy to identify with and I could imagine doing the things he does in the situation he is faced with. When his girlfriend gets pregnant, he runs away from home to avoid his baby and I feel like that is a very big problem these days. His friends and family are real and this book shows that nobody is perfect. His girlfriend's parents are judgmental and rude but he finds a way to ignore them (for ex: When they are deciding what the baby's last name will be, The parents want it to be the girlfriend's so that he will have a 'better future' because they are more successful. Sam is appalled but just sits back and stays calm.) He is a very serious skater and he often chats with his poster of Tony Hawk and the poster talks back with excerpts form his book. His relationship with the poster is quirky and weird but the poster always gives good advice. This book is very well-written and realistic.
Reviewed By: Logan Awesomely

Hornby never disappoints.

Definitely one of my favorite writers. Incredible book.

Reviewed by The Compulsive Reader for TeensReadToo.com

Sam figures that his life is going pretty well. He's doing all right in school, he gets along with his mom, he has a great girlfriend, and is getting good at skateboarding. He has aspirations of attending college, unlike his mom, who had to drop out of school when she became pregnant with him.

But all of his dreams come crashing down when his girlfriend, Alicia, tells him that she's pregnant. And she has no intention of getting rid of the baby.

Sam spooks. He goes into denial. When that doesn't work, he tries running away, physically and emotionally. And then, an unexplainable thing happens...while he dreams at night, he gets whizzed into the future and is shown an unexpected life that will force him to face the facts and take responsibility for his actions.

SLAM is a frank, vivid, and highly realistic take on teenage pregnancy from a point of view that is completely different from what many are accustomed to. Hornby doesn't waste time by working in lectures of the consequences of premarital sex, but instead gives us Sam, who is a little selfish, very scared, a bit ashamed, but ultimately a strong character who, through many trials and despite his own feelings, manages to pull himself together and attempt to be the best dad he can be -- and is surprisingly good at it.

The more unbelievable element of the story, Sam's visits to the future, gives the story just the right dash of unique appeal without seeming too implausible. Hornby does more than just give us an intriguing account of teen parenthood; he reveals each emotion, thought, and feeling with startling clarity and humor, until you understand and empathize with Sam. SLAM is a fascinating, compelling, and even poignant read that won't soon be forgotten.

Good book-down to earth, yet funny.

I liked this book because it had a clear message: Life isn't perfect and teenagers mess up A LOT. Slam is a realistic story about a boy who gets a girl pregnant and suddenly his skating boarding-teen-world takes a big turn. This happens every day. It's just that most people don't want to talk about teen pregnancies. Very good book.

My opionion

I was on vacation with my family and found this book in one of the bedrooms of where we were staying at I examined the book and said to myself I havent read a book of my choice for a while so while I'm here I'll set a goal for myself and see how this book is showing its point of being on the shelf in this bedroom and I thought man I would like what had happened to end up in a diffrent way for Sam and everyone else but see the thing is it woudnt be this book Slam it would be a totally diffrent story and it has it pros and its cons and my opinion its a bitter sweet story and I do agree on other peaples views on it this very story. And I have run out of how I would love to make my point of view stand out to show how I feel at the very least

Uh... not so good.

Well, i picked up this book and i thought it was going to be a good read, because i read a LOT. but i read through the first three chapters and i wasn't hooked. thats the time when the book is supposed to capture the readers attention. needless to say, it didn't. i just skipped around and got the story. its not as great as i thought it was going to be. Dissapointing.

A Sad Excuse for a Tale About Teen Pregnancy

I thought this story would be good, but Nick Hornby didn't do his best. This is the story about a 16-year-old British skater boy named Sam who gets his girlfriend Alicia pregnant. First off, I disliked the character setups. Sam seems like a dimwit, and Alicia seems like a bit of a sleaze. Things started out quite smoothly, but when it came to Sam and Alicia's relationship, things are rushed, and I disliked that. Another thing...if you think this book has adventures of skateboarding, it doesn't. All Sam does is brag about doing lots of ollies and trying not to smash into the concrete. So no, this book isn't about skateboarding. Furthermore, this story tends to get off-subject sometimes. At any given moment, Sam just drifts off into a space of senselessness, leaving the reader confused. And from the middle of the story on, the story just gets crappier. I was unable to finish it, in fact. So overall, this book is very poor when it comes to explaining teen parents, responsibility, and growing up. I don't recommend this dim book to anyone.

Slam

Sam is 16, and his life is perfect. he lives with his cool 32-year-old divorcee mother (that's right, do the math), his high school teacher thinks he has a shot at art college, and he's with the gorgeous Alicia. Also, he's perfected a method of conversing with his idol and confidant, pro skateboarder Tony Hawk, via Hawk's poster on his bedroom wall. But Sam's freewheeling life soon takes a 180-degree turn when he gets Alicia pregnant and discovers it only after they've broken up. What follows is an entertaining, if unsurprising, exploration into the psyche of the confused teenage male. Sam's attempt to run away - quite literally - from the problem includes turning his mobile phone off to avoid finding out the results of Alicia's pregnancy test. He has his fair share of trials, such as Alicia's well-meaning but snobby parents, who thinks the pregnancy is a devious ploy by Sam and 'his people' to drag Alicia down from her middle-class heights. Nick Hornby's expertise in creating characters who haven't quite grown up yet is taken to the extreme here. Sam's haplessness - his preferred modes of communication are shrugs and mumbles - is frustrating, convincingly so for anyone who's ever had to deal with a teenage boy (or an accidental first-time father). But the flash-forward scenes, in which Sam gets a glimpse of his fathering future, feel gimmicky. So does the skateboarding metaphor, which Horny quickly abandons. If you watched the hit teen pregnancy comedy Juno and wondered what the boy's side of the story would sound like, this is it. But, unlike Juno, the ending is a bit too pat to be believable. As a cautionary tale it's not heavy enough with warning, but as a page-turner, it more than satisfies.

a reviewer

I didn't think it was going to be good - a normal adult book. But it was actually really good!! I loved it. It was so realistic yet people seem to ignore the fact that this is happening so often in the world.

A Must

If you've been having bad luck with a lot of books, definitely read this one. Hornby's writing style is very interesting, and the book is always entertaining. It's almost impossible to put the book down, and it relates well to typical teen life.