Slam by Nick Hornby

Hornby, N.  (2007). Slam. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 9780399250484

 

Plot Summary 

Sam is a 16-year-old boy who fell quickly for Alicia, the daughter of someone his 32-year-old mother works with.  Sam and Alicia quickly became intimate, and flirted with unprotected sex.  After a few weeks, the two split up, realizing they were not right for each other, but when Sam gets a message from Alicia he knows that she must get pregnant.  Initially, he attempts to run away, start a new identity, and get a new job, but he comes home to face the inevitable.  Alicia is pregnant.  Sam's mom, who had him at 16, is crushed by the news, knowing how hard it is and recalling how distant Sam's father has become from his son.  Alicia's parents are even less excited, and suggest an abortion that she refuses.  Now, the two teenagers must determine what to do and how to behave towards each other.

Critical Evaluation 

This book is complicated in that it realistically portrays what parenthood would be like for 16-year-olds.  It is simultaneously childish and adult as Sam asks a poster of skateboarder Tony Hawk what to do and yet still vows to be a better father than his own.  It is truly a coming-of-age story accelerated as Sam must grow up very quickly before his own child comes.  His initial refusal of Alicia's pregnancy and running away mirror what his own father did, but his ultimate vow to be in his son's life is affirmed by the end of the novel.  Showing the difficult decisions the two teenagers must make that they are not right for each other is somewhat atypical in this genre, and is refreshing.

Reader's Annotation 

At 16, Sam knows he is too young to be a father, but now, he has no other choice.

Author Information 

Hornby was born in Surrey in 1957 and attended Cambridge University, receiving a degree in English.  He has been a teacher, journalist, and music critic before he began writing plays and eventually novels.  Hornby's official biography reads like the back of a baseball card.  This description about an average day is particular telling about his process:

"I have an office round the corner from my home. I arrive there between 9:30 and 10 a.m., smoke a lot, write in horrible little two-and-three sentence bursts, with five-minute breaks in between. Check for emails during each break, and get irritated if there aren't any. Go home for lunch. If I'm picking up my son I leave at 3:30. If not, I stay till six. It's all pretty grim! And so dull!"

Genre 

Fiction,contemporary

Curriculum Ties 

Reading and Language Arts

Booktalking Ideas 

Speak as Tony Hawk, the skateboard legend who is deified by Sam.  Sam talks to a poster of Tony Hawk to work out his problems; have Tony Hawk respond.

Reading Level/Interest Age 

Slam is rated 740L on the Lexile Range.  The 16-year-old characters indicate a similar age of potential readership.

Challenge Issues 

Language, sex, and teen pregnancy are all addressed.

If challenged, I would first suggest being familiar with the work in order to speak about it directly.  Then, listen the challenger's complaint, show them to positive reviews, and refer to the collection policy, stating a need to include a variety of works that may not be suitable for all, but should contain something for everyone.  As a last resort, turn to the ALA Bill of Rights or First Amendment defense, but try not to let things get there; listen and reassure the patron.

Reason Selected

I've always been a big fan of Nick Hornby, and this young adult novel holds up to his other works.

References 

Biography. (2013). Nick Hornby. Retrieved March 30, 2013, from http://www.penguin.co.uk/static/cs/uk/0/minisites/nickhornby/aboutnick/index.html