Slam

I was surprised to find out that Slam by Nick Hornby was a young adult novel...but that was okay with me...it went right on the list for the Young Adult Book Challenge.

In full disclosure, I happen to be a big Nick Hornby fan. How to Be Good, High Fidelity, A Long Way Down (review), Speaking with the Angel (review)... all are good. Hornby is so skilled at developing quirky yet realistic characters and his dialogue is superb. In fact, I think I'll put About A Boy on my to be read list (I think the only one I haven't read yet).

But getting back to Slam. Slam tells the story of Sam, a teenage skater living in London. Sam is experiencing a high point in his life. Not only does he have a beautiful girlfriend (sex!), he has his own "guardian angel", Tony Hawk. But true to life, when you finally realize that things are going right... it's about time for things to go wrong. The big wrong in Sam's case. His girlfriend becomes pregnant. Did I mention that Sam himself is the son of a teenage mother? Yikes.

Hornby incorportates both realistic and supernatural elements in Sam's life. The conflict that erupts post pregnancy... very real. Tony Hawk "whizzing" Sam into the future... not quite.

Hornby proves he's a writer for all ages. And honestly, reading along as Sam takes excerpts from Tony Hawk's autobiography as gospel... hilarious.

Recommendation: If you're a Hornby fan to being with, Slam is no exception. If Hornby is new to you, Slam is a decent first start.