Slam by Nick Hornby

Slam by Nick Hornby


Posted by Lise on September 23, 2010 at 12:01 AM delete edit comments (0)

Slam

by Nick Hornby

Raw and Real

This review is from: Slam (Hardcover)


I'd heard Hornby on NPR, I think Fresh Air, talking about this book, and it caught my attention as he was discussing Tony Hawk and skateboarding. Having a Hawk fan in my house, this caught my ear, and while this is not the kind of book I'd normally grab, I'm glad I did. Hornby does, I think, a very authentic job of creating the voice of a 16 year old Londoner who has three passions in his life, Tony Hawk, skating, and his first real girlfriend, Alicia. I don't think I'm giving anything away if I tell that Sam, the narrator, repeats his mom's mistake and becomes a teenage parent, all the while turning to his poster of TH (Tony Hawk) for advice, which TH blithely dispenses from varying lines of said idol's autobiography. I found the book to be really quite good. It was funny, and heartbreaking, and I think so honest.

I think if you want to know what it's like to be 16 years old and facing serious consequences this is an interesting and insightful book.

Genre: LIterary/Young Adult Fiction

Rating: ****