Book Review: Slam

By Matt Berman

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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this is a book about teenage pregnancy, which means that teens (in this case, 15-year-olds) have sex and the girl gets pregnant. None of it is described, but there are discussions about condom use, abortion (the girl refuses), and other sexual references. There is also some swearing, and numerous products are mentioned.

Families who read this book could discuss the issues it raises. Why do adults insist that teens should not have sex? How will the baby affect the lives of the two teens in the future? Is the level of support and understanding they receive from their families realistic? Given Sam's family history, was this inevitable? Whose fault is it? Why did Alicia want to have, and to keep, the baby? Should her parents, or Sam, have insisted she give it up for adoption? Why or why not?

Common Sense Media Review
The jacket copy says, "Nick Hornby has made a career writing about men who act like boys. Now he gives us a boy who acts like a man." That's about as perfect a description as you can get about where Hornby's first book for teens falls in his oeuvre so far. The book is filled with his characteristic wit, incisive insight, and appealingly quirky characters -- especially Sam, who thinks Tony Hawk is a god, and who gets all the advice he needs by talking to Hawk's poster.

Unlike many books on this subject, this is not a didactic screed. While it certainly doesn't soft-pedal the difficulties of Sam's life, it is in many ways a best-case scenario. The teens practice safe sex. Once Alicia becomes pregnant anyway, they tell their parents immediately, and both Sam's and Alicia's families are supportive, understanding, and help them learn how to shoulder the adult responsibilities they have stumbled into. While Sam's reactions are always believable, and truly in character, he also behaves the way you would hope a teenage boy would, given that you hope he'd never have to.

It may seem odd to say about a book on this theme, but with the author's touches of magic realism, humor, and warmhearted respect for his characters, this is a delightful read. Adult authors often stumble when they try to tackle writing a kids' book. But given the kinds of books Hornby has been writing, perhaps it should be no surprise that his first YA novel is so well done.