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This is relevant to "Sam" because he likes to skateboard a lot and he always talks about Tony's family and himself.Slam tells the story of Sam, a regular British skateboarding teen raised by a young single mother. Sam is a bit awkward with girls but manages to impress one good looking girl at a party and starts a relationship with her. Eventually this falls apart but not before the girl gets pregnant. Now, Sam must confront the same issues his mother and father did when he was born. How he deals with this is interesting. He talks to Tony Hawk, the skateboarding king. And Tony Hawk talks back to Sam. Tony Hawk may even be whisking him into the future on a couple of occasions to help him prepare for what’s coming.
Overall, I liked the book. Sam is a likable guy who tries to do the right thing most of the time. The ending seems realistic and not overly saccharine. The Tony Hawk conversations didn’t really work for me, but I would be interested to know if they appeal to teens or skateboarders. The jumps into the future seemed like an attempt to make something happen in the book when the plot was plodding a bit. Without them, there is not enough tension or climax to the book. Maybe I’m getting used to YA books with a lot of drama, but this one seemed a bit laid back at times. Overall, enjoyable, but might have a hard time capturing some in the teen audience.
