Find Another Book

Book details

Slam

Nick Hornby - Author

Sam must confront the possibility of teenage fatherhood after Alicia tells him she is pregnant. He looks to skateboarding hero Tony Hawk for answers and faces decisions about what comes next.

More about this book

Just when everything is coming together for Sam, his girlfriend Alicia drops a bombshell. Make that ex-girlfriend-- because by the time she tells him she's pregnant, they've already called it quits. Sam does not want to be a teenage dad. His mom had him at sixteen and has made it very clear how having a baby so young interrupted her life. There's only one person Sam can turn to--his hero, skating legend Tony Hawk. Sam believes the answers to life's hurdles can be found in Hawk's autobiography.But even Tony Hawk isn't offering answers this time--or is he? Inexplicably, Sam finds himself whizzed into the future, for a quick glimpse of what will be . . . or what could be. In this wonderfully witty, poignant story about a teenage boy unexpectedly thrust into fatherhood, it's up to Sam to make the right decisions so the bad things that could happen, well, don't.

Add to Compare Explore

Book Analysis

At a Glance

Discover

Future· ExplainedChoice· ExplainedUncertainty· Explained

Personalised Fit

Beyond the Cover

futurechoiceuncertainty

Fiction

Themes in Context

A glimpse of a possible future

Sam unexpectedly experiences a glimpse of what may lie ahead, described as what will be or what could be.Exploratory / explanatory

How the book presents it: The glimpse makes future possibilities part of the story’s structure and brings uncertainty about what lies ahead into Sam’s story.

Talk about: How does the glimpse affect the way Sam thinks about his decisions?

Why It May Be Worth Reading

The story brings a serious, life-changing possibility into a teenage character’s life, while framing his search for guidance through an admired skateboarder. It may prompt conversation about responsibility and uncertainty.

What Deserves Attention

Pregnancy and the prospect of teenage parenthood are central. Sam’s mother recalls that having a baby young interrupted her life, offering a point of comparison with Sam’s situation.

A Conversation Worth Having

What guidance does Sam seek, and how does he decide whether it applies to his own situation?

Reading Approach

Consider reading alongside the young person, or checking in afterwards, to hear how they interpret Sam’s choices and the different expectations placed on him and his mother.

Confidence & Basis

Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.

What remains unconfirmed

A glimpse of a possible future: The plot outline does not explain how the glimpse works or what it shows.

Slam - Nick Hornby - Google Books

Limited information

Checked: 1 October 2026.

Relevant to: General book context

Slam by Nick Hornby | Open Library