‘I couldn’t bear to think about the proper future, so I just tried to make things better for the next twenty minutes or so, over and over again…’
London writer Nick Hornby has written for many voices over his long career. Whilst his first (and best) two novels (Fever Pitch and High Fidelity) were very much from the point of view of the author, Hornby has since branched out and actually seems to prefer to write for women and in the case of his most recent novel Just Like You for more diverse characters too. Slam is Hornby’s first attempt at writing a book for teenagers with a teenage protagonist. He does so with his usual warmth and empathy…
Sam Jones is a 16-year-old skateboarding fanatic who falls hard for local girl Alicia. Following a brief courtship, Alicia becomes pregnant, much to the horror of their respective parents, particularly Sam’s mother Annie who also experienced a teenage pregnancy. Hornby also employs a fantasy element in the novel with Sam occasionally travelling forwards in time for short periods, possibly under the stewardship of famous skater Tony Hawks. It’s an odd inclusion and I personally didn’t care for it but it does add an extra layer of intrigue, I suppose.
Despite being some way away from his teenage years (as am I), Hornby crafts a realistic and authentic adolescent voice through Sam. His selfishness and poor decision-making all track with my own youthful escapades, particularly a section in which he runs away to Hastings instead of dealing with his problems, as do his subsequent regret and desire to do better next time. His relationship with his mum is particularly touching, and it is often the moments involving both sets of parents in which Slam truly excels.
I found Slam to be one of Hornby’s less compelling works (although I finished it in a week), but I’m confident that had I read it as a teenager I probably would have loved it. This isn’t a book for me, not really, and that’s fine. As a massive fan of Hornby and obsessive pop culture completist, I’m glad I read Slam but I can’t imagine myself returning to it again.