Erin

 Slam



"By turns funny and heartbreaking." - The Seattle Times

"With Sam, Hornby has given us another of his perfectly imperfect male characters..Sparkling" -Chicago Sun Times

"Hornby's witty, gentle genious shines through." - USA Today

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" You really need to live your life, and not zoom in and out of it. Otherwise you never know whats going on" -Sam

"Alicia's in labor! You've got to run!" -Sam's Mom

"I could do it,though. I could see that. I wouldn't be sitting here now if i couldn't do it." -Sam

*The YouTube video on my Wiki is very important to the story. The video is basically a book trailer and it gives most of the details about the book itself. The person in the video explains a lot of things about the book that you wouldn’t otherwise know before reading it. After reading the book, it was very helpful to watch this video because it clears up things that weren’t understood while reading. For a person that hasn’t read the book before, this video would give you a good idea of what to expect while reading and gives great detail about the characters. The video also explains the Tony Hawk situation that is very unclear while reading the book.Watching this video gives the potential reader a good summary and a good idea of what the book entails.


 * The picture of the baby is extremely significant to the book. This picture basically pepresents the entire plot of the story. The whole story is based upon this unborn baby and how the two teenagers plan to cope with their new lives. This baby teaches both Alicia and Sam that one bad decision, and a few seconds can easily change your life forever. The couple is preparing for the baby they are about to have and the new lifestyle that will come along with it. This baby teaches Sam and Alicia responsibility at a very young age. This baby also represents the struggles that each family is facing, and the new struggles they are about to face. This baby pulls families apart, and brings them back together.

*Tony Hawk plays a huge role in this book. Sam is obsessed with skateboarding and with Tony Hawk. Since Sam doesn’t have a very supportive family, he always would discuss his problems with a Tony Hawk poster on his will. Even though Tony couldn’t actually talk back, in Sam’s mind he did. Tony gave Sam a lot of advice on his life experiences and Alicia’s pregnancy. Sam also always related his life to Tony’s life, so when things go wrong Sam always had someone’s life experiences to turn to. Tony plays a role in Sam’s life that really goes unnoticed by everyone else. Sam keeps his poster and his conversations with Tony secret from everyone else. Even though Tony doesn't physically exist in the story, he still plays a major role in Sam's life and in the story.

*My first quote is said by Sam. Sam is the kind of kid who doesn’t really worry about anything. He doesn’t pay attention to things around him,and most of the time he is only worried about himself and thigns that involve him. Sam is extremely conservative and just likes to skateboard. He is having flashes into the future at this point in the book, and he has no idea what is going on. When he gets back to “reality”, he says this quote. At this point in the book, it finally hits Sam about what is going on in his life and the future obstacles he is going to face. He then realizes that life is short. Even if things aren’t going your way, you still need to live your life. One day you might not wake up in the morning, so you have to live every,single day to its fullest potential.


 * My second quote is also extremely important. Sam is out skateboarding, just trying to clear his head before the baby is born. Before you know it, Sam’s mom is rushing at him completely out of breath. She is scolding him for not answering his mobile phone, and she then informs him that Alicia is going into labor. Sam goes right to Alicia’s house and she is in the bath tub, preparing to leave for the hospital. When Sam’s mom arrived at the skate park, everything really started to sink in that Sam was going to be a father. This quote also symbolizes the fact that Sam’s life is about to change. This quote also symbolizes the turning point in the book. Everything is building up to this one moment in time and when this quote was said, everything immediately, drastically changed.


 * The final quote on my wiki is from the very last paragraph of the book. Sam is now a father, and he is starting to settle in with his new lifestyle. He had just gotten done talking to Tony Hawk when the thought crossed his mind that he could do anything. Sam realized that he can overcome any obstacle placed in front of him, and if he couldn’t, he would never be put in the situation to begin with. Sam was overcome with self confidence and the realization that anything was possible,even if he is 17, has a son, trying to go to college, and maintaining a relationship. Sam is no longer scared of any life situation, he has the confidence to overcome anything. This quote was a great end to the book, and it tells the reader that Sam has changed throughout the entire book.