I think, my first impressions fit with my impressions now, basically. But I thought, it's more about skating than about love. But actually, I liked it, that it wasn't. I learned from that, how two young persons can learn much from eachother and how they can manage things, if they want to. Other teenagers, who aren't pregnant or something like that, worry about what they're going to wear the next day or other unimportant things. And here you could see very good, how important their problems really are.
People, who want to get their children educated (hier: aufgeklärt) probably want their kids to read the book, because you'll see how easy it is to get pregnant. Hornby also wrote, that there is a morning-after pill, for some people, who didn't know that so far. But I can't think of people, who should not read the book, it's very commercial and handles with many prejudices.
How have you changed after reading the book?
I think, I didn't change. But maybe I don't think that bad about young mothers like before, because in the book, it happens to two normal teenagers who didn't want it, but treat the baby very good. Babys from young parents not always have a difficult life.
Sonntag, 16. November 2008
After having read more than half of the novel
I had read until chapter 11. After the trip to Hastings he faced up to the things that happened/are going to happen. After a while, Alicia and Sam told their parents about the baby. They had to go to a childbirth-prepartion-track. But there were only old people, so Alicia and Sam didn't fit in at all. The people had suits on and were looking at them very arrogant and Sam and Alicia didn't feel comfortable, thus they decided to not go there one more time. But I think, that's a big problem in our community too. The "older" people are discriminating young parents only because of their own ideal. Therefore, it's even more difficult to feel accepted in the community for young mothers or fathers.
Now, it's the moment when Sam tells his mother, that he's going to live at Alicia's house now. But Sam's mother doesn't agree with that, what was surprising, because she should know how tough it would be for Alicia to educate a child in this age.
What I like the most about "Slam" is, that this story could nearly happen to all of us. It's easy identify with the characters. I can't remember anything that annoyed me.
Now, it's the moment when Sam tells his mother, that he's going to live at Alicia's house now. But Sam's mother doesn't agree with that, what was surprising, because she should know how tough it would be for Alicia to educate a child in this age.
What I like the most about "Slam" is, that this story could nearly happen to all of us. It's easy identify with the characters. I can't remember anything that annoyed me.
Freitag, 14. November 2008
...after reading half of the book
I think, Sam had done a stupid thing, when he went to Hastings. But it's good, that he noticed, that he can't leave Alicia alone with the baby. Because it isn't only hers. But here you see too, how he grows up. When he went to Hastings he was a child, and then he cogitated and got a bit more grown-up.
What I'm confused about, is that the mother reacts so extremly, when he was not at home for one night. I mean, he's 16 and a boy and I think, not every mother would call the police so quickly. And I think, you can see here very well, that he's not that independent and grown-up like other boys in his age.
If I had to ask one of the characters in the book, I would ask Alicia why she want to have the baby without thinking of an abortion. Because if I would imagine, what I would do in Alicia's stead, I had to think about it a lo, because of my schooling and career. But she doesn't want to go to college, so maybe it's not that fatal for her.
What I'm confused about, is that the mother reacts so extremly, when he was not at home for one night. I mean, he's 16 and a boy and I think, not every mother would call the police so quickly. And I think, you can see here very well, that he's not that independent and grown-up like other boys in his age.
If I had to ask one of the characters in the book, I would ask Alicia why she want to have the baby without thinking of an abortion. Because if I would imagine, what I would do in Alicia's stead, I had to think about it a lo, because of my schooling and career. But she doesn't want to go to college, so maybe it's not that fatal for her.
Donnerstag, 13. November 2008
6,7,8 - Switching into future, Running away from home
This chapter was confusing. Sam is switching into future. Its like 10 months later. He lives in the house of Alicia's parents and they have got a baby named "Roof", and this name is absolutely unacceptable for Sam. He was going to college but he didn't remember anything. He is really shocked about the whole situation, he had to change nappies, he had to wake up in the middle of the night to jig his crying son. But at the end, he woke up and noticed, that everything what happened was only a dream.
This dream should change his life. He believes, that "TH" (Tony Hawk) switched him into future. But he didn't like, what he saw there. So he decides to go to Hastings (a town, where he and his mum went on holiday the summer before). He decides to live there forever, because he doesn't want to have the baby with Alicia and he is certain, that she is pregnant. He switched his phone off and threw it into the sea, so he couldn't get any messages from Alicia. It all seemed so easy for him.
But one disadvantage was, that he had to find work and a place to sleep. He found an old man, who pays him for bringing him up and down the stairs and to accompany him. For the money he gets from the man, he pays his rent for a room. But this work was crap. The old man was so unpolite, that Sam decided to go home. He couldn't manage it, and he also appreciated, that he has to be there for Alicia. He refused to behave like a child and went back.
As he came home, the police were standing outside the house and his mum crying inside. Only now, he realises how his mother worried about him. He apologizes and he made up a story why he run away: He couldn't manage the divorce of his parents. But this excuse brought Sam a weekly therapy session.
This dream should change his life. He believes, that "TH" (Tony Hawk) switched him into future. But he didn't like, what he saw there. So he decides to go to Hastings (a town, where he and his mum went on holiday the summer before). He decides to live there forever, because he doesn't want to have the baby with Alicia and he is certain, that she is pregnant. He switched his phone off and threw it into the sea, so he couldn't get any messages from Alicia. It all seemed so easy for him.
But one disadvantage was, that he had to find work and a place to sleep. He found an old man, who pays him for bringing him up and down the stairs and to accompany him. For the money he gets from the man, he pays his rent for a room. But this work was crap. The old man was so unpolite, that Sam decided to go home. He couldn't manage it, and he also appreciated, that he has to be there for Alicia. He refused to behave like a child and went back.
As he came home, the police were standing outside the house and his mum crying inside. Only now, he realises how his mother worried about him. He apologizes and he made up a story why he run away: He couldn't manage the divorce of his parents. But this excuse brought Sam a weekly therapy session.
5 - Bad News
After a while, Sam went out with an other girl and things went on.
On his birthday, Alicia texted him, that she had to see him urgent. Sam knew, why this was so urgent. They met at Starbucks and then Alicia told him, that she was late with her period. They wanted to buy a pregnancy test to have certainty. But they had too less money, thus Alicia had to go home and get some. Sam decided to wait for her, but after 25 minutes, he went home.
Then he talked to Tony Hawk, like he does all the time. For sure not the real Tony Hawk, only the poster. He asks him everytime he needs some help and Tony Hawk "answers" him then. It's like an imaginary friend, because he can't talk about serious things with his friends. Sam read Tonys biographie over a million times and so he knows how he would answer. I think the conversations between Sam and this poster are very important for the book.
On his birthday, Alicia texted him, that she had to see him urgent. Sam knew, why this was so urgent. They met at Starbucks and then Alicia told him, that she was late with her period. They wanted to buy a pregnancy test to have certainty. But they had too less money, thus Alicia had to go home and get some. Sam decided to wait for her, but after 25 minutes, he went home.
Then he talked to Tony Hawk, like he does all the time. For sure not the real Tony Hawk, only the poster. He asks him everytime he needs some help and Tony Hawk "answers" him then. It's like an imaginary friend, because he can't talk about serious things with his friends. Sam read Tonys biographie over a million times and so he knows how he would answer. I think the conversations between Sam and this poster are very important for the book.
1-4 - Sam and Alicia
Actually, the story begins in the second chapter. In the first chapter, he tells us a bit about his life. His mum, his school, his friends, skating, Tony Hawk. He is a boy named Sam and his mother is a single parent. He became Sam when she was 16.
In the beginning is his friend Rabbit introduced, who would like to go out with Sam's mum, which would be very creepy because she's too old for him, even if she looks very young.
Later, his mum want him to come to the birthday party of Alicia's mum, a friend of Sam's mum. She wanted to introduce him Alicia, because she thinks, Sam would like her. Thus, he goes to the party.
At first, Alicia seemed arrogant, but later, Sam and her talked and watched a film together and they really liked eachother, so Alicia gave him her phone number to call her to meet her at the cinema the next evening. He called her the next day and they were sitting in Starbucks and were talking all evening, then they went to Alicia's house and she wanted to sleep with him. He wasn't ready for this and he asked her, if she really was, because she told him at the party, that she wasn't ready to sleep with her ex-boyfriend, so why should she be ready to have sex with him? But then, she started crying and the result was: they had sex.
I think, it was too fast. And I think, Alicia did this not because she loves him so much, I mean they knew eachother barely. Maybe, she just wanted to have the first time behind one.
(3) And since then, they were boy- and girlfriend. Sam was at her house every day and he couldn't think of anything else but her. He calls it "waist of time" (school, skating, sleeping, everything that hasn't got to do with her). So, everything he was doing was sleeping, going to school and meeting Alicia. His mum warned him, but he didn't want to listen.
(4) I was sure, that's not going to be like that for a long time, and how you can see, until the 4th chapter. Sam is bored of Alicia and he wants to go skating and meet his friends again. Sam meets Alicia more rarely, he doesn't call her anymore, doesn't answer her text messages and so it comes, that it was over.
After the opening chapters of the book:
What happened here, was clear. At the beginning you want to see the person you're in love with everyday, but if you exaggerate that, it gets boring. And the same happened to Sam and Alicia. I had my own experiences with that and so I can understand Sam very good.
I needed 2,5 hours for the first 4 chapters.
In the beginning is his friend Rabbit introduced, who would like to go out with Sam's mum, which would be very creepy because she's too old for him, even if she looks very young.
Later, his mum want him to come to the birthday party of Alicia's mum, a friend of Sam's mum. She wanted to introduce him Alicia, because she thinks, Sam would like her. Thus, he goes to the party.
At first, Alicia seemed arrogant, but later, Sam and her talked and watched a film together and they really liked eachother, so Alicia gave him her phone number to call her to meet her at the cinema the next evening. He called her the next day and they were sitting in Starbucks and were talking all evening, then they went to Alicia's house and she wanted to sleep with him. He wasn't ready for this and he asked her, if she really was, because she told him at the party, that she wasn't ready to sleep with her ex-boyfriend, so why should she be ready to have sex with him? But then, she started crying and the result was: they had sex.
I think, it was too fast. And I think, Alicia did this not because she loves him so much, I mean they knew eachother barely. Maybe, she just wanted to have the first time behind one.
(3) And since then, they were boy- and girlfriend. Sam was at her house every day and he couldn't think of anything else but her. He calls it "waist of time" (school, skating, sleeping, everything that hasn't got to do with her). So, everything he was doing was sleeping, going to school and meeting Alicia. His mum warned him, but he didn't want to listen.
(4) I was sure, that's not going to be like that for a long time, and how you can see, until the 4th chapter. Sam is bored of Alicia and he wants to go skating and meet his friends again. Sam meets Alicia more rarely, he doesn't call her anymore, doesn't answer her text messages and so it comes, that it was over.
After the opening chapters of the book:
What happened here, was clear. At the beginning you want to see the person you're in love with everyday, but if you exaggerate that, it gets boring. And the same happened to Sam and Alicia. I had my own experiences with that and so I can understand Sam very good.
I needed 2,5 hours for the first 4 chapters.
Mittwoch, 15. Oktober 2008
Expectations, first impression
My expectations
I expect a modern and funny book about the life of a teenager, like I am. How we can see on the cover and the description at the back, its about skating. I have nothing to do with skating at all, but I think it will be interesting anyway and I would like to get some information about skating, because I think the tricks look very cool. A "lovestory" is involved too, so I think it will show the same problems, that we maybe have too.
We read a book in class 10 ("Of Mice And Men"), which was not easy to read and I didn't get a relation to the characters. But when I started reading "Slam", it was much easier to read and to understand. Nick Hornby writes in a modern style and there are no senteces, that are a page long or other things that we had in the book before, so I like his style of writing. I could unterstand how he feels about different things, for example the relation to Alicia.
So I think, I will like the book.
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