Slam.

Related Features

Eighteen-year-old Hoult, an actor who played a role in the film adaptation of Hornby’s About a Boy (1988), is a terrific choice to narrate the author’s first young adult novel. Fifteen-year-old Sam’s girlfriend gets pregnant. What should he do? He doesn’t want to repeat the mistakes of his mother, who got pregnant as a teen. Distressed Sam talks to his poster of skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, which helps his troubled teenage soul. This moving, bittersweet work is packed with Hornby’s trademark insight and incisive wit. Native Brit Hoult’s voice is charming, and his accent is very pronounced. In fact it may take listeners a few chapters to become accustomed to his cadence and lilt, but once they do, they will be rewarded with a memorable listening experience. The novel is a Booklist Editors’ Choice Books for Youth, 2007, selection.