43 pages 1 hour read

Nick Hornby

Slam

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2007

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Chapters 9-13

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 9 Summary

Sam manages to avoid reality for two days, and on the third day, Alicia comes to his house to confirm that she’s pregnant. She cries and gets angry when she senses that Sam is reluctant to get involved. In hindsight, Sam feels like he was not 16 at this moment, but more like a tongue-tied young child in need of his mother’s comfort. Sam keeps asking Alicia what she plans to do, and Alicia wants him to consider himself part of those plans. She states that she will keep the pregnancy and asks for Sam to help her tell her parents. Sam grudgingly agrees. He feels like he has ruined his life before it’s even begun and tries reading Tony Hawk’s autobiography for comfort.

Sam’s mum announces that she has found a family counselor, and Sam realizes he has set himself up for this with his lie. At the first session, Sam’s dad professes his suspicion that Sam isn’t upset about their divorce but is instead hiding something. Sam can also tell that his dad harbors racist feelings against the counselor. Sam says as little as possible, and afterward he goes to eat with his parents.