Slam - Nick Hornby

I always read Nick Hornby's books - even when they are about soccer, which I have little to no interest in. I bought this one for Jake when it first came out - excited that not only was it a Nick Hornby book, but that it was also a Young Adult book. Two great favorites together! I had only a vague idea of what the book was about - a teenage kid who is in to skating (a.k.a. skateboarding!). And boy, was I in for a surprise. Sure, this kid loves skaring - and has a very weird relationship with his poster of Tony Hawk. But, this book is mostly about the boy's intense relationship with his girlfriend and the worst mistake he could make as a 16 year old. Given the subject matter of the book, I can't say that I found it "enjoyable" - and the cynical humor that is Hornby's trademark, while hilarious when spouted by jaded adults, is just uncomfortable when coming from a teenager. The plot of this book is an enormous train wreck - you can't stop reading, are in disbelief that whole time, and in the end everything is just tragic and depressing. Not at all what I was looking for from Hornby or from Young Adult fiction.