Slam characters

Appears from the start

A sixteen-year-old London skateboarder who narrates the story. He is studying art, hopes to avoid repeating his parents' early mistakes, and consults a poster and autobiography of Tony Hawk as if the famous skater were a private adviser.

Appears from the start

Sam's mother, who had him when she was sixteen and raised him largely on her own. Her history makes Sam acutely aware of how an unplanned pregnancy can redirect a young life.

Appears from the start

The celebrated American skateboarder whom Sam idolizes. Sam does not know him personally; instead, he imagines conversations with the Tony Hawk poster in his bedroom and interprets lines from Hawk's memoir as guidance.

First appears in chapter 2

A girl from a more affluent family whom Sam meets at a party. Their rapid, intense relationship gives Sam a glimpse of a life beyond school and skating, while also bringing him into uneasy contact with her parents.

First appears in chapter 3

Alicia's father. Protective, educated, and more financially secure than Sam's family, he reacts to Sam through the expectations he has for Alicia's future.

First appears in chapter 3

Alicia's mother, who shares the difficult task of responding to her daughter's relationship with Sam and the consequences that follow from it.

First appears in chapter 4

Annie's boyfriend. His place in the household initially makes Sam uncomfortable, particularly when changes in Annie's own life complicate the family's future.

First appears in chapter 6

Sam's father, who also became a parent while young but has not shared equally in the daily work of raising Sam. His limited example helps explain Sam's fear that young fatherhood will lead to absence or failure.

First appears in chapter 17

Sam and Alicia's baby. His arrival turns an alarming possibility into a person who depends on both young parents, forcing them to replace abstract plans with daily choices.