Navigating teenage parenthood is the central theme of Slam, and the novel examines the issue from the brutal honesty of the teenage male perspective. It is a somewhat stereotyped depiction of a teenage boy’s reaction to finding out his girlfriend is pregnant, but Sam manages to rise above these stereotypes through a period of self-reflection and inner growth. Sam’s very existence is the result of teenage parenthood, as his own mother had him when she was 16. Sam carries this legacy with him everywhere he goes, and often feels judged by others for being the child of a teenage mother: “If somebody knows about the history of my family, then it’s all they can see, and it’s all they can hear” (47). Sam’s own battle with shame and regret about his own son’s existence is something he continues to grapple with even as he narrates the experiences two years later.

Before Sam is even aware that Alicia is pregnant, he is repulsed by the idea of having a serious relationship. Alicia seems to never want to do anything but watch TV and have sex, and her parents judge Sam harshly for his family history. Sam also finds that he is giving up his other pursuits and passions, like

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