How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
There are no prizes for guessing the mistake my thirty-two-year-old mother made, and the same goes for my thirty-three-year-old father. My mum's dad made the mistake of thinking he was going to be a footballer. (2.22)
We get the sense that Sam thinks about the consequences of decisions more often than the average sixteen year old. He worries about how his life will turn out if he makes the same choices as his parents. Alas, all that worrying doesn't stop him from making some pretty similar choices.
Quote #2
There were a couple of young mums at my school, and they acted like a baby was an iPod or a new mobile or something, some kind of gadget that they wanted to show off. There are many differences between a baby and an iPod. And one of the biggest differences is, no one's going to mug you for your baby. (2.167)
Well, Sam's right about this: Babies aren't iPods. Despite all of his talk about the choices other people are making, however, Sam still winds up with a baby. Go figure.
Quote #3
What's incredible to me is that you can keep out of trouble pretty much every minute of your life apart from maybe five seconds, and that five seconds can get you into the worst trouble of all, just about. It's amazing, when you think about it. (3.96)
This quote pretty much sums up the book. Why? It's essentially all about what happens when one decision you make is the wrong one. If not for a few seconds in the sack, Sam and Alicia wouldn't be in the predicament they are in. Slam asks us to think about our choices and what can happen from just one.