Slam Theme of Family

Ah, the perfect family. There's a mom, dad, 2.5 kids, and a golden retriever. You know the type. It's great if that just so happens to be your family, but for many of us, it's not. What then? Slam is about creating a family even when it's unconventional. The book shows us that it doesn't mater what age you are or what kind of relationship you have, you can still be there for your family. Sam and Alicia go through the ringer trying to create a specific lifestyle when they find out they are expecting. They learn along the way, though, that being romantically linked isn't the most important thing. As long as they are there for their son, they're all the family he needs.

Questions About Family

  1. What do you think family means in the book? How does the meaning of family change?
  2. How does Sam's family compare to Alicia's? Which do you think is closer? Which do you think is happier?
  3. Sam's mom says no one is ever the right age in families. What do you think she means by that? How does this show us what she thinks about family?

Chew on This

Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.

In Slam,family means always having each other's backs even when it's tough.

In Slam, family means getting mad at each other when times get hard.