How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
I decided to take the poster down whether Alicia was pregnant or not. It was time to move on. If he was so great, how come he couldn't help me? I'd been treating him like a god, but he wasn't a god. He was nothing. Just a skater. (5.96)
Indeed, he has. Sam knows he thinks of Tony Hawk as a god, but that doesn't stop him from treating his idol this way even after this epiphany. He wants to convince himself that Tony means nothing to him, but we know that's not true. He's just upset that Tony can't help him more.
Quote #5
I'm pretty sure I didn't dream them up, but I couldn't swear that on Tony Hawk's book, which is my bible. So we're about to come to one of these parts now, and all I can do is tell it straight. You'll have to make your own minds up. (6.1)
If his bible is Tony Hawk's book, and his god is the skater himself, is his religion Tony Hawkism? Sam's search for meaning in everything Tony Hawk shows us that he's looking for answers out there about his future and the larger meaning of life. It just so happens that he finds answers in a skater instead of a deity.
Quote #6
If Tony Hawk let me be eleven again, I wouldn't mess it up a second time. I'd become a Christian or something, one of those people who never do anything. I used to think they were mad, but they're not, are they? (6.108)
We're not sure we believe Sam when he claims he'd go all religious on us. In fact, we think he's just using his bartering skills again. This time, he's promising he won't screw up if he gets a second shot. The trouble is, that's not how it works—we can't jump back and forth every time we make a mistake until our lives are perfect.