Edwin Howard's Reviews > Hammond

HAMMOND, by Jonathan LaPoma, is the story of James Lombardi, a young man gifted with basketball talent and drive to succeed. James also struggles with what he calls "Evil Thoughts" which are all of the negative thoughts, scary future outcomes, and hatred he thinks other people have about him. As James matures from a young 6th grader to a mature high school graduate, James constantly battles his inner demons but they become harder and harder to keep at bay and threaten to overwhelm him completely.
As raw and unfiltered as any coming-of-age book I have ever read, HAMMOND forces the reader to live the struggle with James and constantly yearn for James to overcome his "Evil Thoughts" once and for all so that he can find the value and purpose in his life. By making James a talented basketball player, LaPoma charges the reader to really look at sports as an escape for some people; not just escaping one's own troubles day to day, but escaping a life you are in for a better one, by basketball opening doors that otherwise would remain shut. The novel is graphic and a little disturbing at times, but in the context of James Lombardi's age and type of person he is, worked well for me.
I found little if any of the graphic (violent and sexual) content to be gratuitous, it was just the mind of a young man growing up in a tough city, a tough school, and a tough family. HAMMOND is a unique book, one that lingers in the mind long after finishing it, and I for one am looking forward to reading more from LaPoma in the future.
Thank you to Almendro Arts, Jonathan LaPoma, and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!