There's a level of self-absorption and self-loathing in James, the protagonist, that is unappealing and predictable. A self-conscious writing effort.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.

Interesting read! About a young man, mentally ill but gifted with basketball talent who is driven to succeed. This story takes us to a whole different world that doesn’t exist for most of us. I was fortunate to receive this novel from Netgalley as an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Amazing read! The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

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 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.

Hammond by author Jonathan LaPoma is an intense, disturbing fiction story that follows a mentally ill boy on the basketball courts of Buffalo New York. The book is raw and dark but also humorous! The characters are well structured and the plot is thick, making Hammond a great book for those looking for a read that takes you into a whole other world (so to speak).
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy of Hammond in exchange for an honest review.