An Amazon UK/AU Sports Fiction Bestseller #2
Amazon Best Seller: #1 Hot New Release in Sports Fiction
A group of troubled but charismatic boys in a tough Buffalo, NY neighborhood play basketball at a local park and dream of winning a state high school championship. Driven by raw talent and killer instinct, they dominate the court, but everywhere else, they feel like losers. Hammond is told through the eyes of James Lombardi, a precocious but mentally ill boy who believes winning a championship will ease his “Evil Thoughts” and save his family, long haunted by generations of substance abuse, uncontrollable rage, and suicide.
A dark but humorous coming-of-age novel, Hammond offers a poetic and disturbing look inside the complex mind of an adolescent boy as he slowly learns that having the heart of a champion can sometimes be more burden than blessing.
Critical Acclaim for Hammond
“Earnest, hardscrabble story of restless youth, mental illness, and the saving grace of sports-inspired camaraderie… Compelling. successfully captures the anger, frustration, and freedom of kids on the brink of adulthood.”
“Lingers in the mind far after its conclusion… replete with interpersonal interactions, personal revelations, and an overlay of mental illness perspective rare in a coming-of-age story. Readers who look for compelling sagas of mental illness struggles will find Hammond a revealing standout in the literature which grabs the reader’s attention and swings through a life that too often feels stuck. Few stories can capture this gritty and stark existence, and Hammond is reminiscent of the classic I Never Promised You A Rose Garden, with its powerful, introspective view of an evolving (and, sometimes, devolving) young man.”
“Succeeds on many levels, LaPoma’s use of James… as the central character is laudable. His unique worldview gives the narrative an unforgettable flavor… [it] records the internal struggles and confusion of his protagonist in realistic and abundant detail…”
“…Hammond is truly a masterpiece of the coming-of-age genre. My biggest hope for this book is that it gets the attention it deserves.”
“As raw and unfiltered as any coming-of-age book I have ever read… lingers in the mind long after finishing it…”
“The characters are well structured and the plot is thick, making Hammond a great book…”
“The author did a great job with characterization and voice. The drama and angst was very well done as well. I prayed for them to win the basketball championship so they could have something good happen in their lives… I RECOMMEND the book to read.”
“Jonathan LaPoma is one of the best authors I have come across. He makes it a point to stir the emotions in your heart you never knew existed… The writing is poetic, lyrical and anything you associate with the word “melody”… The pages turned themselves, a ride full of emotions… You stick with his till the…flawless ending…I give Hammond a perfect 5 stars.”
– Archit Ojha, India’s 3th “Most Followed” and “Best Reviewer” on Goodreads