I actually just checked out a paper book version from my local library. Not knowing all that slang only detracted from the novel for me to the extent that all that slang was, in my opinion, inserted to give the proper flavor of the narration from a 13 year old boy at that time and place. Something I might have missed even if it had been an American 13 year old speaking. In 1982 I was a 28 year old graduate student in university.

The same with all the references to music. I admit that I only actually recognized one or two of the songs mentioned, and less than half of the recording artists.