Unbeaten

Two very different young men in love face a world of danger and challenges together.  They find support and enemies in both family and friends.  The story is filled with love, laughter, tears and fear as they grow stronger together.  Characters are engaging, the plot full of unexpected twists and the writing is superb.  I highly recommend this story!

This was a difficult story for me to review, because I’m not a fan of detailed depictions of sex in stories. In general I find it takes me out of the story when I have to wade through the mechanical / anatomical details of each coupling, and there is quite a lot of that on show here.

However, to overlook or down rate this story on the basis of that alone would be a disservice to the rest of Ivor Slipper’s work, in which he has created a thoughtful tale of two gay teens trying to find acceptance in conservative America.

The story is told from the point of view of Adam, the intelligent fifteen-year-old son of zealously religious parents who seek to beat sin out of him wherever they find it. When he meets and becomes involved with sensitive school ‘jock’ Troy, it’s clear that there will be no happy ending for Adam while he remains with his birth parents. Fortunately, he escapes from their dubious care at an early stage and the story follows Adam and Troy’s lives together from there.

‘Unbeaten’ is not the most focused tale, and it meanders quite a bit in the telling, but along the way Adam and Troy encounter many ups and downs, ranging from moments of sweet humour and self-discovery to moments of shocking violence. The full spectrum of human behaviour is on display here.

Homophobia is a recurring theme in their struggles, often mixed up with repressed homosexuality in a toxic but quite believable fashion. Thankfully, Adam and Troy also make several helpful allies, not least their supportive teacher Mr. Edgars, and Troy’s loving and very open-minded parents.

The story progresses to a reasonably satisfying conclusion, even working in a few  rather ‘meta’ references to GA towards the end. Through narrative and dialogue, Ivor’s solid writing paints a clear picture of small-town life that I found educational and evocative.

I may have read more beautifully told stories, but ‘Unbeaten’ captured and held my attention, I cared for its characters and was rewarded by the growth they both experience over the course of the story. 

Oh, and the descriptions of Mrs. C’s cooking were wonderful… a feast for the imagination!

A long and wonderful love affair between a pair of guys who just want to be together, but seem to have to fight the entire world to get there. A seat belt may be required, and perhaps a box of tissues. But you surely won't regret the journey!

Take a Saturday afternoon - well, maybe two! - and read this one!