This is a peer review.
"When faced with the ultimate decision, you have two choices. Embrace the situation or get the fuck out of dodge." Tatum in Indisputable by A.M. Wilson
When I read the synopsis for this debut novel, I was immediately intrigued. I was furthermore surprised the author reached out to me with a galley for review. There are several items I need to address before I share my thoughts on the novel:
#1 This is the author's debut novel.
#2 Stories of forbidden love deemed by society make me weak at the knees.
#3 I have a thirst for unique fresh stories that immerse me in with the characters and keep me there until the last page is turned.
Indisputable is the story of an eighteen year old high-school student who has experienced a rough start in life. Eighteen and emancipated in her parents, Tatum is a goal-oriented sassy, spunky, and often angsty senior with good grades, who also holds a full-time job working forty hours a week at a Senior Living Center in Minnesota. Living on her own leaves her to own devices, often seeking shelter from her solace with the wrong choice of company. Despite her young age, she is a very mature individual and understanding of her surroundings, as well as the consequences of her own actions. To deal with her trauma, she resorts to a not-often-discussed-enough type of coping mechanism. What that is - well, you will have to read the novel to find out. One night she is stranded by the side of the road and a kind, good samaritan comes to her aid.
Jacoby Ryan is a sweet kind man with a heart made of gold, who happens to be a teacher, and alike Tatum he comes with a past full of heart-break and pain. He meets our heroine and offers her a ride home when her car breaks down. Before doing so, he buys her dinner and is enthralled by her from the get-go. After dinner and a panty-combusting kiss, they go their separate ways. What happens next, like I mentioned earlier, you will have to read.
The writing in this debut novel is above par, in fact, it is simple and straightforward which makes it so easy to relate to the characters she has created, and has a solid plot that is refreshing and somewhat new. The dialogue is effortless and real, packing a punch in its simplicity, yet there is a depth that draws you in, and makes you question if this is, in fact, a debut novel. The characters are fully developed, and one comment I would like to stress is this story primarily focuses on Tatum and Jacoby. However, there are strong secondary characters that peaked my interest to know more about them - so much that I would like read more about them in the near future.
Indisputable ends with a HEAFN (Happy Ever After For Now). I'm unsure if this novel is the set-up for a series, but it can be read as a complete standalone given its ending, which brings a sense of finality that leaves you complete. The selfish reader in me wants to read more about Tatum and Jacoby in the future, and desires to know more about the secondary characters.
Indisputable is a New Adult Contemporary Romance that is a must-read for anyone who loves stories about angst, forbidden love and redemption, but more importantly, it's a story that will stay with you far after you've turned the last page. This novel filled all of the above mentioned requirements for a good read, and it's a novel that comes with my seal of approval.
Five Stars from me. Brava.