Unstoppable

Former NFL football player Tim Green’s Unstoppable tells the story of 13 year old boy’s challenging life of ups and downs.  Tired of being brutalized mentally and physically, Harrison retaliates against his foster father Mr. Constable and is taken to jail.  His situation improves dramatically when a social worker advocates for him and places him in a new environment.

Harrison suspects that since he is muscular, fast and tall, he has the traits to be a successful football player.  His new dad “Coach” coincidentally is the middle school football coach and although he does not show favoritism to Harrison, he encourages him to pursue his passion for football.  After years in the foster system and as a victim of bullying, Harrison suppresses his anger against classroom bullies and releases it on the football field where he successfully eludes tackles and scores repeatedly, earning the nickname Unstoppable.

When I saw the book on the shelf in the library, it immediately caught my attention. The name Unstoppable labeled on the side of the book made me pick it up and immediately want to read.  I loved how I could visualize the characters in specific scenes such as the moment when Jennifer, his mother, defended her son after an incident with a bullying math teacher at school using her skills as a lawyer. I admired how she spoke calmly to Harrison and then in a more tempered legal tone to the principal and the police. Even though the book started a little bit slowly for me, it picked up shortly after that. I was so carried away with reading Unstoppable that I didn’t even think about the what activities I had planned that day.  If you like inspirational athletic type of books, this book is right up your alley.

Author: Tim Green

Genre: Sports