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ceciliasrose's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A lot of this hit home for me as a retired athlete who’s career didn’t end as they wanted due to an injury. I can see why it would be hard to resonate with a lot of Avery’s feelings if you weren’t in that position. That being said, I do feel like a lot of this was repetitive or unoriginal. I also thought the romance was completely unnecessary and random even if this was marketed as a romance?? It would’ve been significantly better without it.
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
4.0
A sweet sports romance featuring Avery, a former Olympic gymnastics hopeful and Ryan, an Olympic medalist and now gymnastics coach who taps Avery to help with his Olympic hopeful student's floor routine. Hesitant to get back into the world that let her down, Avery agrees, quickly getting excited about the young gymnast's potential.
This was a sloooow burn will-they, won't-they romance as Avery and Ryan dance around their growing attraction and unwillingness to mess with their professional relationship. I really enjoyed getting immersed in the gymnastics sport and felt the author did such a good job setting the scene! Perfect for fans of the movie, Stick it and great on audio narrated by Joy Osmanski!
This was a sloooow burn will-they, won't-they romance as Avery and Ryan dance around their growing attraction and unwillingness to mess with their professional relationship. I really enjoyed getting immersed in the gymnastics sport and felt the author did such a good job setting the scene! Perfect for fans of the movie, Stick it and great on audio narrated by Joy Osmanski!
readtowander's review against another edition
4.0
Lovers of gymnastics, The Olympics, or really any other sport or activity you grew up doing must read this book. I was no gymnast, but as a dancer and performer my whole life, I related to this book so much. It is so hard growing up with you eye on that one prize, whatever it may be, but for Avery making it to The Olympics and then losing it all in a moment.
Head Over Heels takes you on Avery’s journey from her hurt and depression, to hopefulness but anxiety, to fulfillment and a new kind of achievement! I think this book would have had a different effect on me if I had read it last year, but now it brings me hope.
Must Read for this summer, especially if you need a little dose of The Olympics! 4.5 Stars!
Thank you netgalley, the author and Atria books for my eArc!
Head Over Heels takes you on Avery’s journey from her hurt and depression, to hopefulness but anxiety, to fulfillment and a new kind of achievement! I think this book would have had a different effect on me if I had read it last year, but now it brings me hope.
Must Read for this summer, especially if you need a little dose of The Olympics! 4.5 Stars!
Thank you netgalley, the author and Atria books for my eArc!
kdurham2's review against another edition
4.0
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
This is a good book. With a focus on the gymnastics community and the recent news that has happened in that community this book felt so honest and real.
Avery Abrams lived a lot of life in a short time, training for many years with the
Olympics as the end goal, it was taken from her right on the cusp and for this big of an event to happen at such a young age, Avey has been through a lot. The book starts seven years later as Avery is returning home and she is at a turning point and has to decide what is next for herself.
This is a good book. With a focus on the gymnastics community and the recent news that has happened in that community this book felt so honest and real.
Avery Abrams lived a lot of life in a short time, training for many years with the
Olympics as the end goal, it was taken from her right on the cusp and for this big of an event to happen at such a young age, Avey has been through a lot. The book starts seven years later as Avery is returning home and she is at a turning point and has to decide what is next for herself.
intenselydistracted's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to like this book, but it just didn't stick the landing. (Horrible pun intended.) It tried to toe the line between reality and fiction with heavy topics paired with a budding romance, but didn't really give either enough weight for it to work.
mlazar17's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book. I was a gymnast for twenty years and spent several years coaching so reading this felt like coming home. While I was never an elite gymnast, reading it his and about gym life and training was so familiar.
I really enjoyed all the layers of this story. Hallie’s gymnastics career, Avery and Ryan’s relationship, the difference a good coach and a bad coach can make on entire lifetimes, and the dark side of the sport- the mental pressure, eating disorders, verbally abusive coaches, and sexual assault. Following the sport closely, you can see where most of these influences came from.
Head Over Heels also captures the complexity of the sport- especially in the last few years. How you can dedicate your whole life to it and love it more than anything, yet recognize that things need to change, that there is a better way. I loved Avery and Ryan’s supportive approach to coaching Hallie and it really emphasized that he role coaches should fill, especially in a sport like gymnastics.
There were parts of the book I wish were expounded upon so we knew more before the conclusion, but overall I was satisfied with the ending.
Special thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the copy in exchange for my honest review.
I really enjoyed all the layers of this story. Hallie’s gymnastics career, Avery and Ryan’s relationship, the difference a good coach and a bad coach can make on entire lifetimes, and the dark side of the sport- the mental pressure, eating disorders, verbally abusive coaches, and sexual assault. Following the sport closely, you can see where most of these influences came from.
Head Over Heels also captures the complexity of the sport- especially in the last few years. How you can dedicate your whole life to it and love it more than anything, yet recognize that things need to change, that there is a better way. I loved Avery and Ryan’s supportive approach to coaching Hallie and it really emphasized that he role coaches should fill, especially in a sport like gymnastics.
There were parts of the book I wish were expounded upon so we knew more before the conclusion, but overall I was satisfied with the ending.
Special thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the copy in exchange for my honest review.
angelialovestoread's review against another edition
3.0
Not really too much of a romance but still a good story!
theamyleblanc's review against another edition
3.0
I discovered this book by scrolling through Instagram. After reading the description, I knew I wanted to read it. That said, I agree with other reviews that you need to have an interest in gymnastics to really enjoy this story. It's very straightforward and mostly predictable.
Don't get me wrong, I liked this! It was entertaining and a nice palate-cleanser from the string of disappointing stories I had read recently. I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could. But I was a gymnast until my early teens and much like Avery, the sport shaped me. There were moments when she'd talk about really pointing your toes and mine would immediately point. It was great to see all the different paths (Avery, Ryan, Hallie, Jasmine, etc) and to be immersed in that world again. But when I step back and look at the story outside of that, it's an okay story.
If there are other former gymnasts out there who are feeling nostalgic, I'd definitely recommend this book!
Don't get me wrong, I liked this! It was entertaining and a nice palate-cleanser from the string of disappointing stories I had read recently. I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could. But I was a gymnast until my early teens and much like Avery, the sport shaped me. There were moments when she'd talk about really pointing your toes and mine would immediately point. It was great to see all the different paths (Avery, Ryan, Hallie, Jasmine, etc) and to be immersed in that world again. But when I step back and look at the story outside of that, it's an okay story.
If there are other former gymnasts out there who are feeling nostalgic, I'd definitely recommend this book!
kaylareadsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
*Before I jump into my review, I want to thank Goodreads and Atria books for providing me with an ARC. All of the opinions are my own, nothing has been impacted due to the fact that I was gifted this copy.*
Avery was once on track to being an olympic gold medalist until her whole world around her came crashing down. She tried to rebuild her life, but then It all came crashing down again. Now she's twenty seven years old and living in her childhood home, will she let her downfall stop her from the chance to train a new olympic hopeful?
I loved this book so much! This was the first book by Hannah Orenstein that I have ever read before and I can't believe I have waited this long to read one of her books. I was also reading this book along with Stoney Clover Lane for their August book club.
Avery is trying to rebuild her life, and she comes back to her hometown in Massachusetts. Her parents home is decorated like a shrine to her gymnastics career. I love that she doesn't wallow and let herself be sad forever, she gets a job at local gym with a former gymnast she has always had a crush on. Ryan was a gymnast with Avery when she was competing, she always had a crush on him. Now she gets to work with him and he's just as cute as she remembered, if not more.
Then we have Hallie, the gymnast who is training with Ryan. She is sixteen, filled with life and energy. She has looked up to Avery for years and wants to be just like her. The relationship that Hallie and Avery develop is one that is very different than the one Avery describes of hers with her former coach, Dimitri, who was emotionally and verbally abusive.
The way Avery and Ryan are protective of Hallie, making sure she is safe and healthy was a very important point of the novel.
At one point in the novel, there is mention of a sexual assault case that is opened against the sports doctor that every gymnast uses. This reminded me of the case with Dr. Nassar from Michigan State. This moment in the novel is heartbreaking and is the moment where the book felt more real, as this was a real situation I remember reading about.
I love the relationship between Ryan and Avery. They are both learning how to have a relationship that is outside of their job and they are just the best.
Jasmine is one of Avery's former teammates and was her best friend for as long as she can remember, the two reconnect when Avery comes back to town. Jasmine is married to their former coach, Dimitri, the relationship that Jasmine and her husband have a relationship that isn't very different than the relationship the two had when she was training with him.
The conversations that happen throughout this novel are real and important. There are conversations about love, body image, abuse, depression and so much more.
This book was SO good! It was fun, cute, heartfelt and heart breaking. I highly recommend this one!
Avery was once on track to being an olympic gold medalist until her whole world around her came crashing down. She tried to rebuild her life, but then It all came crashing down again. Now she's twenty seven years old and living in her childhood home, will she let her downfall stop her from the chance to train a new olympic hopeful?
I loved this book so much! This was the first book by Hannah Orenstein that I have ever read before and I can't believe I have waited this long to read one of her books. I was also reading this book along with Stoney Clover Lane for their August book club.
Avery is trying to rebuild her life, and she comes back to her hometown in Massachusetts. Her parents home is decorated like a shrine to her gymnastics career. I love that she doesn't wallow and let herself be sad forever, she gets a job at local gym with a former gymnast she has always had a crush on. Ryan was a gymnast with Avery when she was competing, she always had a crush on him. Now she gets to work with him and he's just as cute as she remembered, if not more.
Then we have Hallie, the gymnast who is training with Ryan. She is sixteen, filled with life and energy. She has looked up to Avery for years and wants to be just like her. The relationship that Hallie and Avery develop is one that is very different than the one Avery describes of hers with her former coach, Dimitri, who was emotionally and verbally abusive.
The way Avery and Ryan are protective of Hallie, making sure she is safe and healthy was a very important point of the novel.
At one point in the novel, there is mention of a sexual assault case that is opened against the sports doctor that every gymnast uses. This reminded me of the case with Dr. Nassar from Michigan State. This moment in the novel is heartbreaking and is the moment where the book felt more real, as this was a real situation I remember reading about.
I love the relationship between Ryan and Avery. They are both learning how to have a relationship that is outside of their job and they are just the best.
Jasmine is one of Avery's former teammates and was her best friend for as long as she can remember, the two reconnect when Avery comes back to town. Jasmine is married to their former coach, Dimitri, the relationship that Jasmine and her husband have a relationship that isn't very different than the relationship the two had when she was training with him.
The conversations that happen throughout this novel are real and important. There are conversations about love, body image, abuse, depression and so much more.
This book was SO good! It was fun, cute, heartfelt and heart breaking. I highly recommend this one!