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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!
girlinthepages's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars*
I love a romance novel that has a good subplot that focuses on something other than the romance itself, and that's exactly what I found in the pages of Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein, which has quickly risen to the top of my favorites of 2020 list! Following the story of Avery Abrams, a retired gymnast who just missed Olympic glory, the novel focuses on what comes next after dreams have been shattered and careers ruined by injuries. In just her mid-twenties, Avery feels as though her life has peaked and her identity ruined.
I really loved this story about an athlete finding her purpose and motivation in life after the spotlight has shifted away from her, and she has to rediscover who she is and what she wants as a twenty-something year old. The twenties are a decade of so much transition and self-exploration, which Orenstein captures perfectly. Avery moves home to live with her parents and wants nothing more to do with the gymnastics world, but when a coaching job with her childhood crush becomes available, she finds herself eventually relenting and dipping her toes back in the lifestyle of leotards, gym mats and fierce competition, but from a different perspective.
I immensely enjoyed learning so much about gymnastics from this story, from the culture to the strict training regimens to the mental health problems that pervade the sport. I found myself completely engrossed in the routines that Ryan and Avery choreographed for their coachee, Hallie, spending hours afterwards looking up gymnastics videos online and marveling at the feats of athleticism. The novel also tackled the darker side of the gymnastics world which recently came to light a few years ago with the unchecked abuse gymnasts were suffering at the hands of trusted adults, from doctors to coaches. I appreciated that Orenstein tackled these issues head on in her story and showed that there were ways to support young athletes in the sport and still have them be successful, as Avery's coaching style is tough but not cruel. During many instances I forgot I was reading a "romance" because so many larger issues are at play in this novel, and I'd argue that it's much more contemporary women's fiction that will leave readers feeling educated, informed, and powerful.
Even outside of her coaching job, Avery goes through so much character growth in the span of 300 or so pages. She gradually comes to terms with her own trauma from the emotional abuse she suffered at the hands of her childhood gymnastics coach. She reunites with her old best friend and they manage to move past the awkwardness of their adult lives to start a foundation to provide mental health care services for gymnasts. She begins to open herself to the idea that other forms of physical activity (such as yoga) can be beneficial as a supplemental practice to gymnastics. Avery's growth throughout this novel feels so genuine and multi-faceted, an impressive feat for a stand alone novel that clocks in at just over 300 pages.
Overall: I really, really enjoyed this story that gave a passionate, in-depth look into the world of gymnastics through the lens of someone on the other side of the competition glory days. I would be thrilled if the author continues to write about the gymnastics world, as she is clearly knowledgeable and passionate about it, and I feel as though I've discovered a newfound interest in it as well thanks to how immersive this story was!
Thank you so much to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads This review was originally posted on Girl in the Pages
I love a romance novel that has a good subplot that focuses on something other than the romance itself, and that's exactly what I found in the pages of Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein, which has quickly risen to the top of my favorites of 2020 list! Following the story of Avery Abrams, a retired gymnast who just missed Olympic glory, the novel focuses on what comes next after dreams have been shattered and careers ruined by injuries. In just her mid-twenties, Avery feels as though her life has peaked and her identity ruined.
I really loved this story about an athlete finding her purpose and motivation in life after the spotlight has shifted away from her, and she has to rediscover who she is and what she wants as a twenty-something year old. The twenties are a decade of so much transition and self-exploration, which Orenstein captures perfectly. Avery moves home to live with her parents and wants nothing more to do with the gymnastics world, but when a coaching job with her childhood crush becomes available, she finds herself eventually relenting and dipping her toes back in the lifestyle of leotards, gym mats and fierce competition, but from a different perspective.
I immensely enjoyed learning so much about gymnastics from this story, from the culture to the strict training regimens to the mental health problems that pervade the sport. I found myself completely engrossed in the routines that Ryan and Avery choreographed for their coachee, Hallie, spending hours afterwards looking up gymnastics videos online and marveling at the feats of athleticism. The novel also tackled the darker side of the gymnastics world which recently came to light a few years ago with the unchecked abuse gymnasts were suffering at the hands of trusted adults, from doctors to coaches. I appreciated that Orenstein tackled these issues head on in her story and showed that there were ways to support young athletes in the sport and still have them be successful, as Avery's coaching style is tough but not cruel. During many instances I forgot I was reading a "romance" because so many larger issues are at play in this novel, and I'd argue that it's much more contemporary women's fiction that will leave readers feeling educated, informed, and powerful.
Even outside of her coaching job, Avery goes through so much character growth in the span of 300 or so pages. She gradually comes to terms with her own trauma from the emotional abuse she suffered at the hands of her childhood gymnastics coach. She reunites with her old best friend and they manage to move past the awkwardness of their adult lives to start a foundation to provide mental health care services for gymnasts. She begins to open herself to the idea that other forms of physical activity (such as yoga) can be beneficial as a supplemental practice to gymnastics. Avery's growth throughout this novel feels so genuine and multi-faceted, an impressive feat for a stand alone novel that clocks in at just over 300 pages.
Overall: I really, really enjoyed this story that gave a passionate, in-depth look into the world of gymnastics through the lens of someone on the other side of the competition glory days. I would be thrilled if the author continues to write about the gymnastics world, as she is clearly knowledgeable and passionate about it, and I feel as though I've discovered a newfound interest in it as well thanks to how immersive this story was!
Thank you so much to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads This review was originally posted on Girl in the Pages
jenlovesbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Thanks to Partner NetGalley for the digital ARC of Hannah Orenstein's Head Over Heels in exchange for an honest review. The book releases Tuesday, June 23.
Hannah Orenstein's Head Over Heels has a lot going for it: a fantastic cover; a great, insider's perspective on women's gymnastics; and a compelling, coming-of-age/redemption story for its protagonist. Avery Abrahams was at the center of the U.S. gymnastics world when she had a career-ending injury during the meet that should have cemented her path to the Olympics. Instead, her best friend Jasmine takes her place on the team, and Avery becomes a college dropout whose main focus is her professional football player boyfriend. When their relationship ends, Avery slouches home to her parents and her hometown.
She has nothing to look forward to. Until Ryan Nicholson calls. Ryan was a male gymnast on the Olympic team, and he's now coaching another Olympic hopeful. Hallie has a lot of potential . . . but a disastrous floor routine, which just happens to be Avery's specialty. Avery agrees to help Hallie and sees a chance to redeem herself and to find some meaning in her life.
This book does so much well, particularly in commenting about the scandals that have rocked the sport of gymnastics recently. It also confronts some of the health issues that plague the sport, through Avery's coach, her memories of his abusive coaching style, and her lingering issues with her self-image. The least successful part of the book, for me, was the romance. The author tells the reader, repeatedly, about the chemistry between Avery and Ryan, but I didn't feel it. Instead, the course of their relationship seems to be shoehorned into an otherwise compelling story of a woman trying to establish an identity after her dream is crushed in a moment.
Hannah Orenstein's Head Over Heels has a lot going for it: a fantastic cover; a great, insider's perspective on women's gymnastics; and a compelling, coming-of-age/redemption story for its protagonist. Avery Abrahams was at the center of the U.S. gymnastics world when she had a career-ending injury during the meet that should have cemented her path to the Olympics. Instead, her best friend Jasmine takes her place on the team, and Avery becomes a college dropout whose main focus is her professional football player boyfriend. When their relationship ends, Avery slouches home to her parents and her hometown.
She has nothing to look forward to. Until Ryan Nicholson calls. Ryan was a male gymnast on the Olympic team, and he's now coaching another Olympic hopeful. Hallie has a lot of potential . . . but a disastrous floor routine, which just happens to be Avery's specialty. Avery agrees to help Hallie and sees a chance to redeem herself and to find some meaning in her life.
This book does so much well, particularly in commenting about the scandals that have rocked the sport of gymnastics recently. It also confronts some of the health issues that plague the sport, through Avery's coach, her memories of his abusive coaching style, and her lingering issues with her self-image. The least successful part of the book, for me, was the romance. The author tells the reader, repeatedly, about the chemistry between Avery and Ryan, but I didn't feel it. Instead, the course of their relationship seems to be shoehorned into an otherwise compelling story of a woman trying to establish an identity after her dream is crushed in a moment.
lillyofthenally's review against another edition
3.0
Great book.
I loved the characters, all of them.
I’m not sure between a 2 star rating or 3 star rating because even though the characters were great and the book was well written there’s so many things happening at once.
Hallie’s trials - the sexual harassment case - Avery’s ex - Avery’s failure at the trials - Jasmine’s marriage - Ryan’s Olympic background - Dimitri - mental health ....
I feel as though the author just didn’t know what to focus on and just threw everything in this book but didn’t give each problem enough time in the book.
At some points I totally forgot that Ryan too had a background in gymnastics and got to the olympics how could he not know about Dimitri beforehand
Also what happens with Dimitri in the end ?? What happened to the sexual harassment cases ? What happens to the foundation Yasmine and Avery started ?
I’ll also say that I didn’t feel enough chemistry between Avery and Ryan (maybe not at all?) a high-school crush that reappeared years later ?
I’m not much of a gymnastics enthusiast but I did enjoy reading the parts about Hallie’s routine and I did google a few things and watched some YouTube videos - quite interesting I’ll make sure to watch the 2021 olympics.
I’ll also add that I would read a sequel to this book - so that the author can give more details about how she’d solve all the problems she evoked in this book.
I loved the characters, all of them.
I’m not sure between a 2 star rating or 3 star rating because even though the characters were great and the book was well written there’s so many things happening at once.
Hallie’s trials - the sexual harassment case - Avery’s ex - Avery’s failure at the trials - Jasmine’s marriage - Ryan’s Olympic background - Dimitri - mental health ....
I feel as though the author just didn’t know what to focus on and just threw everything in this book but didn’t give each problem enough time in the book.
At some points I totally forgot that Ryan too had a background in gymnastics and got to the olympics how could he not know about Dimitri beforehand
Also what happens with Dimitri in the end ?? What happened to the sexual harassment cases ? What happens to the foundation Yasmine and Avery started ?
I’ll also say that I didn’t feel enough chemistry between Avery and Ryan (maybe not at all?) a high-school crush that reappeared years later ?
I’m not much of a gymnastics enthusiast but I did enjoy reading the parts about Hallie’s routine and I did google a few things and watched some YouTube videos - quite interesting I’ll make sure to watch the 2021 olympics.
I’ll also add that I would read a sequel to this book - so that the author can give more details about how she’d solve all the problems she evoked in this book.
c4nd1e's review against another edition
2.0
This was good and bad. I really liked the gymnastics and yoga stuff, and I enjoyed reading about Avery's friendships. However, I didn't like the romance at all. Ryan was either boring and completely unlikable.
colorfulleo92's review against another edition
4.0
3.7 stars. Avery Adams had trained all her life to get to the Olympic gymnatisc team but after a performance going bad her dreams shatters. Seven years later and her life haven't been very easy, just breaking up with her boyfriend she decides to go home. When Ryan a new coach ask her for help she agrees and sparks fly between them. This was entertaining, I enjoyed to gymnastic parts of it, found it to be an interesting and newish thing to read about and I would love to read more about the main heroine playing sports in the future. Not a new favorite but I did like it and found it quite interesting, wasn't overly attached to the characters or the romance but the gymnatisc was really fun!
mariaeespinal's review against another edition
3.0
Avery Abrams is a former gymnast who was meant to become an Olympic champion but her plans were derailed by a disastrous performance that ended up with an injury that ended her career. After breaking up with her football-star boyfriend, she return to her hometown where she starts coaching a young aspiring Olympic gymnast, Hallie, alongside Ryan, her teenage crush.
A scandal breaks out during the story that shows us that the author was inspired by the #metoo movement and the real life accusation (now, conviction) of sexual assault by the USA Gymnastics national team doctor, Larry Nassar.
I really enjoyed this story and how the author talked about important topics like mental health, verbal and emotional abuse, and sexual assault. However, I thought the author’s writing was flat and lacking emotion, especially in regards to the romance between Avery and Ryan. My favorite character was Hallie who was the only one that felt authentic to me.
I give this book
A scandal breaks out during the story that shows us that the author was inspired by the #metoo movement and the real life accusation (now, conviction) of sexual assault by the USA Gymnastics national team doctor, Larry Nassar.
I really enjoyed this story and how the author talked about important topics like mental health, verbal and emotional abuse, and sexual assault. However, I thought the author’s writing was flat and lacking emotion, especially in regards to the romance between Avery and Ryan. My favorite character was Hallie who was the only one that felt authentic to me.
I give this book
ajm2013's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very sweet story that was much more than a romance. The best part was the journey that Avery went on and the growth that she had throughout the book. The romance part was definitely lackluster and at sometimes frustrating, but the look at the gymnastics world and the struggle female gymnasts go through was extremely valuable.