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ashlee_'s review
dark
lighthearted
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
maddydaisy's review
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
rebeccamorley's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
gemma_b's review
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
heykellyjensen's review
dark
medium-paced
I wanted to like this one so much more than I did, but ultimately, this gymnastics book did not live up to the potential it could have had. The ending fell flat, and both Carla and Nadia were interchangeable mean girls without being fully developed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
thelifeoflaura's review
3.0
Martina wants to be the best gymnast in the world. But so does everyone around her. During one week of intense competition, Martina and her team mates are pushed to their limits. Any sign of weakness can spell the end.
By the end of the weak one of the gymnasts will be dead.
A story of girls wanting to win at all costs.
This was a hard read and honestly, I hated almost all the characters, which I think was the intention. I don’t know Ilaria Bernardini’s experience with gymnastics, but this paints a raw and honest depiction of how harrowing competitive sport can be, especially one such as gymnastics.
It’s dark, it’s raw and I can’t say I necessarily loved it, but I also couldn’t put it down.
By the end of the weak one of the gymnasts will be dead.
A story of girls wanting to win at all costs.
This was a hard read and honestly, I hated almost all the characters, which I think was the intention. I don’t know Ilaria Bernardini’s experience with gymnastics, but this paints a raw and honest depiction of how harrowing competitive sport can be, especially one such as gymnastics.
It’s dark, it’s raw and I can’t say I necessarily loved it, but I also couldn’t put it down.
mollykxo's review against another edition
4.0
Do note that there are trigger warnings for sexual assault/ trauma when reading this book.
‘The girls are good’ comes at a perfect time - in the midst of the Winter Olympics, when the abuse of young sportspeople should be at the forefront of everybody’s mind. A story weaved in the post-Nassar era of USA gymnastics, it follows a group of young, elite gymnasts - and the trauma that their physicist, and the willingness of those in the sport to turn blind eye for the sake of a few medals.
This story is real, and it’s important. Certainly, there are fictionalised and dramatised elements (specifically the end) - but it gets the cut throat nature of competitive sports, caused often by the varying trauma responses of the team, bang on.
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review :)
‘The girls are good’ comes at a perfect time - in the midst of the Winter Olympics, when the abuse of young sportspeople should be at the forefront of everybody’s mind. A story weaved in the post-Nassar era of USA gymnastics, it follows a group of young, elite gymnasts - and the trauma that their physicist, and the willingness of those in the sport to turn blind eye for the sake of a few medals.
This story is real, and it’s important. Certainly, there are fictionalised and dramatised elements (specifically the end) - but it gets the cut throat nature of competitive sports, caused often by the varying trauma responses of the team, bang on.
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review :)
mrsbookburnee's review against another edition
3.0
A character lead story following a team of gymnastics as they try to achieve their Olympic dreams.
I liked that we read from Martina’s perspective which gives an insight in to the world of gymnastics and the measures people will take and the pressures that are put on them.
The book covers a range of subjects which make it a compelling read
I liked that we read from Martina’s perspective which gives an insight in to the world of gymnastics and the measures people will take and the pressures that are put on them.
The book covers a range of subjects which make it a compelling read