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squiggidy's review
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt and Mental illness
dianacarmel's review
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
At first I wasn’t sure how to rate this. I read through all the 1-star reviews and I agree with many of them; Favor Hamilton does not come off as a likeable person and it’s easy to dismiss her as undeserving of empathy. However, her willingness to be so stark and raw in sharing her journey, and the quality of her writing/storytelling merits a higher star rating, which is why I ultimately rated it as high as I did.
liralen's review
3.0
I was really curious about this one, but it left me a bit wanting, I guess. Hamilton Favor covers her life first as an elite runner and then as an escort, the latter influenced by her then-undiagnosed bipolar disorder.
What disappoints me is how little time is given to the after. This ends up feeling about a book that is much more about the downfall (and with it the racier elements of the story) than about the way she and her family put their lives back together after—which was, presumably, in and of itself messy and complicated, if less exciting. I'm left wondering how they did their patching and what long-lasting impacts it had. All told, the book reminds me of books about eating disorders that go into the illness in extensive detail, spending 90% of the book on weight loss and restriction and bones, and then toss in a short chapter to say 'oh and then I finally got help and everything's fine now!' Well intentioned, I'm sure, but I do rather wish the proportions had been a bit different.
What disappoints me is how little time is given to the after. This ends up feeling about a book that is much more about the downfall (and with it the racier elements of the story) than about the way she and her family put their lives back together after—which was, presumably, in and of itself messy and complicated, if less exciting. I'm left wondering how they did their patching and what long-lasting impacts it had. All told, the book reminds me of books about eating disorders that go into the illness in extensive detail, spending 90% of the book on weight loss and restriction and bones, and then toss in a short chapter to say 'oh and then I finally got help and everything's fine now!' Well intentioned, I'm sure, but I do rather wish the proportions had been a bit different.
heather_g's review
3.0
The story seemed to be in 3 parts: the running, the illness, the time after getting help.
I found the running part interesting, she was obsessed with winning, to an extreme that really shouldn’t be repeated. The illness part was fascinating, sex sells, but not in a good way. Her husband is the most tolerant person.
I wish there had been more on her recovery and understanding how to deal with her mental illness. That is what people need to hear is how to get through the bad part back to semi normal life.
Overall good boo, just be prepared for lots of erotic situations.
I found the running part interesting, she was obsessed with winning, to an extreme that really shouldn’t be repeated. The illness part was fascinating, sex sells, but not in a good way. Her husband is the most tolerant person.
I wish there had been more on her recovery and understanding how to deal with her mental illness. That is what people need to hear is how to get through the bad part back to semi normal life.
Overall good boo, just be prepared for lots of erotic situations.
taralpittman's review
4.0
First things first...if you're looking for a book about running, then this is not your book; you should definitely check out Suzy's other, earlier publication, called Fast Track: Training and Nutrition Secrets from America's Top Female Runner. I've read it and it's really good, too. This book is the story of Suzy's real life, the one she didn't even recognize until she'd been able to step away from it and realize that she, like others in her family, suffers from mental illness; specifically, bipolar disorder.
That's not to say that she doesn't discuss her running career; she has made a connection between the way her running career, unintentionally, fueled her illness and she certainly had to find other ways to express herself, to find her "high," after years of training and racing at the elite level. In this book, Suzy is brutally honest; she discusses topics that could be difficult for some readers, like her sexual promiscuity and her penchant for putting herself into dangerous, nonsensical situations. In context, none of that should be too shocking; what's shocking is that it is often, still, so difficult for individuals to receive the correct diagnosis and the treatment they need for their unique symptoms.
I've read a lot of "judgy" reviews of this memoir and, while everyone is certainly entitled to their opinion, the reviews I've read by people who also suffer from mental illness are the ones that were the most impactful. This isn't a piece of classic literature, it's not going to answer everyone's questions about why or how or whatever, but it's Suzy's story and I respect her for choosing to share it in an attempt to come to terms with her illness, the things she's done in her life because of that illness, and with the hope that it might allow others to discuss their experiences and ask for help.
If you have a tendency to be judgmental about the stories of those who are dealing with things that you may not be able to understand, then this book will not be useful; I found it to be illuminating and a great way to gain better insight into the world of those who struggle with mental illness.
That's not to say that she doesn't discuss her running career; she has made a connection between the way her running career, unintentionally, fueled her illness and she certainly had to find other ways to express herself, to find her "high," after years of training and racing at the elite level. In this book, Suzy is brutally honest; she discusses topics that could be difficult for some readers, like her sexual promiscuity and her penchant for putting herself into dangerous, nonsensical situations. In context, none of that should be too shocking; what's shocking is that it is often, still, so difficult for individuals to receive the correct diagnosis and the treatment they need for their unique symptoms.
I've read a lot of "judgy" reviews of this memoir and, while everyone is certainly entitled to their opinion, the reviews I've read by people who also suffer from mental illness are the ones that were the most impactful. This isn't a piece of classic literature, it's not going to answer everyone's questions about why or how or whatever, but it's Suzy's story and I respect her for choosing to share it in an attempt to come to terms with her illness, the things she's done in her life because of that illness, and with the hope that it might allow others to discuss their experiences and ask for help.
If you have a tendency to be judgmental about the stories of those who are dealing with things that you may not be able to understand, then this book will not be useful; I found it to be illuminating and a great way to gain better insight into the world of those who struggle with mental illness.
robinsbooks's review
3.0
A few years ago my husband and I were coming out of the Wynn hotel in Las Vegas and were passed by an attractive blonde in a glittery gold dress and spike-heeled sandals who was walking very fast. The only thought I had was how could she walk so fast in those shoes, but my husband seemed to be more aware than I was as he seemed to think she could be an escort on her way to an assignation. Huh. Really? She looked too high class for that kind of profession, but one never knows. But maybe she was just late in meeting her spouse... Ever since then I've been intrigued with the profession and after hearing about Suzy wondered how a high-profile athlete could turn into a highly rated and well paid Las Vegas escort and still remain married. I don't quite understand how her husband could stick with her during all of this and there were a few times I thought, "Oh, surely he will leave her now!" (especially after her golf course appearance) but he didn't. Suzy pretty much blames her entire experience and behavior on bipolar disorder but there were times it seemed she knew exactly what she was doing and any remorse she might have feels a little half-hearted.
And silly naive me, I didn't realize there are actually gigolos in Las Vegas!
This was a fairly compelling and a "fast" read but be forewarned the author goes into a little more detail than really needed and the ending where she explained her diagnosis and healing was a little rushed.
And silly naive me, I didn't realize there are actually gigolos in Las Vegas!
This was a fairly compelling and a "fast" read but be forewarned the author goes into a little more detail than really needed and the ending where she explained her diagnosis and healing was a little rushed.
lfulla's review
3.0
This book is mind boggling and fascinating. How does someone go from being a famous Olympic athlete to a Vegas escort? I read the book, and it's still hard to wrap my head around. I definitely recommend it, even if you don't enjoy reading it you will tons to think about.
I went into this book with no expectations and only a vague idea of what it was about and so I wasn't let down like a lot of other reviewers. She went into WAY more detail about her life as an escort than her life as a runner, and I wished it had been the other way around. But it's her story.
I went into this book with no expectations and only a vague idea of what it was about and so I wasn't let down like a lot of other reviewers. She went into WAY more detail about her life as an escort than her life as a runner, and I wished it had been the other way around. But it's her story.