Reviews

Fast Girl: A Life Spent Running from Madness by Suzy Favor Hamilton

niinjah's review

4.0

Reading this memoir made me remember the rush of mania. The sensations, though process and feeling of invincibility were very familiar to me, since I’ve been hypomanic. I was surprised by how much I missed it, so read with caution if you have bipolar disorder yourself. For others the book will shed light on how a manic mind works.

sarahmetcalf10's review

emotional informative fast-paced

4.0

calcoco's review against another edition

4.0

the writing of this book is far and i mean very, very far from 4 stars. but i rated it on the overall story and how it made me feel and i based it on how much i could relate to her mental health struggles.

jcormier's review

1.0

I understand the author was sharing her story in an attempt to bring light and understanding to her mental illness, however I feel the book failed in this. This seemed like an attempt to relive her "glory days" and justify her behavior while speaking very little about recovery and reconciliation. On top of that, the book was poorly written and I found it to be unevenly paced. The only reason I finished was hoping for a resolution or transformation that never really came.

lovelyoutliers's review

2.0

In general, I am really supportive of public figures discussing battles with mental illness openly, as it can contribute to greater understanding and decreased stigma. Suzy FH's story is an interesting on, but don't read this book if you are expecting a beautifully crafted masterpiece. There were times that the book seemed really disjointed and robotic - particularly when she swaps out of the narrative about her life to descriptions of bipolar disorder, which were about as compelling as reading medical pamphlets.

chiquita203's review

2.0

Suzy Favor Hamilton was my idol growing up, as she was for most girls at the time who ran cross country or track. When the story broke about her being an escort in Las Vegas, I didn't judge. I knew there had to be a reason behind it. I suspected it might have to do with being used to being in the spotlight and craving that sort of attention again. I've always thought it must be hard for pro-athletes when they retire. They're usually so young and left with a "what now?" despair.

When this book came out, I couldn't wait to read it. I really enjoyed the first part of it, where it chronicled her running career. I was surprised to learn about all of her anxiety, though it makes perfect sense for someone in the public eye with so many expectations upon her.

It was to my disappointment to find I didn't really care for her. Though I felt for her struggles and enjoyed reading about her running career, I found her to be incredibly self-centered and unlikable. This became even more apparent in her time as an escort. She didn't give any thought to her husband or daughter. Part of me wonders if this book was written to garner sympathy in an effort at damage control for her reputation. It seems like she'd be happy to go to the escort lifestyle again and that it wasn't remorse or concern for the well-being of her family that stops her, but only concern for her public image. This book certainly portrays that she's very manipulative, and I can't help but think this book is part of that manipulation.

I was very disappointed by this book, to learn that my childhood hero isn't someone I'd like to aspire to be- which has nothing to do with her life as an escort and everything to do with who she is as a person.

val_halla's review

4.0

This memoir of a famous runner whose bipolar disorder was sent into overdrive with pregnancy is very well-written. The only flaws are the occasional narration at the end of certain chapters, which didn't fit with the tone of the rest of the book. And while the salacious passages about her life as a Vegas escort were certainly interesting, I'm not sure all the detail was necessary. Still, the vivid descriptions of her internal logic were very helpful in understanding the "why" of bipolar disorder, and may help undiagnosed people recognize themselves.

ixnsindhu's review

2.0

Well, that was not what I expected. I thought I would read briefly about Suzy's development of mental illness and how it manifested itself. And then I thought I would get some insight into how she eventually was diagnosed, what her recovery was like and what she expects from the future. Instead, this was a titillating description of her bizarre marriage with her husband while she worked as a high priced call-girl in Vegas. I did not need the detailed description of what you were doing during that period of your life Suzy. I'm also surprised by some reviewer's admiration for Suzy's husband. We don't get much insight into who he is as a person but this book certainly makes him look like a major codependent enabler. It blows my mind that he didn't try to get Suzy some mental health assessment during that crazy time.

_laurensbooks's review

adventurous tense fast-paced

3.0

this was kind of different than i was expecting, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. i think i was expecting this to be a bit more about her running career rather than her life post-running career. I feel like it really only talked about the sex work part of her life. Which is great and all, and very insightful into that, but I didn't really feel the hooks of this book. Maybe I've just read too many great running memoirs recently. 

misskitty13's review

2.0

Slim on details (relationships, outcomes, etc) Seems like she spends most of the book trying to justify crap behavior and control the narrative. (Yes, she has an illness but that doesn’t magically make everything better). Not sure she really sheds a light on the illness when she neglects talking about her treatments (wait is that the part that’s too personal?). Repeats a lot of things (We get it. You like Pinot Noir and Lemon Drop martinis). Wanted to hear more about the aftermath and recovery.