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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Aw, man, I just loved this book. It was right up my alley and it's one that I'd hand to teens who are excited about the Olympics coming up this summer or who are interested in gymnastics or who love ~drama~.
Told in alternating points of view by five gymnasts over the two-day Olympic trial meet, it's a story of chasing dreams, dreams lost, secrets, betrayal, and the pressure of being an elite athlete. There are plenty of play-by-play gymnastics moments as well as seemingly well-researched details about the minutiae of gymnastics life. I don't have the experience to verify the book's accuracy, but it seemed well-researched to me. A lengthy glossary of gymnastics terms is included in the back, as well. So I think this will please readers looking to experience days in the life of elite athletes.
But there is also plenty of behind-the-scenes drama. Mind games. Politics. Strategies. The gymnast who hasn't played along with the Olympic coach's master plan, the gymnast who doesn't actually want to go to the Olympics but is living out the dream of a parent. The gymnast who's not eating anything. The gymnast who doesn't think she has a chance. The gymnast who is a closeted lesbian.
So, I'd also hand this to teens who like ~drama~ books like Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton.
Told in alternating points of view by five gymnasts over the two-day Olympic trial meet, it's a story of chasing dreams, dreams lost, secrets, betrayal, and the pressure of being an elite athlete. There are plenty of play-by-play gymnastics moments as well as seemingly well-researched details about the minutiae of gymnastics life. I don't have the experience to verify the book's accuracy, but it seemed well-researched to me. A lengthy glossary of gymnastics terms is included in the back, as well. So I think this will please readers looking to experience days in the life of elite athletes.
But there is also plenty of behind-the-scenes drama. Mind games. Politics. Strategies. The gymnast who hasn't played along with the Olympic coach's master plan, the gymnast who doesn't actually want to go to the Olympics but is living out the dream of a parent. The gymnast who's not eating anything. The gymnast who doesn't think she has a chance. The gymnast who is a closeted lesbian.
So, I'd also hand this to teens who like ~drama~ books like Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton.
I mean, I read it because I wanted to be complete trash over Olympic gymnasts like I am in real life, and that's what I became. The ending, while thoroughly unsatisfying, wasn't a dealbreaker for me. Also, more lesbian characters in sports is always something I'm willing to cheer on. I wish this had been polished a little more, and with a little more focus on the training rather than just having everything fall apart in the space of two days, I enjoyed the book. It was a little confusing, however, having the Olympics being in Rome (I'm picky about the little things, sorry). I kept waiting for that #RoadToRio that never came.
I'm running into a lot of unexpected stuff with my YA choices lately.
Generally, I knew what I was going into with this book: Gymnastics and the unpleasant underbelly that doesn't often make it into the upbeat news stories about young Olympians and the hopefuls who aspire to be them.
But I have to give this book and author credit for having a particular issue in this book that a lot of people choose not to acknowledge or address: How people devalue an individual's accomplishments in favor of praising something about them that's unrelated to it.
In this case,
There are not a whole lot of people who like to acknowledge this phenomena, where people- in their desire to be Progressive and Accepting- actually hurt the people they're trying to support by erasing their accomplishments and reducing them to their sexuality, or their race, or their gender. Heck, if you want a recent example, try the media surrounding Rogue One- you'd almost forget it was a fucking Star Wars movie because all people would talk about was the ~~racially diverse cast headed by a woman~~! Did you hear that~~~? WOMAN!!!~
It's a problem. It's an actual problem that a lot of people choose not to acknowledge because they DO IT on a regular basis. And it was nice to see this author address and condemn that mentality both directly and indirectly, by making Leigh (and all of the other diverse characters) into complex, well-rounded characters who weren't just Black or Gay or Jewish.
Generally, I knew what I was going into with this book: Gymnastics and the unpleasant underbelly that doesn't often make it into the upbeat news stories about young Olympians and the hopefuls who aspire to be them.
But I have to give this book and author credit for having a particular issue in this book that a lot of people choose not to acknowledge or address: How people devalue an individual's accomplishments in favor of praising something about them that's unrelated to it.
In this case,
Spoiler
Leigh is a lesbian. And though she does have some concerns about backlash, what she's mostly concerned about is people seeing her not as this amazing gymnast who's worked so hard and accomplished so much, but as the Lesbian Gymnast.There are not a whole lot of people who like to acknowledge this phenomena, where people- in their desire to be Progressive and Accepting- actually hurt the people they're trying to support by erasing their accomplishments and reducing them to their sexuality, or their race, or their gender. Heck, if you want a recent example, try the media surrounding Rogue One- you'd almost forget it was a fucking Star Wars movie because all people would talk about was the ~~racially diverse cast headed by a woman~~! Did you hear that~~~? WOMAN!!!~
It's a problem. It's an actual problem that a lot of people choose not to acknowledge because they DO IT on a regular basis. And it was nice to see this author address and condemn that mentality both directly and indirectly, by making Leigh (and all of the other diverse characters) into complex, well-rounded characters who weren't just Black or Gay or Jewish.
This is a super fun, well-written, female-led sports book with tension and a good bit of drama. But it's realistic, competitive drama, and it's actually pretty compelling. Diverse & inclusive & realistic to gymnastics as a sport.
With the summer Olympics on the horizon and a sports/exercise Summer Reading Program theme I thought it was appropriate to make sure that I had some related materials in the library. And, as an avid supporter of Team USA gymnasts I definitely wanted to get my hands on this book as soon as it was available to be read. And I did.
If you ever watched the ABC Family show Make It or Break It then you'd understand the gist of this book. It follows five very different gymnasts during the two days of the Olympic trials. There are the new gymnasts, the veterans who have already won Olympic medals, the all-arounders and the specialists. There are the girls who are all gymnastics all the time and the ones who have tried to have more of a "normal" life. And there are the girls who still want the Olympics and those who just feel like they owe it to their family and coaches to keep trying even though they may not want it anymore.
I really enjoyed this book. The girls were individuals and there were enough interesting qualities to keep everyone straight in my head. There were girls I cheered for and those I felt sympathy for and I definitely had my favorites. And then, just like while watching the actual Olympics, there was stress felt on my part because I just knew someone was going to end up injured. There was a good balance between gymnastics specific facts (I could picture some of the moves but had to Google others so I could picture the routines correctly) and "normal every day girl" drama which I thought made sense. (I can't imagine all gymnasts are 100% gymnastics, 100% of the time.)
And now I'm super amped about Summer Olympics and just have to find a way to watch it when I don't have cable anymore.
If you ever watched the ABC Family show Make It or Break It then you'd understand the gist of this book. It follows five very different gymnasts during the two days of the Olympic trials. There are the new gymnasts, the veterans who have already won Olympic medals, the all-arounders and the specialists. There are the girls who are all gymnastics all the time and the ones who have tried to have more of a "normal" life. And there are the girls who still want the Olympics and those who just feel like they owe it to their family and coaches to keep trying even though they may not want it anymore.
I really enjoyed this book. The girls were individuals and there were enough interesting qualities to keep everyone straight in my head. There were girls I cheered for and those I felt sympathy for and I definitely had my favorites. And then, just like while watching the actual Olympics, there was stress felt on my part because I just knew someone was going to end up injured. There was a good balance between gymnastics specific facts (I could picture some of the moves but had to Google others so I could picture the routines correctly) and "normal every day girl" drama which I thought made sense. (I can't imagine all gymnasts are 100% gymnastics, 100% of the time.)
And now I'm super amped about Summer Olympics and just have to find a way to watch it when I don't have cable anymore.
TUMBLING is a story about 5 gymnasts who compete at the Olympic Trials for the chance to compete for America at the Olympics in Italy.
The story depicts some very real problems for gymnasts. Like Grace’s eating disorder. Many athletes, especially gymnasts, struggle with eating well because they fear being to heavy to fly on bars or flip well.
But most of this story just seems tired and old. I’ve read my way through dozens of gymnast bios and auto bios, and this didn’t live up to my expectations. I was expecting the feeling of flips, the insurmountable joy when they were put on the Olympic team. Nope.
While I’m complaining about the plot, I may as well say this—if you’re going to write a gymnastics story, you’ve got to KNOW GYMNASTICS. You have to describe how they flipped through the air, dances their way to victory.
But I will say this. I LOVED Camille and Leigh. I liked how Camille stood up for herself and chose what she wanted. I loved how Leigh was confident and 🏳️🌈 LGBTQ.
So, I liked it. Just not a lot.
The story depicts some very real problems for gymnasts. Like Grace’s eating disorder. Many athletes, especially gymnasts, struggle with eating well because they fear being to heavy to fly on bars or flip well.
But most of this story just seems tired and old. I’ve read my way through dozens of gymnast bios and auto bios, and this didn’t live up to my expectations. I was expecting the feeling of flips, the insurmountable joy when they were put on the Olympic team. Nope.
While I’m complaining about the plot, I may as well say this—if you’re going to write a gymnastics story, you’ve got to KNOW GYMNASTICS. You have to describe how they flipped through the air, dances their way to victory.
But I will say this. I LOVED Camille and Leigh. I liked how Camille stood up for herself and chose what she wanted. I loved how Leigh was confident and 🏳️🌈 LGBTQ.
So, I liked it. Just not a lot.
Okay, so this rating doesn't necessarily mean I hated this book or didn't have fun reading it, I actually flew through this book pretty quickly.
I was originally drawn to this book because of the subject, gymnastics. I do trampoline and tumbling, so anything related to that makes me extremely happy. A book about gymnastics sounded awesome, and there are rarely books about gymnastics in YA fiction, so I had to read it.
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I've always looked up to the poised and perfect gymnasts who stick the landings in their incredible tumbling passes, and I only dream of competing to that level. This book seemed to be more about pointless drama rather than actual gymnastics, which was quite disappointing.
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The characters were very bland, and seemed very cookie cutter. I found the only characters that were somewhat interesting were Grace and Leigh, but really Leigh was the only somewhat developed character of the bunch.
Leigh's chapters were the only ones I never skimmed, she actually had internal struggle and thoughts that weren't completely stereotypical. I was actually glad she was lesbian, because that was the only shred of diversity that was described. The other characters were different races and ethnicities, but it was never really discussed, which is a shame.
Wilhemina's chapters were honestly my least favorite, she just wasn't that developed.
Grace was somewhat developed, but she was really stereotypical in the fact that her dead pressured her so much about gymnastics, which is a trope that is definitely not new at all. She was also a jerk.
The plot was very slowmoving, and shattered at the end. I was quite angry with the end.
I was originally drawn to this book because of the subject, gymnastics. I do trampoline and tumbling, so anything related to that makes me extremely happy. A book about gymnastics sounded awesome, and there are rarely books about gymnastics in YA fiction, so I had to read it.
I've always looked up to the poised and perfect gymnasts who stick the landings in their incredible tumbling passes, and I only dream of competing to that level. This book seemed to be more about pointless drama rather than actual gymnastics, which was quite disappointing.
The characters were very bland, and seemed very cookie cutter. I found the only characters that were somewhat interesting were Grace and Leigh, but really Leigh was the only somewhat developed character of the bunch.
Leigh's chapters were the only ones I never skimmed, she actually had internal struggle and thoughts that weren't completely stereotypical. I was actually glad she was lesbian, because that was the only shred of diversity that was described. The other characters were different races and ethnicities, but it was never really discussed, which is a shame.
Wilhemina's chapters were honestly my least favorite, she just wasn't that developed.
Grace was somewhat developed, but she was really stereotypical in the fact that her dead pressured her so much about gymnastics, which is a trope that is definitely not new at all. She was also a jerk.
The plot was very slowmoving, and shattered at the end. I was quite angry with the end.
4.5 stars
There were 5 POVs so I kept getting confused about who was who. Other than that, I really enjoyed this one. It was a perfect read during the Summer Olympics.
There were 5 POVs so I kept getting confused about who was who. Other than that, I really enjoyed this one. It was a perfect read during the Summer Olympics.
I wanted to like that a whole lot more than I did. I mean, I love gymnastics. But now I'm glad that I'm too tall and that I'm afraid of performing and that i never had the dream to go to the olympics. So I guess I learned something about me, which is great, but I didn't enjoy the book. It was written fine, a little difficult to keep track of all the characters and their various problems and I didn't feel fully satisfied with the ending, but overall, it was okay.