Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
inspiring
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm
Moderate: Drug use
This was an excellent read, it was hard to put down and made me want to keep reading. I think all adolescent swimmers, as well as parents and friends of swimmers should read this book. She does a good job of explaining how she loved to swim and how she used it to get rid of the problems in her life but also how it added other pressure and problems in other ways. I'm defiantly going to recommend it to other swimmers and people that I know.
i just remembered that i have not marked this book as read on goodreads. I don't know how that happen.i read this in 2012 and now i am reviewing it in 2014. i remember loving this book. It talked a lot about Amanda's struggle with cutting and eating disorder. And her life story. In the end i remember thinking how didn't i know about the things that where going on with her live. It made me see her as some what as a role model.
After reading Amanda's bio in her own words, I feel lucky to have enjoyed the sport of swimming, knowing that I never had the talent or amition to go after it the way she has. For me its always been about FUN. A self-described "private person" writing this book must have been huge for her. She emerges as the role model she never thought she could be. It cracks me up when she refers to being an old lady. But I have no doubt that as she does "age up" she will still be swimming. Thanks for writing your memoir, Amanda, you rock!
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
I was excited to read this because I remember Amanda Beard’s name as a young swimmer; watching her in the Olympics. Her story is so sad, that of many female athletes with struggles of body image and eating disorders. I really hoped to hear a lot more about her training and coaches and swimmers she met; but should have realized as a memoir it was more a story for her to tell of her struggles and relationships. Overall I was interested to read and happy she found her happily ever after, I just found it really hard to relate when I thought the commonality of being swimmers would help!
The book was good, and I applaud Amanda for her honesty about her difficult journey. I will say though that I didn't enjoy reading about her drug abuse, binging and cutting or her volatile temper. The most enjoyable portion of the book was the last few chapters when she chose to go to therapy and began dealing with the hardships of her childhood and of being in the spotlight at a young age. I wish there had been more of a balance between the amount of detail about her poor choices and the amount of detail about her recovery and her life since therapy. In most memoirs, I find myself rooting for the main character; whereas in this book, I found that I was in no way connected to or sympathetic with Amanda or her struggles. I also found myself wondering what her ex-boyfriends had to say about their portrayal in the book. Some other reviewers mention that the author seems whiny and that she hasn't progressed much past her 14 year old self. There are definitely many moments in the book where I felt the same way. There was just something lacking in the book as a whole-and I feel like it was heart.
Amanda Beard's memoir of her life in, and out, of a swimming pool is one that I feel all adolescent females (and males, for that matter) should take time to read. She shares her struggles with body image, abusive relationships, and depression, becoming a role model and voice for those who are suffering from the same issues and scared to reach out. Although from our couches and computer chairs she seemed to live a perfect life, much more was going on under the surface. It was eye opening to learn of her struggles with body image in spite of her athleticism, Olympic gold medals, and modeling career. It was especially eye opening to make the realization that the media attacked a teenager for a going through puberty.
A quick read that flows well. Only gave it a 4 because I felt that certain aspect only received a superficial discussion and could have been delved into more thoroughly/deeply. All in all, I would definitely recommend.
Just a note, I've seen various negative reviews (mainly on other sites), bashing Amanda for lying and fabricating her story. Let's all remember that this is a memoir. It is told from the subject's perspective.
A quick read that flows well. Only gave it a 4 because I felt that certain aspect only received a superficial discussion and could have been delved into more thoroughly/deeply. All in all, I would definitely recommend.
Just a note, I've seen various negative reviews (mainly on other sites), bashing Amanda for lying and fabricating her story. Let's all remember that this is a memoir. It is told from the subject's perspective.
I found this at the library while randomly looking for books. This is one of the best memoirs I've read. I really like the Olympics and watching swimming. It was interesting to read about someone who has gone to so many Olympics. This book shows that she is a normal person.
Do you know Amanda Beard? If you watched the 1996 Olympics the way I did, you would know her - the 14 year old swimmer who ended up on the medal stand three times. This book is her story - her journey as a swimmer and as the girl BEYOND the swimmer. Open and sometimes brutally honest, Amanda takes us behind the scenes at the Olympics, at the training pool and in her private life.
My daughter actually checked this out at the library, but she didn't have a chance to read it before heading to camp so I started it in a moment of peace. I found myself strangely interested - it's very readable and her life is very intriguing. I really loved what she had to say about that first Olympics she went to - it's crazy to read about an event like that from an insider's point of view, since we are only shown what the media WANTS us to see, not necessarily the whole truth.
Sometimes she was frustrating - so many unfortunate choices. And it took a long time for her to figure out who she really was - but that part I think was what I liked most. She talks bluntly about some very personal issues - an eating disorder, self-harm, depression - and how she worked through it. How she faced it and continues to overcome it. She really ripped on some of the people she had relationships with, and sometimes it felt like she was being vaguely vindictive, which was annoying. But I was still intrigued enough that even with very few reading minutes available, I wanted to finish it.
It wasn't necessarily a life-changing read but I respect her openness about things that a lot of people are dealing with - it makes you feel that if amazing, world-recording holding athletes can have such hard problems and overcome them, maybe I can too., 2013, memoir, non-fiction, sports, mental illness
My daughter actually checked this out at the library, but she didn't have a chance to read it before heading to camp so I started it in a moment of peace. I found myself strangely interested - it's very readable and her life is very intriguing. I really loved what she had to say about that first Olympics she went to - it's crazy to read about an event like that from an insider's point of view, since we are only shown what the media WANTS us to see, not necessarily the whole truth.
Sometimes she was frustrating - so many unfortunate choices. And it took a long time for her to figure out who she really was - but that part I think was what I liked most. She talks bluntly about some very personal issues - an eating disorder, self-harm, depression - and how she worked through it. How she faced it and continues to overcome it. She really ripped on some of the people she had relationships with, and sometimes it felt like she was being vaguely vindictive, which was annoying. But I was still intrigued enough that even with very few reading minutes available, I wanted to finish it.
It wasn't necessarily a life-changing read but I respect her openness about things that a lot of people are dealing with - it makes you feel that if amazing, world-recording holding athletes can have such hard problems and overcome them, maybe I can too., 2013, memoir, non-fiction, sports, mental illness
Audiobook
An inside look on stuff I never knew about. Interesting read.
An inside look on stuff I never knew about. Interesting read.