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A review by mj_reads
The Happiest Girl in the World by Alena Dillon
5.0
This story was INCREDIBLE!!
This felt like a one-of-a-kind book. It captured everything that fans of gymnastics/Olympics love while also educating readers on the not so glamourous side to the sport. This book handles the very difficult topic of the sexual assault case that surrounded the women's gymnastics team, but it does so in a way that does not expose the reader DIRECTLY to any thing super triggering. Things are discussed but not really in an intimate way, which I think really helps to allow readers to understand how difficult it was for the people involved to have to live through it. The discussion of this topic was handled as tastefully as something like this can be.
At its core, this is a story about literally risking it all to accomplish your goals. We see how all of the characters in this story can be effected by one person's choices. Readers get to see and feel the aches and pains that go into being a competitive gymnast, whereas on TV you might see the struggle but what you mainly see and experience is the glitz and glam.
This story opens readers eyes to a lot of aspects of the sport that are not usually discussed, but it does so in a way that allows readers to understand WHY someone would be willing to do it all. It's a story about physical and emotional pain and exhaustion, but it's also a story about perseverance, strength, and accomplishment. This story provides an incredibly emotional and complex way for readers to view gymnastics, gymnasts, and everything it can take to accomplish your goals.
This felt like a one-of-a-kind book. It captured everything that fans of gymnastics/Olympics love while also educating readers on the not so glamourous side to the sport. This book handles the very difficult topic of the sexual assault case that surrounded the women's gymnastics team, but it does so in a way that does not expose the reader DIRECTLY to any thing super triggering. Things are discussed but not really in an intimate way, which I think really helps to allow readers to understand how difficult it was for the people involved to have to live through it. The discussion of this topic was handled as tastefully as something like this can be.
At its core, this is a story about literally risking it all to accomplish your goals. We see how all of the characters in this story can be effected by one person's choices. Readers get to see and feel the aches and pains that go into being a competitive gymnast, whereas on TV you might see the struggle but what you mainly see and experience is the glitz and glam.
This story opens readers eyes to a lot of aspects of the sport that are not usually discussed, but it does so in a way that allows readers to understand WHY someone would be willing to do it all. It's a story about physical and emotional pain and exhaustion, but it's also a story about perseverance, strength, and accomplishment. This story provides an incredibly emotional and complex way for readers to view gymnastics, gymnasts, and everything it can take to accomplish your goals.