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A review by finesilkflower
Fierce: How Competing for Myself Changed Everything by Aly Raisman
4.0
Aly Raisman seems like a good person, and her book is a wholesome sports autobiography I would have no problem recommending to a preteens and above. Ghostwriting by Blythe Lawrence, informed by Aly's journals, is well-done, readable and suspenseful, and Aly's voice seems to come through (obviously I don't know her personally, but she has personality in this book). She describes the discipline, persistence, and grit required to meet the mental and physical and demands of Olympic training, including times in her athletic career and training when she failed or doubted herself, struggled with body positivity and anxiety, making her Olympic wins the more exciting and inspiring.
Sexual assault is mentioned, but it's not graphic, and it's discussed in a way that I think would be valuable for teens to learn from. Aly explains the circumstances that led her not to question her molester, and the warning signs to look out for: someone who makes you uncomfortable, tries to get you alone, asks you to keep secrets, etc. She stresses that just because a person is popular and respected, that doesn't mean they're trustworthy or that you shouldn't question them. Though the book deals with Larry Nassar only in a few pages - it's not the main point of the story at all - the larger context of Aly's career, hard work, discipline, and sacrifice only combine to contextualize how evil it was for a doctor entrusted with the care of her and youth athletes like her to abuse his power.
The only time the book kinda lost me was toward the end when Aly describes her activism through partnerships with brands, like working with a clothing company to design a line with body-positive slogans. I'm sure she chose endorsements she could feel good about, and she probably has to present them in a good light if she's still working with them, but it's kind of eye-rolly all the same, like, I don't begrudge you trying to earn a paycheck but please don't shove advertising down my throat when I already bought your book (just kidding I got it out of the library) (capitalism kills)
Sexual assault is mentioned, but it's not graphic, and it's discussed in a way that I think would be valuable for teens to learn from. Aly explains the circumstances that led her not to question her molester, and the warning signs to look out for: someone who makes you uncomfortable, tries to get you alone, asks you to keep secrets, etc. She stresses that just because a person is popular and respected, that doesn't mean they're trustworthy or that you shouldn't question them. Though the book deals with Larry Nassar only in a few pages - it's not the main point of the story at all - the larger context of Aly's career, hard work, discipline, and sacrifice only combine to contextualize how evil it was for a doctor entrusted with the care of her and youth athletes like her to abuse his power.
The only time the book kinda lost me was toward the end when Aly describes her activism through partnerships with brands, like working with a clothing company to design a line with body-positive slogans. I'm sure she chose endorsements she could feel good about, and she probably has to present them in a good light if she's still working with them, but it's kind of eye-rolly all the same, like, I don't begrudge you trying to earn a paycheck but please don't shove advertising down my throat when I already bought your book (just kidding I got it out of the library) (capitalism kills)