A review by smalltownbookmom
The Happiest Girl in the World by Alena Dillon

4.0

This is a deep dive into the dark side of competitive gymnastics. It was equally eye-opening and heartbreaking seeing the lengths that some athletes go to in the pursuit of their Olympic dreams. I liked that the story is told from alternating perspectives of Sera, an Olympic hopeful gymnast and her mother, who goes all in to help her daughter achieve success. The story is told over several years highlighting the ups and downs of Sera's gymnastics career, as she struggles with jealousy, injuries, drug addiction, a sexual abuse scandal and the loneliness only a competitive athlete can really appreciate. Many of the issues touched on in the book could have been torn right from the headlines and sadly I have no doubt they are all too common. It was really hard seeing what Sera's mom was willing to turn a blind eye to rather than be the supportive parent Sera really needed. Well-written and hard-hitting, definitely recommend.

CW: eating disorders, sexual abuse, drug addiction/abuse