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A review by bringmybooks
Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
WOW. I can't get over how much I enjoyed this one! It's also a massive testament to giving authors second chances, because there was another book by this author that I DNFed (others loved it, just wasn't for me).
I would also like to say that from a young age I was OBSESSED with gymnastics - I remember being absolutely riveted by The Magnificent Seven during the 1996 Olympics, and I'm pretty sure I was near hysterical after watching Kerri Strug land her second vault (clearly injured), securing the Gold Medal for USA in Women's All Around.
I know there are a lot of things to unpack about that moment, and about the atmosphere of professional gymnastics both then and now - but watching her land that vault indelibly altered me as a person. I would go back to that moment time and time again, and think, "If Kerri could land that vault, I can keep running. I can keep playing. I don't need a sub."
It's become clear as the years have passed that there were questionable methods that led to the girls' success, with some gymnasts praising the tough and difficult conditions, and others deeming it inhumane. Hannah Orenstein's book, Head Over Heels, really delves into all of these questions in such great ways, while also cultivating a really believable and sweet love story between two of the coaches.
There were definitely some moments that annoyed me - as they were meant to do - and a couple bits of the dreaded "Can't y'all just TALK TO ONE ANOTHER?" but overall even that felt believable for the story. I just genuinely enjoyed every bit of this, from the two MCs relationship to the gymnast they were working with to the observations about the sport to the will they/won't they friendship between the female MC and her former teammate.
Highly recommend this one - even if you're NOT a fan of gymnastics!
(That being said, I imagine it is wildly more entertaining if you have some familiarity with the sport, because it does get somewhat technical as it talks about the routines and point systems and descriptions of the stunts themselves.)
Thank you to Edelweiss, Atria Books, & Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.
I would also like to say that from a young age I was OBSESSED with gymnastics - I remember being absolutely riveted by The Magnificent Seven during the 1996 Olympics, and I'm pretty sure I was near hysterical after watching Kerri Strug land her second vault (clearly injured), securing the Gold Medal for USA in Women's All Around.
I know there are a lot of things to unpack about that moment, and about the atmosphere of professional gymnastics both then and now - but watching her land that vault indelibly altered me as a person. I would go back to that moment time and time again, and think, "If Kerri could land that vault, I can keep running. I can keep playing. I don't need a sub."
It's become clear as the years have passed that there were questionable methods that led to the girls' success, with some gymnasts praising the tough and difficult conditions, and others deeming it inhumane. Hannah Orenstein's book, Head Over Heels, really delves into all of these questions in such great ways, while also cultivating a really believable and sweet love story between two of the coaches.
There were definitely some moments that annoyed me - as they were meant to do - and a couple bits of the dreaded "Can't y'all just TALK TO ONE ANOTHER?" but overall even that felt believable for the story. I just genuinely enjoyed every bit of this, from the two MCs relationship to the gymnast they were working with to the observations about the sport to the will they/won't they friendship between the female MC and her former teammate.
Highly recommend this one - even if you're NOT a fan of gymnastics!
(That being said, I imagine it is wildly more entertaining if you have some familiarity with the sport, because it does get somewhat technical as it talks about the routines and point systems and descriptions of the stunts themselves.)
Thank you to Edelweiss, Atria Books, & Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, and Eating disorder