Head over Heels: A Novel

Hannah Orenstein’s best novel yet!
Absolutely perfect beach read! This was incredibly fun to read, I had to finish it in just one day.Excellent character development, Avery felt so real and believable in her struggles and how she grew.I’d say the author was well researched, but no need to research as it’s clear her passion for the sport shone through. The level of subject matter expertise for the sport was present, though it was written in a way that I could still understand the technical terms so I can paint a picture of the gymnastics in my mind.Overall, such a fun book that allowed me to escape our reality of 2020 and go to a more fun place.

The World of Elite Gymnastics
A fictional peek into the world of elite gymnastics from the point of view of one of the girls who doesn’t make the cut. In this case, she was widely expected to be on the Olympic team but suffered a career-ending injury during the Olympic Trials competition. Obviously this is devastating for the main character, who has difficulty coping with her loss and who struggles to create a new and different life for herself.The book talks about the fact that so many girls train their whole lives for a chance to compete in the Olympics, but there are only a few spots available. The girls who make it are stars, but what about all the girls who don’t make the team? Especially the ones who were legitimate contenders, the ones who came close? In this book it takes years for the main character to deal with her grief for the lost dream and the accompanying depression she experiences.The book shows us how very long and how very hard these girls train. How tricky the timing is – the gymnast must wait to be old enough and good enough to compete, but she also ages out in just a few years. So, because the Olympics is held only every four years, a girl might have only one realistic shot at making the team. Puberty is not the friend of a female gymnast, who is expected to stay small. (Male gymnasts, on the other hand, are not adversely affected by puberty because it tends to make them more muscular, which is an asset in their side of the sport.) So girls eat sparingly to stay tiny. They train through injuries or even attempt to hide injuries. They are tutored and so miss out on attending school with other kids. They feel constant pressure to do more, work harder, be better.The book also shows some of the huge sacrifices made by the families of these young athletes. In time spent shuttling the girls to practice and traveling to competitions, in money spent paying for years of lessons and training. Families often relocate to be near the best coach. Siblings might feel neglected.Tough (and timely) topics are addressed, including coaches who are bullying, doctors or trainers who are sexually abusive, and the big mental health challenges these young athletes face.Despite all of this, it is an uplifting story. There is a cute romance, a reunion of lost friends, and positive developments for the main character. And we get to follow a different girl who does succeed, leaving the reader with a different kind of happy ending.

What an emotional roller coaster
This book surprised me by how good it was. I thought it would be an easy, light romance. It had romance, but it also spent time on some heavy subjects. Mental health, mental and sexual abuse, and overcoming failure. It was not as light as I had thought for it being a romance in the world of gymnastics. I am a stickler for good character development, and Avery had an amazing journey. She started out a failed, depressed athlete trying to find herself in a world she wasn’t prepared for. She grew into an incredible woman speaking out for others who struggling and set young women up for success. There was a little spice thrown in too, but not a lot. I may have not been prepared for the emotional roller coaster this book would take me on, but I would highly recommend it.

Inside gymnastics
This is a good look into the world of competitive gymnastics. The author does a good job portraying the dedication, hard work and sacrifice needed to reach the elite level. And she also portray s the abuse that we all have heard about, physical and mental. And to make it better, there is a sweet romance.

Hard to know how to rate this. The book itself was decent and fairly well written however I really didn’t care about the romance. The novel is way more focused on the protagonist and her self image and her relationship with the young athlete she trains. In comparison the romance feels like an after thought. Also whilst I thought the story was well constructed I struggle to forgive the love interest for the way he behaved.So overall a good read but not a couple I care about, it is also way more drama/character driven than romance/humour driven.

A great read, relatively light but with some depth and challenging issues. A wonderful insight into the world of gymnastics with a lovely romance woven in!