"The Happiest Girl in the World" by Alena Dillon is a poignant and thought-provoking novel that delves deep into the world of competitive gymnastics. Dillon's characters are brilliantly crafted, with each one possessing a unique voice and perspective that adds depth to the story. Set against the high-stakes backdrop of the gymnastics arena, the atmosphere is palpable, immersing readers in a world where every twist and turn holds the promise of triumph or tragedy.

Dillon's writing style is both lyrical and incisive, with prose that captures the intensity and complexity of the sport with precision and grace. The plot of "The Happiest Girl in the World" unfolds with a perfect blend of mystery and intrigue, as the protagonist grapples with the pressures of competition and the dark secrets lurking beneath the surface. The pacing is expertly handled, keeping readers engaged and eager to uncover the truth behind the facade of perfection. Overall, "The Happiest Girl in the World" is a gripping and emotionally resonant novel that will leave readers deeply moved and thoroughly entertained.

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Rating 3.5. This was a very interesting fictional account of a young girl’s experiences pursuing her gymnastic goal of making the US Olympic team. The trials, physical and mental injuries, personal and family sacrifices required in order to achieve such a goal were eye-opening. Even without the addition of actual sexual and emotional abuse encountered by the young athletes, the lifestyle and demands placed on these aspiring athletes are abusive on their own. The storyline of sexual abuse is based on the true life USA gymnastic scandal involving Larry Nassar, based on my independent research. While this novel is following the specific experiences of one girl, who was indirectly involved in the scandal, but not herself sexually abused, it did feel like the abuse was a bit downplayed. I guess in order to let the main character achieve her personal goals, it was not possible to completely derail her by the effects of such abuse. Instead her intentional ignorance of the situation was a passive contribution to the abuser’s actions, which served to sully her happiness and satisfaction of achieving her final goal. Overall, I enjoyed the story.

The Happiest Girl in the World by Alena Dillon was a great but tough read.

In her novel, Dillon examines the abuse of the US gymnasts at the hands of their team doctor. Through her best friend, Lucy's, abuse, Dillion shows the readers how many people were complicit, either intentionally or inadvertently, in the abuse, as well as the lasting effects that this had on the women who were abused.

But the abuse wasn't limited to just the team doctor. Sera's world shows us how willing many people throughout the ranks of USA Gymnastics were abusive - either physically or mentally - and just how accepted and pervasive that attitude was (is?). While it's understood that training for an elite level of sport will require the athletes to be tough and endure a lot of intense training, Dillon's portrayal of what Sera and the other US gymnasts endured is in a league of its own. The fact that this portrayal is probably very realistic makes it really sad to read.

Dillon also does a great job making Sera a very complex character. She sees that her choices - well, really, her choice to continue down the gymnastics path until she is an Olympian - have negative impacts on the people around her, including her family, friends, and even herself. Yet she is rigid in her understanding that this is what she wants and that she's not willing to stop her pursuit of achieving it and risk never knowing if she was capable. I loved how, as Sera grows, she starts to question her understanding of who she is based on the choices she's made, and it makes her want to make better choices.

This book is intense, and deals with a lot of traumatic experiences, so it won't be for everyone, and I would recommend looking at the content warnings before checking it out. But I personally am happy that I read it, and hope that it, as well as the accounts of the real gymnasts who were faced with these very real situations, will force change in the world of gymnastics and sports in general.

Many thanks to William Morrow, Alena Dillon, and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes for this one but it just missed the mark for me. With that being said, I would still give this author another try.

Absolutely riveting!!! Blew through this in a night. Could not put it down and am eagerly awaiting more from this author!!

This is a fictionalized account of the USA gymnastics scandal.

The story is told through from the dual perspectives of Sera Wheeler and her mother Charlene. Each woman presents their bystander account of what happened to girls and their families who were both friends and the competition. The gymnastics world is portrayed as a ruthless, cut throat environment lacking compassion or learning from its mistakes.

Sera represents the roller coaster ride of being a competitive athlete from the age of six. She is a deeply troubled young lady who could lose her humanity with the guidance of her coaches. Sera's mother Charlene is living her life vicariously through her daughter. Her self-worth is directly tied to how well her daughter does in competition.

The family dynamics in the Wheeler family are complicated and troubling.
This was a rapid read that was well written. The timeliness of the story made it very interesting.

Sera Wheeler is a young girl who dreams of being an Olympic gymnast and spends her entire life working towards that goal. This book was engrossing and disturbing at the same time. From the descriptions of pain and being pushed beyond physical limits, family struggles and the lack of regard to the girls health and safety - it's truly an enlightening portrayal of the sport. Although a work of fiction, there's no doubt this is based in truth.

I loved the voice in this one. So distinct and well defined. The story was engrossing and kept me turning the pages. Obviously it’s a heavy story but it was done carefully and with a lot of research and respect.

I want to know if the author had the consent of the girls mentioned in this book because it seems to draw on the exact abuse cases Larry Nassar was accused of, and those don't seem like her stories to tell. She could have easily fictionalized characters. This felt weird.

I got this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.Good story but a little lengthy worded.

I appreciate the advanced reader's copy from NetGalley and enjoyed the read. It wasn't my typical type of book to pick up but it was interesting.
I recommend it to athletes and those into sports as it offered some interesting points of view.

I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley. The Happiest Girl in the World tells the story of Sera Wheeler, a girl who is on the training path to become an Olympian gymnast.I really enjoyed it, the book does a good job of talking about the emotional aspect of the sport and not just the physical. Alena Dillon has a special way of telling a story using her grace, knowledge, and experience to bring you in while you learn.

Interesting book with an interesting topic. I felt it was a bit hard to get into, but I read an uncorrected proof, so it wasn't as tight as it might have been otherwise. I appreciate the author, publisher, and Netgalley for allowing me to review.

Listen, I finished this book, but I feel icky about it. There's something so wrong using the real victim's names and experiences in a fictional setting. The writing also reads as stilted in some places, and the flashes to the mother's POV reads surface level when it should have been more of an in depth. I didn't really like these characters that much, and feel like there were other issues that could have been addressed rather than focusing on the very real abuse and court cases that happened to real people and using their names.

An aspiring Olympic gymnast learns that achieving her goal does not make her the Happiest Girl in the World. She was actually happiest early on in her career when was with her best friend doing what she loved. The author does a great job portraying the disturbing world of woman’s gymnastics. It’s hard to read what they go through at such a young age between the harsh diets, injuries, and constant belittling by coaches. I found this to be a very eye-opening engaging book about a world I knew little about.

I was really interested in this just because this is a topic i rarely see in novels. I enjoyed the sports aspect of the book but i did feel quite bored for most of the story

Alena Dillon did a great job mixing Sera's fictional character into the gymnastic world among current and former Olympic heroines (Simon Biles, Shawn Johnson, Gabby Douglas, Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney, and Nastia Lukin). This story is raw and sometimes heartbreaking, looking behind the curtain of the dream of becoming an Olympic USA gymnast. The topics and timelines follow all the ups and downs of the US gymnastic world, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the training and delay of the 2020 Toyko Olympic games. Overall, I highly recommend this book if you are an Olympic or gymnastic fan.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. I was blown away by the story of following Sera and her journey as a gymnast. I love how the story was told in Sera and Her mom’s perspective. It really depicted how much was riding in the success of Sera’s success. I love how the use of real gymnast and events made the story even more real.

The Happiest Girl in the World is an Interesting inside look at the world of elite gymnastics and what is sacrificed. It's also a very emotionally complicated book. A timely read especially this year with what's going on in the gymnastics world. Thank you to William Morrow for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.