The Happiest Girl in the World chronicles adolescent Sera Wheeler’s quest toward Olympic Gold. What Author Alena Dillon accomplishes that makes this different from similar young gymnasts’ stories is the way she evokes so many emotions in the reader. I laughed frequently at the quirky expressions and behavior of the Mother, Charlene. The next minute I was feeling anger and disgust at the subtle abuse (so reminiscent of the gymnasts’ abuse in the headlines) of the camp Medic, Eddie. Dad Leo’s frustration and mix of fatherly love and pride brought tears and my heart went out to the patient and perseverance extended by twin brother, Joe. The sheer hard work and physical torture experienced by Sera had an effect on the whole family. The expense of all the travel and training was only one of many sacrifices made to get a family member to the Olympic goal. While I was often shocked at the extremes taken in terms of training time and physical pain, I was also edified at the way the family sacrificed and supported their gymnast. I wonder how it could possibly be worth it!
#TheHappiestGirlIntheWorld. #NetGalley

I really was engrossed in this novel from the beginning, and when I originally read the description of the storyline I knew I would want to read it.
The book follows two young ladies, Sera and Lucy, from the time of their introduction to gymnastics in their elementary years, to their end as young adults. The book also weaves in the story of Sera's mother, Charlene,and her obsession with Sera's rise to greatness. Throw in the mix the scandal with the USA Gynastics committee, and their protection of their "doctor" who did more then just examine these young women. It was one of the most horrific scandals I have ever witnessed involving a "working" pedophile. This becomes one of the "struggles" that these two young ladies, as well as Charlene, need to overcome.
There were many other things that these young ladies do to succeed in this sport, and I just wasn't aware how far things go sometimes. I knew that they denied themselves food, and beat their bodies down physically to succeed, but I had no idea they went as far as they do, but the book uses facts. I checked and a lot of the other things mentioned are done, and more. I remember my daughter had a knack for gymnastics type movements when she was younger, around 3. I brought her to a small class for kids under 4. I listened to one mom, who had another daughter in competitions, berate her 3 year old for not saying their ABCs perfectly in front of strangers. Then she proceeded to rip a 100 calorie pack of Goldfish out of the little girl's hands, and laughto another mom while saying she doesn't need her daughter getting any more calories. All the moms agreed that fat girls can't succeed in gymnastics. I decided my daughter was never going back. We also tried another place, and found out that the 4 and 5 year olds on their competition teams practiced for 2 hours after school Monday through Friday and sometimes during the weekend if it was competition time. I refused to overwork my young child, especially on school days. Reading this book confirmed for me that I made the right decision, at least for my daughter!

Timely and relevant, The Happies Girl in the World is anything but. This book will not only take you into the world of gymnastics, it will cruise right up into today's Me, too movement and beyond. Through the eyes of wannabe Olympians Sera Wheeler and her bestie, Lucy, their dreams of standing on the podium in the 2016 Rio Games is a long, and dangerous road of injuries, abuse, pressure from coaches, family, and competitors. They hang close to one another sparking each other to greater heights until the unthinkable happens.
Charlene Wheeler is Sera's mother who is so caught up in the moment and excitement of almost being someone, she is blinded to what is happening within the gymnastic world in which she has placed her daughter. The willful blindness comes with devastating consequences.
This is about so much more than gymnastics but uses that vehicle and the real timeline of the USA Olympian gymnastics organizations implosion as the backdrop for exploring the depths of abuse that is rampant in high-level sports and the emotional, physical, financial and mental cost the athlete and families pay
Thank you to Netgalley and author for an early ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

The beginning of the book was much more compelling than the end. It was a quick read, but then the end tried to add in too many extraneous issues.

“The Happiest Girl in the World” focuses on Sera Wheeler, a young gymnast who has trained for the Olympics since she was six years old. The novel details her struggles to attain greatness, including verbally abusive trainers, starvation diets, physical damages caused by intensive and relentless training, as well as the moral and financial costs sustained to reach her goal. Her parents make sacrifices both in time and money to insure that she obtains the training and equipment she needs to succeed. Along the way, Sera loses the friendship of her best friend Lucy when she turns a blind eye to the sexual abuse inflicted on Lucy by the doctor in charge of the trainees.

Although the book does a good job of drawing believable characters and describing the moral dilemmas they face, the book contained too much detail about gymnastic events and training, including gymnastic jargon that the average reader would not understand. As a result, at times the book was a chore to read. In addition, as some other reviewers have pointed out, the author appears to have drawn almost every major problem faced by the characters from recent news stories. Thus, one has to question the originality of the basic story. On the positive side, the novel was relatively short, which made the chore of reading this book much easier.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is not only well written but also so very relevant. Not only do we get to see what elite gymnasts go through to train for just a shot at the Olympics but this book also rips items right from the headlines of other things they've gone through or had to decide what to do about.

Even though this was a story about an elite gymnast who was sexually abused it mirrors what has happened to female gymnasts in the past. Events were covered up by the USA Olympics organization and the same doctor kept getting away with the same offenses. The parallels to this fiction book were uncomfortable and filled with multiple trigger warnings. Again, the events in this book were eerily similar to the events that actually happened for the last several decades in the sport. This book kind of left a sour taste in my mouth even though I raced through this read because it is so shocking and relatable.

Can still recommend this as a thriller read.

Thanks to Netgalley, Alena Dillon and William Marrow & Custom House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Available: 4/20/21

Read if you: Are drawn to anything gymnastics-related or "ripped from the headlines" stories.

I'm not a gymnastics expert (I watch it on TV, even during non-Olympic years), but Alena Dillon certainly knows her stuff (or she received excellent technical advice). Scenes in which Sera is performing her routine are fantastic; she expertly creates the tension and speed of the various gymnastic events. Same for the tensions between Sera and her mother, her mother's ambition, and Sera's identity crisis when she is 19-20 and her gymnastics career is uncertain.

I'm still a bit uncomfortable with using the sexual abuse crimes in fiction; I really need to sit with it for a bit, as this is the second time a gymnastics novel has included it in a story. This was a little entirely too close to the actual events (name-checking actual gymnasts) for my comfort. Others might not have that problem.

I believe I first read about this novel in Publishers Marketplace several years ago, so I'm sure Dillon had a different plan for the ending. Including the COVID pandemic and the delay of the Tokyo Olynmpics was a risky move, and I think it works for the most part. Adds another level to Sera's fight to remain relevant.

Librarians/booksellers: Purchase if novels that parallel actual events are popular.

Many thanks to William Morrow and Custom House and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you William Morrow and Custom House
William Morrow Paperbacks, Netgalley, and Alena Dillon for this book. All opinions are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This book has family dysfunction along with an organization filled with dysfunction and one Olympic hopeful determined to have her dreams come true. A nice break from my usual psychological/domestic thriller genre I tend to read. I enjoyed this book immensely and strongly recommend that you read it. 🌟🌟🌟🌟 strong stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
Wow, this was a well written book. It is obvious that it closely resembles the Larry Nasser events but there's a lot more to this story because of the research gone into gymnastics as a whole. It's very much a cutthroat world, fully of mental and physical stress but throw in the abuse and that adds a whole new dimension of conflict. Great book that's very relevant to today's world.

Sera wants an Olympic Gold medal and will stop at nothing to achieves these lofty goals. She envisions her best friend Lucy standing by her side on the podium accepting the highest honors the gymnastic world has to offer. However, with a story ripped right from the headlines- Lucy quits gymnastics after accusing the USA Team doctor of being inappropriate. Sera values her dreams over her friendship and continues training for her shot at greatness. A story of heartbreak, abuse of power and winning at all costs, The Happiest Girl in the World explores just how untrue that phrase may be in this cut throat world.

I love the Olympics and anything having to do with women’s gymnastics. I loved that this story explored the dynamics of not just the sport but the stress it can put on every family member involved. The isolation Sera endures to grasp at her dreams is heartbreaking. Although this story is fiction, there are real nuggets of information that followed the gymnastics scandal. I found it hard to separate what was real and what was created for the purpose of the story. This book made me miss being glued to the broadcast of the Summer Olympics and hopeful to see them return this year!


What’s your favorite Olympic event to watch?!



Thank you @customhousebooks, @williammorrowbooks, and @netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Available 4/20/21

This was a poignant, sharp, witty, and well-written fictional look at the world of competitive and elite gymnastics. Here, Sera is training to be an Olympic gymnast in part to her work ethic and skills, but also to appease her mom Charlene, who's hungry for her daughter to have the glory she never got. When Sera hears the USA Gymnastics team doctor is reported to the authorities about his so-called treatments, laced with abuse, she denies anything happened as a way to salvage her chance at success and all she's dreamed of. This book has such compelling language that really draws me in from the prologue and makes me just want to learn more. This book is Sera's truth in a firsthand look at the world of elite gymnastics and truly eye-opening if you're on the outside. The book also switches to her mom's perspective too and shows off her sacrifices and side of this journey. The writing is so sharp, witty, compelling, and well-written.

Fictional memoir on the realities of becoming an elite athlete - a gymnast.
Story definitely resonated with me and horrified by the organizations coverup by the athletes' doctor.

5 stars! If I could give this gem of a novel more, I would! A young girls dream of Olympic gold becomes the force that drives her life. Sacrifices were made. Her family, mom, dad and twin brother, did without so that she could pursue her dream. A friendship was forfeited amidst the sexual abuse scandal that rocked the gymnastics world. What price, if any, is too much to pay to reach that dream? This should be made into a movie, just excellent!

Alena Dillon writes with such skill and precision that my attention was demanded from page one, with “The Happiest Girl in the World,”. This fictional expose of the world women’s gymnastics was unapologetic in describing the physical, emotional, and monetary demands on the young athletes and their families in the sport. The singular focus of the main character’s family in getting to her to the Olympic squad is fraught with multiple deceptions, unsavory and malicious adult figures, and a sports federation willing to overlook horrific grievances. Dillon’s development of the maternal character, especially, a woman who has given her every reason for living over to her daughter’s quest, was especially genius and bone chilling. Amazing read! Unputdownable and exceptional.

This book was easy to read and written well but I think it followed too closely to the actual USA Gymnastics scandal with Larry Nasser. I thought it was interesting to read about what the girls possibly went through behind the scenes, especially with their parents. I thought it offered a fresh perspective but felt like I had read this exact thing in other books already. I think this book is coming out two years too late, if that makes sense. I would definitely read more from this author though.

This book truly gives a realistic portrayal of gymnastics and the physical, emotional and mental implications that it has on those who are committed to the grueling practice. Sera was willing to sacrifice everything to win and her family went into debt to support it. I found it truly sad about her interpretation of Eddie and pelvic manipulation and practicing until the room spun. Starving while burning more than 2,000 calories a day. Before anyone's child decides to committed to gymnastics for anything further than a fun time, they should read this book.and realize that the impact it has on the body goes way further than what they endure now.

I loved this book! I loved being inside the mind of this extreme athlete. Through the ups and downs, I felt heart broken. But, in a weird way I still wanted her to make the Olympic team. I wanted all of her tribulations to be worth it in the end. I also loved all the real world events and people mentioned in the book!

I liked this book. I was drawn to the description of following a young girl named Sera and her family over the years as she trains for as an elite gymnast for the Olympics. I liked the writing style, it was easy to read and the writer drew me in. I also liked that the story combined real-life events ( Larry Nassar with a name change, COVID-19, and some notable gymnasts) with a really heart-felt story of Sera and her family.

Overall, a solid read!

I've always been drawn to books about gymnastics or ballet. This book details the vicious and competitive world of gymnastics within the Olympics. You cannot get more competitive than that!

I tore through this! I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I found this book super compelling. If you have any interest in books about gymnastics than you will definitely like this!

4.5 stars!