Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for the ARC of The Happiest Girl in the World by Alena Dillon. A 5 Star Must Read!

If you read Alena Dillon's previous novel, Mercy House, you know she doesn't shy away from tackling tough subjects head-on, and this book is no exception. The Happiest Girl in the World follows the journey of Sera Wheeler, a young, determined, Olympic Gymnast hopeful. This story begs the question...how far are you willing to go, how much are you willing to hide, and who are you willing to hurt to become one of the world's top elite athletes?

Combining real-life events (the Olympic Gymnast Doctor sexual abuse scandal, COVID-19, etc) with the dramatic and heart-wrenching story of Sera's rise to the top, Alena Dillion created a novel that grabs the reader from the very first page and has you holding on tight until the final page. I was at times both rooting for Sera to make it all the way to the Olympics and at the same time, wishing she would recognize the non-reversible harm she was doing to herself and call it quits.

This was the first book I've read that shows the potential world after COVID-19. It's interesting to me how Alena most likely had to completely re-write part of this novel based on the true-life turn of events of 2020, the Olympic Games, and more. This book is definitely one to pick up and devour - publish date is April 2021.

I liked this...let’s start there, but I definitely did not love this.

Anything Olympics/gymnastics you can count me in! I was a gymnast when I was younger and of course had that little girl dream of winning gold. I never made it past Team level in like maybe 3rd grade, but Gymnastics remains a perennial favorite of mine every 4 years on the world stage.

I was so excited to be granted this eARC about Sera’s quest for Olympian gold. However I felt that this felt too “ripped from the headlines” and not fiction. Yes this story is fiction and the story I really did like, but it felt a bit repetitive at times and I had a hard time getting past the fact that this happened in real life and was a total parallel to the news headlines we’ve all seen in recent years surrounding the US Gymnastics scandal with the team doctor.

I did, though, love the intricacies and compelling family dynamics of one athletes quest for the ultimate price: an Olympic gold medal. How an entire family sacrifices for that one person’s goal. It was equally heartbreaking, yet lovely to see a family cheer on their little girl/sister.

This was a solid read that I started early Saturday morning and finished by Saturday afternoon. It was compelling, but felt a little too identical to the real thing, however overall I would recommend you check this out if you, like me, are a sucker for a sports related, Gymnastics or Olympic story!

113/100

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for the ARC of The Happiest Girl in the World by Alena Dillon! This book is out April 20, 2021.

Trigger warning: Sexual assault, eating disorders, abuse.

Summary:
Sera Wheeler has big dreams of making the USA Gymnastics Olympic Team. She gave up her entire life more than a few times to achieve this goal. Along the way, Sera also gives up childhood friendship when she chooses gymnastics over the truth about a doctor who does more than treat patients. But Sera works hard and she'll make the Olympic team. And that will make her the happiest girl in the world, right?

Why I picked this book:
I read the description and immediately knew I wanted to read this powerful book. I am fascinated by the world of USA Gymnastics- it's one of my favorite things to watch in the summer Olympics (aside from the USWNT, obviously!). If you are familiar with the USA gymnastics scandal regarding the team doctor and the #MeToo era, you will recognize the truth in a lot of this work of women's fiction.

Honest review:
I always knew that the world of gymnastics was similar to the world of competitive dance- it can get dark. Eating disorders run rampant. You work your body to the bone. And I know many dancers have faced abuse and assault from those who are meant to protect them in the same ways that gymnasts and athletes and women have for so many years.

What I didn't know is how hard it can be to read- especially when the character you're reading about isn't the one facing the particular abuse. Sure, Sera's body is beaten, but it's for the sake of her dreams, right?

This is a honest telling of a painful story, and I think it was all the more impactful that it's told from the point of view of someone who knew about the abuse by a team doctor and instead chose her own aspirations instead of the truth, and how that follows her for the rest of her career. While at times I was so disappointed in Sera for not sticking up for her friend, it was hard not to root for her after every trial and tribulation that she faced. I wanted her to make that Olympic team.

I was definitely not expecting the book to go beyond the trial of the doctor. It was so true to history that when March 2020 came up, I expected the novel to end. It was really interesting how Dillon incorporated the coronavirus into the story and the impact that had on the Summer 2020 Olympics. I was even more surprised when the book continued into Summer 2021.

This book made me feel a lot of different ways about childhood abuse and how we discuss those serious issues with children. It made me feel hopeful for athletes and for the world that we get back on track and hold a Summer 2021 Olympics. Overall, it was very powerful and I would definitely recommend it!

*ARC provided via #netgalley⁣
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This book is an at times unsettling and yet honest portrayal of gymnastics and its athletes. (And could also be substituted for other sports as well) We’re taken behind the curtain and shown how rigorous and punishing the athletes train, the sacrifices they make, and the lengths some corporations will go to to keep secrets. Alena Dillon writes so lushly that you can almost feel Sera’s pain alongside her, or the sweat dripping down her neck. ⁣
As someone who occasionally watches gymnastics during the Olympics, I’m not privy to the language that the author uses when describing specific routines, and often had to Google them so I could gain a better picture in my mind. Sera isn’t often the most sympathetic protagonist, and it was almost refreshing (yet still maddening) to read about someone so singularly focused and selfish, because in other books this character would have been written differently and most certainly cliched. I did enjoy the perspectives from Sera’s mom and thought it added even more depth to the story. ⁣

I really loved the book and the description of life as a gymnast. I think it was original and really described all that is given up to be the best at something.

As someone who grew up doing gymnastics in the Midwest, this book left me with some strong emotions. I was worried I would be put off by a non-gymnast writing about gymnastics, but the author struck a nice balance weaving in idiosyncratic gymnastics language while maintaining focus on the bigger picture. While difficult to read at times, I appreciate the shift in perspectives to cover both Sera and her mother as they learn of sexual abuse within the sport and are forced to cope with the consequences of their initial denial. This book also provides food for thought for parents on the consequences of pursuing athletic excellence "at all costs."

Wow, this book had me feeling some type of way. The story follows gymnast and Olympic hopeful Sera Wheeler and her family over the years as they sacrifice everything to get her to Team USA. She works herself hard constantly and faces countless obstacles — injuries, a global pandemic (yes!), and a sexual predator that threatens to unravel the entire organization Sera has dedicated her life to. I loved how the fictional book was set in a very real world — with references to real people and characters are based off real people too. I also loved how the narrative occasionally switched over to Sera’s mom’s perspective to really give the full picture. I found myself emotionally invested in the drama and cheering Sera on from the other side of my kindle! Anyone who loves a good underdog story or all things gymnastics needs to read this one!

I ended this book, and spent a good deal reading this book, in tears. Happy, sad, complicated tears as I read about Sera Wheeler taking the podium. What an immensely powerful story. Thank you for publishing this.

This is a great novel about an Olympic hopeful. It’s a bleak portrayal of a girl who sick but determined to win. I would highly recommend it it’s an incredibly honest novel.

This book is super heavy, but that is not a bad thing. It is an important read for everyone. This book dives deep into the world of elite gymnastics, a sport that is beloved and practiced by young girls. Watching Sera's story over the span of 15 years was a journey of pain, heartbreak, abuse, and depression that none of us will truly see on our tv screens during the Olympics. This book provides us with a warning and a lesson; look deeper and listen harder.

In <i>The Happiest Girl in the World</i>, we follow gymnast Sera Wheeler through her journey into the world of elite gymnastics, towards her goal of becoming an Olympic Team member.

Sera’s 14 years pilgrimage towards Team USA is featured here in this novel - and while fiction, it parallels USA Gymnastics timeline and investigations into team doctor Larry Nassar (renamed Eddie, in the novel), who was convicted of sexual abuse/assault of over 250 girls and young women.

I found <i>The Happiest Girl in the World</i> a a no-nonsense approach to the real perils of elite gymnasts. Working out and performing through injuries, popping pills, anorexia/bulimia, and trying to dodge their first periods. But most of all, I found the novel to be a poignant reminder that in the end, some will stop at nothing, no matter what the consequences, to follow what they think are their dreams

I love anything to do with gymnastics, so I had high hopes going into this book. I definitely wasn't disappointed. Was it the best book I ever read? No. I would have liked it if the author made the story a bit less like the "ripped from the headlines" basis for the book. I understand it's based on true events, but a little more creative license might have been nice (in my opinion!) However, the detail about gymnastics was very good, and I felt like the author really represented the voices of the characters well. The book gave an interesting perspective of an athlete who was involved in the scandal, but not to the same extent as others. The conflict that Sera felt when hearing about the accusations provided a different perspective than those I've read about in the news. Overall, I thought the book was quite good and I zipped through it quickly (a sign that I liked a book!) I will buy this title for my HS library, and I can definitely see some of my students checking it out.