I'm usually not a huge fan of memoirs however I really enjoyed reading Gabe's story. I didn't know a lot about roller derby so it was nice to discover new things and overall this was a good read for me.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I think Gabe Montesanti has an amazing writer's voice, and I was drawn into the world of roller derby in a way I never have been before.

The pacing of this book is fabulous. I loved how every chapter brought me further into her journey of roller derby, as well as giving me more insight into her past. I loved all the different people that were introduced, and I truly felt like I knew them by the end of the book. We should all aspire to have such a close, loving support network as the author did when she was injured.

This book does discuss some intense themes, but as long as you check the trigger warnings before picking it up you should be fine. I think this is a fun, important memoir and I would recommend it to anyone who feels adrift and family-less.

I had no idea what roller derby was but a little Google search brought me up to date with the whole concept. I am so glad that I read this memoir because a lot of Montesanti's problems with her mom I can relate to. It is not easy having to learn how to be positive and learning how to love yourself. I think that a lot of how we can become confident should be instilled from our parents, however, many fail to do such. Instead, some choose to belittle their children. The author is so strong for having to go through these events and eventually finding her way. I am thankful that she found such an outlet to help her appreciate herself. The fact that she is queer makes this 10× better. Thank you for writing such a strong and beautiful story.

I received an electronic ARC of Brace for Impact by Gabe Montesanti from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. To begin, this memoir was one of my favorite books of the year! Overall, I found Gabe’s writing to consist of thoughts and experiences that I have dealt with in the past and as such, the way in which Gabe interconnects her feelings related to her family and her longing to not feel alone, hit a little too close to home. Which allowed for me to feel a very peculiar connection to her memoir.

Although the pacing for the first few chapters seemed a little slow, it picked up shortly thereafter and maintained a steady pace for the remainder of the book. When coupled with the way she organized the memoir, this helped to keep my attention hooked for the rest of the book. Additionally, I enjoyed reading about how roller derby allowed for Gabe to have the necessary space to learn to not only be comfortable in her skin but to thrive. Her descriptions of longing to belong and the bonds of family that exceed beyond blood, were insightful and inspiring for those of us still looking for our place in the world. Overall, this memoir is an ode to roller derby, self acceptance and found families, with a queer cast of amazing individuals whose personalities shined through the pages.

I found Brace for Impact a compelling read. The author is gay and has a contentious relationship with her family, especially her mother. She joined the roller derby and talks extensively about her experiences. Her accident was grueling and reading about how all her friends banded together to help her out was great. Many people don’t have such a great batch of friends.
One of themes of this memoir is figuring things out. Sometimes it takes hour by hour or even years.
Roll on!

What a terrific memoir! Montesanti finds her way and her happiness in the Roller Derby, calling herself Joan of Spark, as a grad student. It's the Roller Derby that saves her, in so many ways, from the damage from a childhood filled with criticism from her mother that led her into self destructive behavior. Oddly, it's the injury that puts her on the sidelines for a period that causes her to recalibrate and become even stronger; the time spent thinking is time well spent. It's about the family we make, about coming to love yourself, and about being a strong person. Her writing is terrific and she brings the Derby to life. More importantly, she brings herself to life- you can feel her sitting next to you. It's hard to review memoirs without feeling as though you're judging the author or the author's life choices. That's not the case here because Montesanti has presented an exuberant (yes exuberant) tale of positivity in the face of so many other things. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Highly recommend.

- BRACE FOR IMPACT is a beautiful blend of queer discovery, relearning who you are away from your family, and peek into the wild and wonderful world of roller derby.
- This memoir is not for the faint of heart, given that it covers eating disorders, emotionally abusive parents, and horrific sports injuries, but following along as Montesanti grows more at home with herself is more than worth the trip. Plus, it's chock full of excellent derby player names.
- The joy of finding your queer home is so wonderful, I'm glad books like this one showcase that experience so lovingly.

Brace for Impact is a heartfelt, funny, and dramatic memoir by Gabe Montesanti. Much of the story centers around Gabe's found family through a roller derby team. Having little to no knowledge of roller derby, I still enjoyed this book.

Brace for Impact follows queer roller derby athlete Gabe Montesanti. This was such a heartfelt and raw memoir. Gabe struggles to deal with the rejection and disinterest of her birth family in her identity as a queer woman in a relationship with another woman. When she finds roller derby, she discovers that there is a queer found family ready to embrace her and lift her up. Roller derby does not come without danger and Gabe deals with serious injuries and strain on her relationships. However, perhaps the hardest work that Gabe has to do is mental: unlearning the toxic patterns of thought that she faced growing up, especially in relation to food and exercise.

Gabe’s strength and grace throughout the novel is amazing to see, even when she cannot see it herself. She truly embodies her derby name, Joan of Spark, with her fierce determination and passion. The road to derby is not easy and there are some painful scenes to read, such as when Gabe’s mother comes to visit while she is recovering from a broken leg. I think many readers will see aspects of themselves in Gabe’s triumphs and struggles. Gabe’s writing is beautiful and vulnerable, never flinching, and I felt like I knew her by the end of the memoir. Gabe is so open and honest that by the end you will want to give her a hug and also get dinner with her.

I learned so much about roller derby!! I knew the bare minimum about roller derby and halfway through I was googling videos of jams with Scald Eagle and Bonnie Thunders. What an incredible sport! I was in awe of the powerful and queer athletes in this book. Beyond their athletic prowess, I felt moved to happy tears by the LGBTQ+ inclusivity and found family. Throughout the pages is such a clear sense of support, pushing each other to be their personal best, and warm camaraderie. I had no idea that the sport was such a haven for queer athletes. I think any reader will be eager to see a bout after reading Brace for Impact! I feel so fortunate that I was able to read an ARC and really look forward to reading whatever Gabe Montesanti writes next.

Brace for Impact releases on May 24, 2022. Thank you to Gabe Montesanti, The Dial Press, Random House Group, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, Wordpress blog, and Barnes & Noble etc

I could not put this incredible memoir down. The author shares with us the slow often times excruciating process of extracting herself from the toxic influence of her mother and finding joy. In the of finding joy in the fellowship of shared queer spaces and finding where she is accepted for who she is. It celebrates found family, the strength and residences of one's body and the uneven uneasy navigation form childhood to adulthood. This is a very raw novel about her journey and it feels very real. It hit me on a personal basis that I think a lot of readers will and could identify with,

Intriguing!! It's a story of self-discovery, complex parental relationships, and finding a place with people who truly understand you. Any reader looking for an interesting memoir will not be disappointed with this one.

A moving, heart breaking, heart warming memoir about a young woman navigating through the mental and emotional damage done by a screwed up home life, coming out as queer, finding her voice as an author and finding love and acceptance through roller derby.

I chose this book because I have been fascinated by roller derby since my early childhood in the 1970s. If I wasn't in a working band, I would've tried roller derby, but the band takes up a lot of my free time. I have many friends in the roller derby world and everything Gabe wrote about the acceptance, love and inclusion rings 100% true. I also appreciated the detail she including about the moves, practice exercises and what happens in a bout.

The portions dealing with her mother and the body issues Gabe has endured stemming from her mother's emotional abuse were particularly difficult to read. They put the unconditional love and acceptance Gabe found with her girlfriend (now wife) Kelly and her friends and teammates in roller derby in stark contrast. This book made me cry both sad and happy tears.

The only complaint I have is that there is occasionally a lack of flow in the storyline, I believe stemming from the fact that most of the book was originally written as essays and later became a full fledged book. However, this is a minor issue and in no way detracts from the impact of Gabe's writing.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Dail Press and the author for an eARC in exchange for my unbiased, honest review. (less)

Brace for Impact was an enjoyable read. We follow the journey of Gabe as she comes to term with how she wants her life to be and how she has to process and move past her childhood. She struggled with being queer with a non accepting mother. She find roller Derby as an outlet as a young adult and through it makes sense of her world. You will find yourself cheering along with her as she navigates life.

I surprised myself by thoroughly enjoying this memoir, despite being a sixty-something, straight woman who knew absolutely nothing about roller derby (although my nephew’s wife plays – and boy do I now have a whole new respect for her).

A great memoir always compels me to Google the author to find out more about them. I did it after finishing Tara Westover’s Educated and Jeannette Walls’ Glass Castles. Brace for Impact certainly inspired me to find out more about Gabe Montesanti. While I wouldn’t put Brace for Impact into quite the same category as those brilliant reads, it was nonetheless a fascinating, gripping memoir that I found very hard to put down. I devoured it.

Gabe Montesanti is a queer Midwestern roller derby player who now lives with her wife in Texas. Brace for Impact is her story. Despite only covering her years until early adulthood, it’s nevertheless a sweeping tale about coming of age, dysfunctional families, the LGBTQ community, friendship, sisterhood and otherness. It’s about obsession with body shape. It’s about reinventing oneself, and acceptance. And it’s about the crazy, fascinating world of roller derby.

We learn about Gabe’s difficult relationship with her over-critical mother and her incredible passion for roller derby. Gabe finally finds her people when she joins this world. It’s here she discovers “true friendship, healthy athleticism, accepting community and proud queerness.”

I so admire her sheer determination to learn and excel at her chosen sport so that she could play for one of the best teams in the world. She literally throws her all into this and by doing so, meets some wonderful, caring people who are a complete foil for her hopeless family.

I love books that open my eyes to other ways of being. This one did just that. It is also beautifully written. Well worth a read!

If you are drawn to memoirs about overcoming enormous difficulties, put this on your list. I knew next to nothing about roller derby, and I was fascinated by not just the descriptions of the sport, but also the unique personalities and communities that are found in the sport.

Montesanti is very blunt about the emotional abuse she endured from her mother, so be aware if that's a sensitive subject.

Many thanks to PRH and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really beautiful and impactful (lol, see what I did there?) memoir about identity and finding yourself after your whole world is reordered. I enjoyed the writing in this and learned a lot about Montesanti.

Thank you to Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Gabe Montesanti brings readers into the world of roller derby, demonstrating its worth for young women looking to exercise their strength, find community, and move on from the smallness and pressures of the nuclear family. Her humor and vulnerability propel this writer from tryouts to championships and beyond. "Brace for Impact" offers Montesanti's life story so far and simultaneously lays out new possibilities for lesbian, bisexual, and queer women searching for something different.

This book fits neatly within the growing ranks of LGBTQ memoirs like Saeed Jones' "How We Fight for Our Lives," J.P. Brammer's "¡Hola Papi!", and Jenn Shapland's "My Autobiography of Carson McCullers." Montesanti's story is a testament to the power of queer community,and any library would do well to have it on offer for young adult patrons, skating enthusiasts, and LGBTQ folks alike.

`”Before I could talk myself out of it, I jotted down my name and passed the clipboard on. At least for tonight, my desperation was louder than my shame.”

Brace for Impact is a poignant exploration into the power of found families in the midst of recognizing the toxic behaviors in your birth family. Montesanti artfully explores being raised in an abusive home, the lasting impacts of her mother’s relentless shaming, and stumbling upon the derby community when she needed it the most. I loved every second of this book. Montesanti’s voice was like talking to a friend. I genuinely cannot wait to buy a physical copy!

While this wasn’t my absolute favorite and it wasn’t exactly what I expected from the cover, I really enjoyed reading it. I always appreciate memoirs, but (as much as I can say without spoiling anything at all) this one had a story that is going to stick with me.

I enjoyed this story very much. The world-building is done from the opening sentences when you get a feeling for this environment. The characters are life and you really get a sense of who they are as the story progresses.. I would absolutely buy this book when it comes out.