Lauren Fleshman’s Good for a Girl is an amazing memoir but also an examination of women’s athletics. It is fascinating to read about Lauren’s life and running history but the deep dive into the unrealistic expectations of women athletes and the inequality between genders is what really arrests the reader. This book should be required reading for all parents, coaches, athletes - very eye-opening & well written.
I was thrilled to received an advanced reader copy through Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

I really like Lauren and what she stands for. There was nothing revolutionary about this book, and it felt repetitive at times, but it drove home her points about how women are treated in professional sports.

Special thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. I really wanted this book to be more and there were pieces of it that were fantastic and inspiring, but so much of this book was centered around eating disorders and really offering how tos more than providing cautionary tales as the author intended. There are far better ways to talk about the fine-thin line between sport and nutrition without replicating disordered eating. I do love what Lauren stands for and her points at the end were ones that I wish she had focused on more throughout the book.

"Good For A Girl" is a remarkable memoir and manifesto that encapsulates the experiences, challenges, and triumphs of female athletes in a sports landscape that has long neglected their needs. As an elite runner and advocate for women in sports, Fleshman brings her own personal journey to the forefront, shedding light on the systemic failures that hinder the progress of young female athletes. From the very first page, Fleshman's passion for running and her unwavering dedication to empowering women shines through.

I especially enjoyed Fleshman's ability to interweave her own personal narrative with well-researched insights into the physiology and psychology of young athletes. She delves into the challenges faced by adolescent female athletes during puberty, and the pressures that contribute to injuries, eating disorders, and mental health struggles.

"Good For A Girl" is not just a memoir; it is a rallying cry for change. This book serves as a catalyst for important conversations about gender equity, sports culture, and the well-being of young female athletes. I commend Fleshman for shedding light onto this issues and more importantly, for the vital contribution she has made to the movement for change, offering hope and encouragement to young women everywhere.

"Good for a Girl" by Lauren Fleshman is an empowering and inspiring memoir that challenges stereotypes and celebrates the achievements of women in sports. With its personal anecdotes, insightful reflections, and messages of resilience and determination, this book offers a compelling narrative that highlights the importance of gender equality in athletics.

One of the book's notable strengths is Fleshman's ability to convey her personal experiences as a professional runner with authenticity and vulnerability. She shares her journey of navigating the competitive world of sports while confronting gender bias and societal expectations. Through her honest and relatable storytelling, Fleshman sheds light on the unique challenges and obstacles faced by women in sports, encouraging readers to reconsider preconceived notions and stereotypes.

The book's emphasis on the power of community and support is another standout feature. Fleshman highlights the importance of building strong networks and finding like-minded individuals who can offer encouragement and guidance. She explores the transformative role of mentorship and solidarity, underscoring the significance of creating spaces where women can thrive and excel in their chosen fields.

Moreover, "Good for a Girl" addresses broader societal issues surrounding gender inequality and women's empowerment. Fleshman explores the intersectionality of gender, race, and social class, shedding light on the multiple barriers faced by women in pursuing their athletic aspirations. Her insightful commentary prompts readers to reflect on their own biases and challenge the status quo.

However, some readers may find that the book could benefit from a more structured narrative or a deeper exploration of certain themes. At times, the memoir feels loosely organized, with a series of anecdotes that could have been more tightly woven together to create a stronger narrative thread.

In summary, "Good for a Girl" is an engaging and thought-provoking memoir that celebrates the achievements of women in sports and advocates for gender equality. Fleshman's candid storytelling and insightful reflections make this book an inspiring read for athletes, aspiring athletes, and anyone interested in promoting inclusivity and breaking down barriers. By sharing her own experiences and advocating for systemic change, Fleshman encourages readers to challenge stereotypes, embrace their strengths, and work towards creating a more equitable and supportive environment for women in sports and beyond.

As a recreational runner, a former HS athlete, and a mom to a young, elementary aged athlete, this book was SO important.
I saw so many of my own experiences in what Lauren shared and the book provided tools for me to help my daughter to avoid some of the same issues.
Thank goodness for the work Lauren is doing to highlight the needs of female athletes. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this inspiring book!
I am not personally a runner but I still learned so much from this book. It's especially inspiring for women. It is part memoir and part motivational peptalk for those who are trying to strive for more in life and overcome obstacles.
I didn't know Lauren's story going into this which made it a more interesting story. It was sadly shocking how much different women are treated in competitive sports. I think this is a great book for younger women to read especially.

I've been a fan of Lauren Fleshman for a long time. I've read her blog, I've heard her on a lot of podcasts, I use her training journal, I've eaten a lot of Picky Bars, but even so I didn't really know much about her actual running career. I enjoyed reading this to get a view into running that wasn't marathoning and having just read Des Linden and Kara Goucher's books it was interesting to see the same events retold from different POV.

All that said, the running is the least interesting part of the book. Her feminist lens of everything surrounding women's sports was fascinating to read and somehow illuminating while at the same time being something I already understood just from existing in the world.

This adds more fuel to the Nike is THE WORST fire and also made me go spend $100 at Oiselle in the middle of a chapter. LOL

I also really really loved her description in the later chapters of how to define success around something other than winning or losing. Her story of the Olympic Trials at TrackTown made me cry. It really is amazing how everybody, even these incredibly talented people, feel so insecure.

I also think I probably hit a record for most passages highlighted in a single book.

I’ve been on a memoir kick lately especially of those of runners. This is an amazing most recent read. I didn’t know Lauren before reading this, but I fully enjoyed following her life as she became an elite runner…along with all the highs and lows that go with that. Highly recommend! I learned so much about a world I don’t normally have access to as well

I am not a runner or an athlete but Lauren Hamiltons memoir was fascinating to me.She shares her personal story and the state of women’s athletics today.I will be recommending this memoir an excellent read.#netgalley #penguin

This book was an eye opening book about the state of women's competitive running and women's sports. Fleshman tells her story along with outlining the problems/pressures in women's sports that do not have the best interests of women involved. It sounds heavy handed but it's well written and compelling reading from start to finish.

Usually I feel like once you’ve read one running memoir, you’ve read them all. But Good For a Girl felt fresh and new.

Lauren Fleshman walks us through her entire career as an elite runner: high school, college, and professional level. The story of falling in love with running is familiar to those of us who love the sport, but Lauren brings in a unique perspective on training as a woman alongside men at all of these levels.

Lauren doesn’t pull any punches describing where coaching and brand endorsements fail female athletes, and I think her perspective is incredibly valuable.

This was a really captivating read

4 stars.*

This memoir was surprisingly good. I am not a follower of D1 sports. Though I grew up in the US and attended a D1 university and was friends with boys and girls who went to school on sports scholarships, I was entirely unaware of the world athletes inhabit.

The issues inherent in sports (running in particular) for adolescent girls are something I am aware of due to my Personal Training background and my additional work in fitness nutrition and female-specific training. I found this memoir fascinating. Not just because Lauren Fleshman is a phenomenal athlete. Moreso because she is willing to be flawed, vulnerable and real in order to move the dial further with regard to women in sport and training young women in particular.

I am purchasing some workout gear designed by/marketed by Oiselle, the running gear company she now promotes.

I'd definitely recommend this book to female athletes, women interested in training, and those with interest in sports biographies.

*with thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.

A must-read if you care one iota about women/girls and sports -- especially if you're a coach, mentor, parent/guardian, or someone else who could possibly make things better for the young women around you.

Reading GOOD FOR A GIRL by Lauren Fleshman was cathartic in a way I wasn't expecting -- I didn't grow up thinking of myself as an athlete and I've never run competitively. But so, so much of what she had to say resonated, and made me reconsider my own experiences.

This book combines memoir with a big-picture look at what too many girls and women encounter in sport and why. Fleshman deftly uses research to make sense of her experiences, and shine a light on the pervasiveness of issues facing girl/woman athletes, without hindering the book's flow. It bears noting that while I thought she did a great job incorporating relevant research, just 9 percent of studies published in six leading sports-science journals in 2017-2021 focused on women (vs. 71 percent on men, as per Nature.com last month) -- are you getting a sense of just how much disparity persists, even now?

I grinned, I cried, I loved that I didn't know the ups and downs of Fleshman's career so I could experience them right alongside her. (And then YouTube a particular race and cry some more.) It's safe to say I'm now a FAN, and if none of this gushing makes sense to you, I think the description from the publisher is apt: "Written with heart and verve, Good for a Girl is a joyful love letter to the running life, a raw personal narrative of growth and change, and a vital call to reimagine sports for young women."

I received a free ecopy from NetGalley.

This book covers Lauren Fleshman's stunning elite running career and the challenges she faced in a sports world dominated by and created by and for males. Lauren voices many girls drop of sports around puberty, tend to encounter eating disorders, injuries, and mental health struggles related to performance. Lauren also voices the need for change in sports and to create a system that empowers women puts them at the center.

I knew of Lauren Fleshman as an elite runner and a Picky Bar creator and wanted to learn more about her. A quick, easy read a which reiterated some of the same problems that have plagued women's sports for years. It was interesting to learn more information about Lauren, her experiences, and challenges. She not only stands behind the need for changes in women's sports and what she is doing to help. I think. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy memoirs, running, and are involved in sports or have friends and family in sports or wanting to play sports.

This book is great--incredibly well written, and moving. Lauren is such a talented writer, with so much heart and grit.


Fleshman, in her relatable, smart, and sometimes heart-breakingly honest prose recounts the pressures she faced in her journey to becoming a professional athlete--problems that were often systemic and deeply ingrained in the sport. Running fast "allowed [her] to inhabit her body in a way that nothing else could." But, in many ways, the sport has failed to adequately protect and value the bodies of women runners.

"I want to leave the sport better than I found it," she writes. Good for a Girl is just one of the ways she is doing just that. Throughout her career, she has fought against and shed light on inequalities and inconsistencies in the sport, just as she has done by putting these stories out into the world. I found myself cheering for her so many times throughout this book--both on and off the track.

Let me preface my review by saying I am not a runner, nor do I follow women’s sports. I loved this memoir for other reasons. You can become a champion and discover what you love to do when you come from a dysfunctional family and don’t most of us? Lauren writes candidly about personal and professional challenges. Of her alcoholic father, she says “ He was a big hearted loyal person who would do anything for his friends and family—-except change”. Gutpunch.
She sensed her mother’s dissatisfaction with her life…” Like millions of women, she carried a treasure chest of undiscovered athletic potential”. Lauren saw her athletic ability as freedom and running symbolized both running away from what she didn’t want and running toward what she did. This is a fascinating story not to miss.

Good for a Girl by Lauren Fleshman was absolutely FANTASTIC. What an incredible and inspiring story. I'm not usually a fan of biographies or memoirs but as someone who enjoys running, this intrigued me. I'm so glad I was able to read this. It's a well-written and engaging read that will inspire everybody who reads it. I cannot wait to give this book to my fellow female runner friends.

This is a whole lot of book! Much more than a memoir. A history of the treatment of women in sports, the creation of spaces for women within sports, and the birth of her own company are integrated throughout a very personal, very intimate memoir of a legendary runner. Ms. Fleshman is very candid about her own triumphs and struggles, and even her own shortcomings in the recognition of how other minorities (because women are a minority) are treated in the world of sports. As a numbers geek, I appreciated all the facts included throughout the book, though this might be a drawback for some readers who are just looking for her own personal journey. But for me, I finished the book both appreciative of the women who have pushed for equality in sports and in continual awe at what Ms. Fleshman has accomplished. You don't need to be a runner or female to find something in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Press for this ARC of Good for a Girl.

Lauren Fleshman was both an elite competitive running athlete and, once she found a platform base built upon her incredible athletic achievements, a pioneer revolutionizing the rules of the male-dominated world of professional running for women.

Lauren’s determination, athletic talent, and white, slim, and attractive physical traits allowed her to compete in an industry sport that values and measures by male success only.

It is only through sublimation of the female form into something both unhealthy in weight and punishing physical practice, yet still sexually appealing to the male gaze, that women could succeed.

Lauren later found success as an entrepreneur, contributing further to female options in professional sports, as well as educating young runners and also her social media or readership followers on healthy training and psychological wellness in sport.

This book reads as part memoir and part “MeToo” manifesto for female runners. Fleshman is an inspiration in every way: physical, political, cultural, mental.

Five stars.