Title: Beautiful on the Outside
Author: Adam Rippon
Narrator: Adam Rippon
Published: October 2019, Hachette Audio / Grand Central Publishing
Length: 8 hours, 19 minutes / 256 pages
Source: Audio via Hachette Audio via Libro.fm / Print via Grand Central Publishing
Summary:
Former Olympic
figure skater and self-professed America’s Sweetheart Adam Rippon shares
his underdog journey from beautiful mess to outrageous success in this
hilarious, big-hearted memoir.
Your mom probably told you it’s
what on the inside that counts. Well, then she was never a competitive
figure skater. Olympic medalist Adam Rippon has been making it pretty
for
the judges even when, just below the surface, everything was an
absolute mess. From traveling to practices on the Greyhound bus next to
ex convicts to being so poor he could only afford to eat the free apples
at his gym, Rippon got through the toughest times with a smile on his
face, a glint in his eye, and quip ready for anyone listening. Beautiful on the Outside
looks at his journey from a homeschooled kid in Scranton, Pennsylvania,
to a self-professed American sweetheart on the world stage and all the
disasters and self-delusions it took to get him there. Yeah, it may be
what’s on the inside that counts, but life is so much better when it’s
beautiful on the outside.
My thoughts: While at BookExpo this past Spring, I happened upon Adam Rippon being interviewed about his new book and while I didn’t hear the whole interview, I knew right away, this was a book I had to read. I was captivated by his presence – I had fallen in love with him during the 2018 Olympics like most people had and I wanted to hear his story – plus, he was narrating the audio himself…what a fantastic treat!
I absolutely loved this book. It is filled with as much heart as it is cold hard truth, all delivered with Adam’s lovable charm. This book is as much inspirational as it is funny. Adam did not have an easy life and he had some tough choices to make as he made his way to the top and he tells it how it is…he does not sugar-coat things. Yes, you will laugh during this book, laugh to the point of crying, but you will also find yourself close to tears a few times as Adam bears his soul.
This was such a great memoir and I loved getting to know Adam better. He faced obstacles and came out better for it. His story is an inspiration for us all and I know that it won’t be one I will be forgetting anytime soon. I’m excited to see what comes next for Adam…I will certainly be following!
Audio thoughts: If you have a choice between print and audio, I 100% recommend picking up the audio for this book. Adam completely nails the delivery of this book. Yes, it is his story, but we all know that not everyone is a natural born storyteller…but Adam certainly is. He brings the sass that only he could. But for all the laugh-out-loud moments, the cold hard truths that he tells come right from the heart and again, he delivers it all in such a way that you actually take in what he went through and reflect on what is going on in your life.
Sounds an unusual read. Thanks for the review.