Title: The Happiest Girl in the World
Author: Alena Dillon
Narrator: Frankie Corzo, Mikhaila Aaseng
Published: April 2021, Harper Audio / William Morrow Paperback
Length: 8 hours 56 minutes / 384 pages
Source: Audio via library / Print via Publisher
Summary:
From the acclaimed author of Mercy House comes a gripping new novel about a young woman’s dreams of Olympic gymnastic gold—and what it takes to reach the top
For Sera Wheeler, the Olympics is the reason for everything. It’s why she trains thirty hours a week, starves herself to under 100 pounds, and pops Advil like Tic Tacs.
For her mother, Charlene, hungry for glory she never had, it’s why she rises before dawn to drive Sera to practice in a different state, and why the family scrimps, saves, and fractures. It’s why, when Sera’s best friend reports the gymnastics doctor to the authority who selects the Olympic Team, Sera denies what she knows about his treatments, thus preserving favor.
Their friendship shatters. But Sera protected her dream—didn’t she?
Sera doubles down, taping broken toes, numbing torn muscles, and pouring her family’s resources into the sport. Soon she isn’t training for the love of gymnastics. She’s training to make her disloyalty worthwhile. No matter the cost.
The Happiest Girl in the World explores the dark history behind an athlete who stands on the world stage, biting gold. It’s about the silence required of the exceptional, a tarnished friendship, and the sacrifices a parent will make for a child, even as a family is torn apart. It’s about the price of greatness.
My thoughts: I absolutely loved Alena Dillon’s debut novel, Mercy House, so as soon as I heard she had a new one coming out, I requested it. She has such a gifted way of telling a story and this latest one is no different. She is now a must-read author for me!
I am a big fan of gymnastics – it’s my favorite sport to watch in the Summer Olympics, so of course I was curious to see how this author was going to tackle the big scandal that headlined the news surrounding this sport. Loosely based on the events that led to the trial against the USA Gymnastics Team Doctor, this book not only explores that, but also takes us into the world of competitive gymnastics and the toll it takes not only on the gymnast but the family and on friendships as well.
This book is eye-opening to say the least. I was never a competitive athlete, nor were my siblings, so I don’t have any first-hand experience of this, but this book sure gives us quite the look and all I can say is it is grueling and made me tired just reading about it! I did like how the story alternated between the athlete’s point of view and the mother’s — it was certainly interesting getting both perspectives.
If you are a fan of gymnastics or even competitive sports, I highly recommend picking this one up. It’s quite an addicting story that, while at times difficult to take in, really gives a clear picture of just what goes on for these athletes — both physically and mentally. My heart kept breaking for these characters and I had to keep reminding myself that this was fiction, though there is plenty of nonfiction woven in.
Audio thoughts: I was able to grab the audiobook from the library and really enjoyed listening to it. The narrators, Frankie Corzo and Mikaila Aaseng, did a great job bringing this book to life.
