Score: 4/5 Bookmarks

Steam Rating: 🍆🍆 /5

I enjoyed Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein so much, the characters were likable and real, the dialogue felt natural, and I enjoyed the relationships that were built (and in some cases rekindled).

The main character, Avery Abrams is an ex-gymnast who trained throughout her childhood, only to be injured during Olympic trials. Having grown up only knowing one thing, and making sacrifices for her sport time and time again she struggles as an adult to find her place in the world, and form a new identity for herself.

Despite the cheery cover, this isn’t a light-hearted rom-com, it deals with some seriously heavy topics. Child, sexual, and emotional abuse, body shaming, mental health, and identity.

I was a ballerina for 19 years, and while I wasn’t at an elite level like the character in this book I can certainly relate to the physical and emotional abuse that young people suffer in these types of sports. As well as the struggle to work out who you are once you’re no longer a member of that community.

I started ballet when I was three, and as early as five my teacher would carry a broomstick with her during class and whack us with it if our foot wasn’t turned out enough, our stomach sucked in, or our toes not pointed sharply enough. Not to mention the constant comments about watching what we ate, not getting fat, and the body-shaming that happened if one of the girls started to develop curves.

While there are some aspects of ballet that I’m glad have stuck with me into adulthood (posture, balance, physical awareness and flexibility) I also still carry the knee, hip and foot damage, and some of the emotional scars too.

One of my dearest friends is an ex-gymnast who represented, and won gold medals for, Australia. She’s told me some horrific stories about competing with fractured bones, the things they would do to make sure they weighed in at the ‘right’ number, and the harshness of the training….and most of that was before she was even 15!

Right now there are a lot of gymnasts speaking out about the abuse and asking for changes to the toxic culture. You can read more about that here.

Thankfully, in the book, Avery is able to find her way through the trauma and difficulty transitioning to ‘civilian life’, and I think the author handled all of the tough topics in the book very respectfully.

I listened to part of the book as an audiobook, which was wonderfully narrated by Joy Osmanski. She added an additional layer of emotion to the characters. I’m definitely looking forward to listening to more audiobooks performed by her.

If you’d like a copy of the audiobook click here, otherwise use the button below for a physical copy.

Synopsis:

The past seven years have been hard on Avery Abrams: After training her entire life to make the Olympic gymnastics team, a disastrous performance ended her athletic career for good. Her best friend and teammate, Jasmine, went on to become an Olympic champion, then committed the ultimate betrayal by marrying their emotionally abusive coach, Dimitri.

Now, reeling from a breakup with her football star boyfriend, Avery returns to her Massachusetts hometown, where new coach Ryan asks her to help him train a promising young gymnast with Olympic aspirations. Despite her misgivings and worries about the memories it will evoke, Avery agrees. Back in the gym, she’s surprised to find sparks flying with Ryan. But when a shocking scandal in the gymnastics world breaks, it has shattering effects not only for the sport but also for Avery and her old friend Jasmine.