Book Review: "Head Over Heels" by Hannah Orenstein
“Head Over Heels” by Hannah Orenstein
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.
Rating: 4
Trigger warnings: emotional abuse, eating disorders
Review: You know when you read a book description, and it is just so up your alley? That’s “Head Over Heels” for me: I love competitive gymnastics, I adore the Olympics, and we all know that I’m a sucker for a good love story. I had high expectations for it, and thank goodness they were met. This book was just utterly charming. It’s so charming that i don’t mind saying things like “it was utterly charming” in a public book review. So, I guess I should actually…get to that book review?
When the book opens, Avery is at her lowest point: recently dumped, aimless, moving back into her parent’s house, and fully aware that she’s not living up to her own potential. She was a champion gymnast, poised for the Olympic team, and then she suffered a devastating injury that derailed the course of her life. Upon returning home, she’s given an opportunity to re-engage with the sport she loves, and obviously, she finds love along the way.
That said, while this book is pitched as a romance, it’s so much more than that: it touches on issues of mentorship, sportsmanship, female friendship, and finding one’s own way after a devastating loss. While Avery does find love, eventually, she also finds herself. Yes, I’m fully aware how cheesy that sounds, but it’s true. We get to see Avery grow up and become self-sufficient, but also learn to trust herself and her choices.
I did really appreciate how Hannah Orenstein didn’t shy away from the darker side of gymnastics; while the names Nasser or Karolyi are not explicitly mentioned, if you are a fan of the sport, it’s easy to spot the references. Beyond that, it’s a pretty on-point picture of the pressures that these young women face, at least from what I understand about the sport (I’ve also been listening to the Heavy Medal podcast the past few days), and I think it’s important to humanize these athletes (or at least their fictional stand-ins) that we put on a pedestal every four years.
TL;DR: A great book if you’re missing the Summer Olympics, a big fan of women’s gymnastics, or just like a well-written and true-to-life love story.
If you liked this, try these:
“Blitzed” by Alexa Martin (honestly, anything in this series would work — I just think these are the most similar protagonists) - Bookshop | Kindle
“Party of Two” by Jasmine Guillory - Bookshop | Kindle- my review here!
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