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Head Over Heels



In Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein, the main character's, Avery, emotional arc demonstrates resilience, determination, and compassion, all of which young women should learn to have. 

*DISCLAIMER* This novel is a NEW ADULT book not a young adult book. Please know that I am rating this book for the older readers of this blog. This book is not for anyone below ages 15 or 16. While I loved the break from classics this book gave me, it does have adult language and content. Please do not read this book until you are older if you are not comfortable with mature content. I will refer readers of this post to a professional age rating when this book ages a little. It was released very recently, so there are no age ratings yet. This is my two cents, but I will get a professional rating very soon. **

This is the first time I have reviewed a strictly adult book on this blog. I just want to be careful. I know that young women and girls from 9 or 10 to age 17 read this blog. I have to be extra careful and sensitive. I do not know every girl's and their parents' comfort zones when it comes to mature content in literature. I, as an original and online writer and creator, have to be super careful with what I recommend to girls. I want to be a blogger you can trust for good and honest reviews. This is as transparent as I know how to be. 

Summary
Avery Abrams is struggling - has been for some time now. She's literally washed up. She has just split up with her hunky, NFL quarter-back boyfriend, but more importantly, has split with his apartment in LA that she courteously organized the spices in, so shouldn't that leave her entitled to half the place? She knows that it doesn't. 

She returns to her hometown in Massachusetts feeling nostalgic of not only her ended relationship but also her gymnastics career that concluded so suddenly all those years ago. In a series of flashbacks, Avery Abrams, star athlete, shew-in for the Olympic team, steps up to perform her floor routine she had done one thousand times. Her mentally abusive coach, Dimitri, waiting on the sidelines, the judges staring at her over thick rimmed glasses as she salutes, and Avery's feet bouncing into bounds and to her opening pose set the scene. The music begins, and she heads into her first tumbling pass that she could do in her sleep thanks to years of practice. It's different this time. She under-rotates causing her to slam the spring-floor. Avery feels a shredding sensation in her knee as she craters the ground. That's it. Her career is over. She would be on "Top Gymnastics Fails" videos instead of talk-shows, chatting about her gold in floor. The memory of her childhood friend Jasmine taking her place as the star of the Olympic team and marrying the coach they hated rushes back when she steps into her parents' living room where time has stood still. 

Avery gets the chance to coach a rising star and potential Olympian at her former gym, Summit. Hallie (that's my name too, but I'm a blogger and reader not a gymnast by any stretch) has mega-power, but lacks flare, style, and poise - Avery's specialty during her gymnastics days. Even better, Avery and Jasmine's crush, also a gymnast, Ryan is the one who asks her to help him coach Hallie. 

Can Avery get back on her feet and into a coaching job in the sport she left tragically? Will Hallie make the Olympic team with Ryan and Avery's help?

Review
This book was a wonderful break from the classics-train I've been aboard. This book is perfect for a long car trip, a couple days on the beach, and your couch at home. It's an escapist novel. Olympic fans were devastated with the news that this year's Games are cancelled. This book puts you back into the action. The training, the sweat, the intensity, the will to win - it's all there. I liked this book's spirit and ability to show young women how to bounce back (no pun intended). Avery's success in the gymnastics world comes from coaching and not her participation on the floor. 

I like this book...for older readers. This book's targeted audience is older girls. In my opinion, this book is for girls above the age of 15 simply because of the adult language and content. This is not to say that this isn't a fun, lighthearted success story that puts you in a great mood. The characters are well developed and interesting. It's just a book for older girls. Most of the young women, while mature and intelligent no doubt, shouldn't read this book yet because it is for adults. 

Also, I got this book from my very first Book of the Month box! A post about that is coming soon!

Please leave me a comment, email me, or visit me on Instagram if you have any ideas, suggestions, or books you want me to read and review. As always, happy reading!!
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