The Happiest Girl in the World, Alena Dillon
The Happiest Girl in the World, Alena Dillon
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The Happiest Girl in the World
A Novel

Author: Alena Dillon

Narrator: Frankie Corzo, Mikhaila Aaseng

Unabridged: 8 hr 56 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 04/20/2021

Categories: Fiction, Women, Friendship, Sports


Synopsis

“Propulsive, transfixing, and disturbing. I could not set the book down. Harrowing and fearlessly honest, The Happiest Girl in the World is a haunting read because it couldn't have done justice to its subjects – fictional and real – any other way.” —PopsugarOne of Good Morning America's Best Books of April! 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.

About Alena Dillon

Alena Dillon is the author of Mercy House, which is in development as a CBS All Access television series. Her work has appeared in publications including LitHub, River Teeth, Slice Magazine, The Rumpus, and Bustle. She teaches creative writing and lives on the north shore of Boston with her husband, son, and dog.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Katie on April 16, 2021

3.5 stars I finished reading this book about a week ago and I wanted to hold off on writing a review in order to gather my thoughts on the story. The author draws much of the story from the big scandals in the U.S. Gymnastics program and that somehow manages to be both the strength and weakness of th......more

Goodreads review by Jessica on April 20, 2021

The Happiest Girl in the World is an engaging and intense novel about a gymnast’s journey to the Olympics. All Sera has ever wanted is to go medal at the Olympics. Sera’s mom shares her dream and will do anything to help Sera succeed. Sera’s best friend has been training beside her for years until s......more

Goodreads review by Berit☀️✨ on May 28, 2021

A Real and raw, sometimes heartbreaking, occasionally brutal look at competitive gymnastics. This book had a definite ripped from the headlines vibe to it with all the recent devastating news that has come out of the US gymnastics world. As Young girls Sarah and Lucy were queens of the gym. They cou......more

Goodreads review by Mallory on July 17, 2024

This book didn’t pull any punches. This book, while a novel, closely portrays real events including the sexual abuse of dozens young girl gymnasts and the people who looked the other way. But this book focuses less on that sexual abuse (although it does play a strong role) and it focuses more on the......more

Goodreads review by Ashley *Booksbrewsandbarks* on April 06, 2021

2.5 rounding down to 2. I was really looking forward to this book but, as someone who has followed the Larry Nasser scandal and watched/read a lot of information on the events leading up to it, a majority of this book was mirroring that case, even down to minute details. The parts that weren't focus......more