Shaykitteh's World of Books

This book could have had so much promise, discussing the inside story of being a female gymnast and/or figure skater, but unfortunately the negatively of the author overwhelms anything positive whatsoever. Yes, there are obsessed parents and abusive coaches. Yes, many of the athletes have or have had eating disorders. And yes, there is corruption. But that's not all there is to these sports.

Besides the lack of anything happy or hopeful, the book also needs to be edited. For example, when discussing famous (and infamous) gymnastic coaches, how you can misspell the name of Marta Karolyi, half of one of the most powerful and well-known coaching couples? This book does, repeatedly calling her "Martha." There is also an overwhelming amount of repetition, as if the author was under the impression that she needed to refer to future stories multiple times even before she tells the full events... And then she again refers to the same events later in the book! Consequently, I read about events as many as three or four (or more) times in one book.

I gave it two stars for the amount of research done, but no more than that due to bad editing and an oppressively negative viewpoint that colors every sentence.

*Library Copy*