Through them, Carter skillfully showcases the extreme pressure gymnasts are under and the lengths they will go to win. The girls have depth and heart, revealing insecurities and vulnerabilities, but also an unsurpassed determination to succeed. Third-person narration shifts attention among Grace, a half-Chinese world champ coached by her domineering father tiny, "mousy" Monica, a long-shot struggling with self-confidence Camille, the comeback kid who questions her commitment African-American Wilhelmina, the veteran who wants a last chance at Olympic glory and Leigh, who worries about the public finding out that she is gay. Set over two days, the story follows the girls' progress as they risk damaging their friendships, bodies, and reputations in order to be chosen.
The book is too long for readers looking for a quick Olympic-year thrill, but devoted armchair gymnasts may find the you-are-there details enough to keep them interested.Carter (My Best Friend, Maybe) takes readers into the competitive heart of elite gymnastics as five athletes fight for a coveted spot on the U.S. Carter includes lots of intense detail about gymnastics such as leotard wedgies, competition strategies, and the sound of the beam as you land on it, adding alluring veracity to the account.
However, there’s a reason writers return to the formula: a group of young athletes striving toward a rarefied goal while dealing with one another is a naturally dramatic situation.
The story is as formulaic as the description suggests, with writing that dips frequently into the schlocky and sometimes into the turgid, and characterization that’s wafer-thin. As the competition unfolds, the girls excel and fail, surprise themselves in good and bad ways, and consider the hugely subjective selection process and their commitment to the sport. It’s the Olympic Trials for gymnastics, and the book follows five different girls as they work toward their dream: Grace, driven by her coach father to anorexia Leigh, worried about her comparatively large size and her closeted sexuality Wilhelmina, bucking the visual trends as a black girl and the training trends in her competition plans Monica, a wallflower starting to come into her gymnastics own and Cammie, a former star seeking a comeback.
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