zoë stagg

Attention e-book makers: Since what you’re making is an “e-” that means you include things a page couldn’t – especially in the genre of sports memoir. When an athlete is talking about a key moment in a game, a particular release move off the high bar – SHOW ME THE GIF.

Seriously, I can’t think of anything more appropriate in a book like this. Instead of a paragraph where your mind tries to draw the vault she’s talking about, a lovely GIF where you can watch it as many times as you’d like.

Though there are definitely a lot of parts of this book I wouldn’t want to see in endless loop. It stressed me out to read, hence plowing through it in an overnight. This poor kid. And THOSE KAROLYIS. WORST. And I say that as a Mary Lou Retton-reared, Nadia-made-for-TV-movie-memorizing, saw-the-Strug-vault-“live,” fan. (

It’s an interesting commentary on culture and includes some scathing critiques of the not-so objective nature of elite US Gymnastics – and those Karolyis were so mean to that 10-year-old kid. Ugh. Though some parts, like their inhumanity in private/playing to the camera were repeated over and over, a lot of the story felt glossed over. She had a lost year of partying and drugs? It was like a page.

It’s worth a read if you’re into athlete memoirs and/or gymnastics, but it didn’t successfully shake the ghost-written film that settled over her stories. And the Olympics? Seemed also mentioned in passing. This is the third gymnastics memoir I’ve read, and the Shawn Johnson one takes you to the games more fully. (Though, Dominique wasn’t really allowed to participate in the culture of the games, so that could account for the skimpy feel.)

I’d still rank the Jennifer Sey “Chalked Up” book above this one, with the additional turmoil of hitting her prime between Olympic years. And I’m kind of on a [forward] roll now – I might have to hit up the Shannon Miller bio next…

• 05/20/14