Reviews with content warning for Eating disorder - Head Over Heels

Reviews tagging 'Eating disorder'

Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein

31 reviews

miasreads's review

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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jessgreads's review

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hopeful relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⬜⬜

Title: Head Over Heels

Author: Hannah Orenstein

Genre: Romance

Author Info: Female Author

Setting: LA / Greenwood, MA

Month Read: January 2022

Book Type: Paperback

Publication: 2020

Pages: 323

TRIGGER WARNING-

Emotional Abuse, Discussion of Sexual Assault, Depression, Discussion of Eating Disorders, Alcoholism?

"Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation."

No Spoiler Summary:

Head Over Heels is a contemporary romance novel featuring Avery Abrams, a 27 year old former gymnast who had her dreams crushed when she suffered an injury during the Olympic Trials when she was 17. Following was years of heavy partying, depression, and feeling lost now that the one thing she had trained to do her entire life was over in an instant. She's currently dating an NFL Quarterback, but ultimately things don't last and she moves back to her parents' house in Greenwood MA.

When Avery moves home, she gets a job offer to co-train an up-and-coming gymnast, Hallie, with Ryan, a former crush who was a very accomplished male gymnast. The two work together to get Hallie ready for Nationals, the Olympic Trials, and *hopefully* the Olympics themselves. Avery has a lot of work to do on finding her own happiness, and as the book continues, you see her really grow and become the woman she was always meant to be. But... will she find the happiness she has been longing for since her injury?

Review:

I want to start with the trigger warnings above- I think a lot of them are touched upon pretty lightly, and very respectfully. The Sexual Assault trigger is a mirror of the one we saw in Elite Gymnastics a few years ago, and much more of a subplot in the book. There is also a HUGE emphasis on mental health, which I really enjoyed, and while Avery's maybe alcoholism isn't really touched on, I do wish it were more of a thing. You're never really sure if she's drinking to be social, or drinking to cope and if it's healthy or not.

I am not sure if I've read too many romance novels in the past few months, but the unecessary third act breakup is not a trope I enjoy very much and I think that the very forced breakup in this was just... ugh. I rolled my eyes several times as it happened, but as much as I hated it, there are a lot of things to enjoy in Head Over Heels. I'm a casual gymnastics watcher, and did really like seeing the behind the scenes on training, the lingo, and the fact that the books takes place about an hour or so from where I live in Connecticut.

Recommendation:

For Friends (or Acquaintences) to Lovers:

In A Holidaze by Christina Lauren

Just Haven't Met You Yet by Sophie Cousens

"The funny thing about your dream coming true is that it never quite happens the way you think it will. There’s always a twist."

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katrinaward's review

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emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Content Warnings

coacklebee's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Oh wow, I did not expect this book to make me so emotional. I'm giving it a five star rating because of how much Avery resonated with me and the emotional impact it had on me. As a casual gymnastics fan who tends to only tune in for the Olympics, but as someone who has spent years training as an opera singer--another profession that has suffered huge casualties due to COVID-19--so much of the message about dreams and failure and goals and self-care resonated so much with me. I really appreciate that books are around nowadays that tackle issues about mental health, and this particular one felt real to me.

Were there problems with the story? Of course, no book is perfect. There were moments where issues dragged on too long, or were resolved far more neatly and easily than I could imagine they would in real life, but there were also moments when I was genuinely touched and got a little teary-eyed. And what I was left with in the end was a genuinely hopeful and happy feeling, and that, ultimately, outweighs my other criticisms of writing and plot.

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marie_is_listening's review

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emotional inspiring fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Content Warnings

valeriabee's review

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

gmoneyyyyy's review

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challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Content Warnings

jessitheblonde's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Content Warnings

wednesdayonacafe's review

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emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

First things first, if you’re going into this book expecting it to be a romance one, then don’t. There is a romance storyline but it’s not really about that. I would say it’s a subplot. It has its cute moments tho. This book is more about thw world surrounding gymnastics and everything a high-level athlete can go through… from abusive coaches to mental health issues. I loved how we saw Avery, the main character, go from being depressed and unfocused because pf what happened to her career, to thriving as a coach and doing something important within the gymnastics world.

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swestlake's review

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inspiring fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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