Review: The Flip Side by Shawn Johnson and A.L. Sonnichsen

The Flip Side by Shawn Johnson and A.L. Sonnichsen

From gold medalist and reality TV star Shawn Johnson comes a debut YA novel inspired by her own experiences as an elite teenage gymnast—just in time for the Summer 2016 Olympic games.
Charlie Ryland has a secret.
She may seem like your average high school sophomore—but she’s just really good at pretending.
Because outside of school Charlie spends all her waking hours training to become one of the best gymnasts in the world. And it’s not easy flying under the radar when you’re aiming for Olympic gold…especially when an irresistible guy comes along and threatens to throw your whole world off balance.
Inspired by her own experiences as a fifteen-year-old Olympic gymnast, gold medalist Shawn Johnson writes a delightfully entertaining novel about chasing big dreams and falling in love, all while trying to keep it real.

Publishes in US:  June 7th 2016 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Genre: ya adult
Source: Simon Teen via Edelwiess
Disclaimer: I received this book as an ARC (advanced review copy). I am not paid for this review, and my opinions in this review are mine, and are not effected by the book being free.
Series? no

Buy it: Amazon IndieBound Book Depository Barnes and Noble

Author stalk away:
Shawn Johnson ~site ~twitter
A.L ~site ~twitter ~facebook

    I wanted to read The Flip Side because I enjoy gymnastics, and wanted to read a fictionalized account of olympic goals. 

   She was a fun character she's very interested in gymnastics and she's hoping to make the Olympic team. But she leads a life as Charlotte where she goes to school and she doesn't tell anyone that she is a gymnast and then she leaves the life of Charlie where she is learning next to Impossible moves and being in competitive meets and trying to get everything perfect so she gets a shot at her dream.

    She wants to live somewhat of a normal life but you can tell that she's very torn because she has a best friend and both of her life setups and she can't even mention the other one to her Charlotte best friend because she doesn't tell her what she's doing. In some ways I can understand that she wants be a normal girl that she dreams of a boyfriend that she wants to do normal things. but she has the very intense desire and the skill for the gymnastics so she has to make herself realize that boys and parties would just be a distraction and it would prevent her from fully committing to the life of an elite gymnast.

    it's hard when the inevitable blowup happens for her. She was sneaking around and doing some things she shouldn't have. she was interested in a boy and going behind her parents back. not only that it basically came out to the boy that she likes and her best friend at school that she been lying to them and they understandably took it very hard. on another hand I can see why she would want to tell everyone at school because everyone's all the sudden treating her different now that they know that she's famous and might make it to the Olympics. but the question remains with the people that she was closest to like Zoe and Bobby she could have put her trust in them and it hurt and it damaged the relationship. allies and going behind her parents also could have put an end to her dreams of the Olympic because she ended up hurting herself right before the trials.

   I liked the ending and where it left off.
 

Bottom Line: Fun read.

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Ever done gymnastics? Compete if you did?