The Happiest Girl in the World: A Novel

By Alena Dillon

“Propulsive, transfixing, and disturbing. I could not set the book down. Harrowing and fearlessly honest, The Happiest Girl in the World is a haunting read because it couldn't have done justice to its subjects – fictional and real – any other way.” —Popsugar

One of Good Morning America's Best Books of April!

From the acclaimed author of Mercy House comes a gripping new novel about a young woman’s dreams of Olympic gymnastic gold—and what it takes to reach the top

For Sera Wheeler, the Olympics is the reason for everything. It’s why she trains thirty hours a week, starves herself to under 100 pounds, and pops Advil like Tic Tacs.

For her mother, Charlene,  hungry for glory she never had, it’s why she rises before dawn to drive Sera to practice in a different state, and why the family scrimps, saves, and fractures. It’s why, when Sera’s best friend reports the gymnastics doctor to the authority who selects the Olympic Team, Sera denies what she knows about his treatments, thus preserving favor.

Their friendship shatters. But Sera protected her dream—didn’t she?

Sera doubles down, taping broken toes, numbing torn muscles, and pouring her family’s resources into the sport. Soon she isn’t training for the love of gymnastics. She’s training to make her disloyalty worthwhile. No matter the cost.

The Happiest Girl in the World explores the dark history behind an athlete who stands on the world stage, biting gold. It's about the silence required of the exceptional, a tarnished friendship, and the sacrifices a parent will make for a child, even as a family is torn apart. It’s about the price of greatness.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Apr 20, 2021
• ISBN: 9780063019058

Alena Dillon

Alena Dillon is the author of Mercy House, which is in development as a CBS All Access television series. Her work has appeared in publications including LitHub, River Teeth, Slice Magazine, The Rumpus, and Bustle. She teaches creative writing and lives on the north shore of Boston with her husband, son, and dog.

Reviews for The Happiest Girl in the World

[geauxgetlit · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was the perfect read before the start of the Summer Olympics! If you love gymnastics as much as I do then this is a must read. This was a fictional novel, however it did resemble what closely happened in the real life US gymnastics. It also portrays just how much Elite athletes struggle with on a daily basis just to make it to the Olympics. There is no time to being a kid when you are an elite. Is it worth it?

[thepageladies · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

For Sera Wheeler, the Olympics are the reason for everything. It’s why she trains thirty hours a week, starves herself to under 100 pounds, and pops Advil like Tic Tacs.

For her mother, Charlene, hungry for glory she never had, it’s why she rises before dawn to drive Sera to practice in a different state, and why the family scrimps, saves, and fractures. It’s why, when Sera’s best friend reports the gymnastics doctor to the authority who selects the Olympic Team, Sera denies what she knows about his treatments, thus preserving favor.

Their friendship shatters. But Sera protected her dream—didn’t she?

Sera doubles down, taping broken toes, numbing torn muscles, and pouring her family’s resources into the sport. Soon she isn’t training for the love of gymnastics. She’s training to make her disloyalty worthwhile.

No matter the cost.

Thank you, Goodreads and William Morrow for the chance to read The Happiest Girl in the World!

“{We treated sex the same way we treated anger and sadness; by ignoring it completely. If our hand was forced, we came at it sideways, using euphemism. But now we were looking at it directly,}”

This was a delightful book. I like that while I was reading it; the story felt like a real-life story, not just something made up. Some topics that are discussed in this book are some things we hope as a parent or even when I was a young girl that you never have to deal with. It’s sad, but a factual event that happens these days. Even the part of her mom pushing her. It's sad to say that I've seen that as well. The book was wonderful; I have read nothing else by Alena Dillion, but I look forward to getting to read some more work by her. Happy reading everyone!

[jacsun · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Crimes of physical, emotional and sexual abuse are real as we've heard in the recent news with the gymnastic coaches: John Geddert and Larry Nassar. While this book is fiction, it opens up your eyes to how vulnerable the girls have been over the years - training for the gold. It shows us what is ignored and what it takes to win.

Charlene is the mother who has one goal: for her six-year-old daughter to dedicate years of her life at all extents towards winning the gold. Sera is her daughter; Bob the father and Joe the twin brother. There is a huge sacrifice of time and money for Sera's gymnastic's career. She doesn't have a normal school life, social life or friends like most kids her age. Everyday she trains. She is always hungry to keep her weight down and prone to body injuries. And there's talk about coaches molesting the girls and working them too hard.

Sera's soul sister is Lucy - also from Indiana attending camps and training. They have the same goals - both training extensively,. There's one thing on their mind: to push their bodies to the limit. Lucy says, we are the "luckiest girls in the world." The girls have to give up parties, sleep overs, town fairs and other sports.

The world watches and cheers the Olympic gymnastic teams with unbelievable twist, turns and body moves. But what's at stake? For once, this is a book that brings our attention to the surface of what most of us don't know. The mother said, "I wanted my daughter to be what I wasn't. Someone special....who riveted the world." This book is a well written eye 0pener.