Adam Rippon

Book on CD performed by the author
3.5*** rounded UP

Memoir of Olympic medalist and self-proclaimed America’s Sweetheart Adam Rippon.

Gosh this was fun! Rippon details his life growing up as the oldest (and obviously most responsible) of six children, and the sacrifices his mother made to help him achieve his dream of being a competitive figure skater and making it to the Olympics. From his childhood in Scranton, Pennsylvania to the years he spent living with a Russian coach in Toronto to the independent Adam being too poor to eat anything but the free apples at his gym, he covers it all with grace and humor, while sharing the life lessons he learned.

But Rippon is more than just a pretty face (and the world’s BEST spinner), he’s also a thoughtful and assertive spokesperson for LGBTQ rights.

I’ve always loved his skating, but now I love HIM even more! (And to make up for those judges who marked him down … I’m rounding UP! So there!)

He narrates the audiobook himself, and I cannot imagine anyone else doing a better job of it. I mean, NO ONE can deliver those snarky quips better than Adam, himself.… (altro)

This was laugh-out-loud funny. It also really gave a vivid picture of how hard it is to make it as a world-class skater--the sacrifices families and individuals make, what it's like to deal with injuries. It talked a fair amount about switching coaches--how one makes that decision. I appreciated how Adam expressed his love of skating. At a couple of points, I wasn't sure I wanted to read that much about his sex life, but I realized that a lot of young people (and older people, too) can benefit from his frankness. I like his outlook, about how he views the people he meets as friends who just don't know him yet. Also, he doesn't target others with his humor--most (if not all) the humor in his book is at his own expense.… (altro)