The Sweetheart Review
- Tiffany Borys
- Mar 20, 2016
- 2 min read
The Sweetheart
by Angelina Mirabella
Synopsis:
A debut, coming-of-age novel in which a teenage girl from Philadelphia leaves her old life behind to become The Sweetheart, one of America's most infamous female wrestlers. It's 1953 and seventeen-year-old Leonie Putzkammer is cartoonishly tall and curvaceous, destined to spend the rest of her life waiting tables and living with her widowed father, Franz, in their Philadelphia row house. Until the day legendary wrestling promoter Salvatore Costantini walks into the local diner and offers her the chance of a lifetime. Leonie sets off for Florida to train at Joe Pospisil's School for Lady Grappling. There, she transforms into Gorgeous Gwen Davies, tag-team partner of legendary Screaming Mimi Hollander, and begins a romance with the soon-to-be Junior Heavyweight Champion Spider McGee. But when life as Gorgeous Gwen leaves her wanting, she orchestrates a move that will catapult her from heel to hero: she becomes The Sweetheart, a choice that attracts the fans she desires but complicates all of her relationships with Franz, Joe, Spider, Mimi (who becomes her fiercest competitor), and even with herself. Angelina Mirabella's surprising, affecting, and morally complex novel describes how a single decision can ripple through the lives of everyone around us. How Leonie sizes up the competition, how she triumphs, how she fails, and how she manages, somehow, to endure, holds promise: if she can, maybe we can, too. The Sweetheart showcases Mirabella's breathtaking talent; it is daring, innovative, and powerful storytelling.
I had won this book from a goodreads giveaway. The cover was rather eye-catching and appealing, as well as the fact the story basis was of a 1950s female wrestler was rather interesting to myself. I enjoy strong female protagonist and thought this book would lend to that enjoyment; I was right. I would categorize this particular book as a young adult coming of age with sporting elements. I personally struggle with anxiety disorder so when I was reading this particular book I had trouble approaching some of the text due to some unpleasant social situations for the characters, but I kept pushing for I did enjoy the book.
I found the challenges Gwen, or of any of her other aliases; had to faced rather raw, real, and difficult. My only fault really with the book was the ending, I found it rather unsatisfying. Although the ending was also rather more realistic, I as a optimistic reader wanted the happy ending. I felt Gwen leaving her old life for a less appealing one rather a waste. Ultimately it was her route she chose to live, but was it truly as satisfying as she had hope, I personally doubt just that. I give the book a rating of four out five.
Comments