Finding My Shine

by Nastia Liukin

Nastia Liukin is an Olympic gymnastics all-around gold medalist, but the road to her success was not an easy one. In Finding My Shine, she shares not only her personal journey of success, but also her biggest challenges, including her career ending fall during the 2012 Olympic Trials that she now says was the defining moment of her life. Throughout this book, she delivers her motivational tips toward reaching any goal, overcoming obstacles, and learning how to pick yourself up after the inevitable falls you will have in life. Nastia’s story is a true American dream. Born in Moscow, Russia, her parents were both champion gymnasts in their native country. The Liukins moved to the United States when Nastia was two and a half, because they wanted to give their daughter every opportunity possible. Even then, Nastia was certain she wanted to be a gymnast, and spent every hour she could in training. That dedication paid off. Nastia became a key member of the US team, winning five Olympic medals. She also won nine world championship medals (four gold and five silver) making her one of the most celebrated gymnasts in US history.Nastia was in the spotlight again in 2015 when she became a competitor on Dancing with the Stars, partnered with Derek Hough. She now speaks to girls and young women across the country in the hopes of motivating them to turn their own dreams into reality. Finding My Shine is a moving story of a remarkable young woman who won Olympic gold, but whose passion truly lies in inspiring others.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir

175 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 24, 2015

Reviews

[Kylie D · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's no doubt that Nastia Liukin is an dedicated and talented young woman, yet her autobiography is about everything but gymnastics. Yes we get that she has a loving family and she is whip smart, but we need the blood, sweat and tears. Instead of going through her learning the movements, choreographing routines and the atmosphere of nailbiting competitions, we get her school timetable and when and what she eats for lunch. Uninspiring.

[Cristina Bencina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Finding My Shine
1/5

I want to start off by saying I'm a big gymnastics fan. When I heard that Nastia Liukin, one of my favorite gymnasts, was coming out with a memoir, I absolutely had to have it and preordered it immediately.

To my dismay, when the book arrived I was already disappointed with the size of the book. (160 pages) Considering it's the tale of an Olympic AA Champion, I expected more substance.

Finding My Shine lacks a distinct vision, because as a reader I have no clue what this book is trying to be. Is it a memoir? A diary? A self help book? I was under the impression this would be an in depth memoir of Nastia's gymnastics career. While it touches base on her undoubtly impressive resume, I already know she is AA champion and yes, I know she got 4th in such and such event. What I want to know is the behind the scenes. This book unfortunately misses the opportunity to expand on that. How did she feel? What was she thinking? What were her camp experiences? How did she get along with her teammates? Spill your guts! Nastia goes into detail about her relationship with her father, Valeri Liukin, but thats about to the extent of new material. The only engaging part was when she discusses her feelings after falling on bars in the 2012 Olympic Trials. I wish the rest of the book shared the same tone. Finding My Shine read like a long acceptance speech. And I'm regretful to say, as a gymnastics fan, there wasn't anything new I learned from reading it. If you're interested in her story, skip this read as you'll learn just as much about her from her Wikipedia page.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Finding My Shine" recounts Nastia's life story from being born in Russia, training for the Olympics, and finally some of her post-gymnastics endeavors. I was pleasantly surprised that the book doesn't engage in any tween speak or use hashtags or emojis to pander to adolescent girls, but the content is clearly aimed at this younger audience. Because of this, some of the details of her training or post-Olympic life are glossed over without the depth or anecdotes that a different memoir might have included. Without the anecdotal stories of hard days at training, or specific encounters with friends or media people who made her feel awkward or unaccepted, the book feels a little superficial and even disjointed as she hops back and forth between events and ideas without much background.

Towards the end of the book Nastia dives more into specific examples of how she was able to maintain the motivation and drive needed to achieve the level of success that she had. While preachy at times, I imagine the tips will be helpful for many of the young girls who read the book and it was nice to see concrete pointers instead of just the platitudes often shared by athletes that are sprinkled throughout the rest of the book ("try hard and you will succeed", e.g.).

As a gymnastics fan, I did not learn anything new about Nastia's gymnastics career in reading "Finding My Shine" particularly since she so quickly recounted most of this information. Thus, some of the details on her "lost" years post-retirement (as she calls them) were more interesting and also seemed more fleshed out. Still, this book reaffirms my long-running philosophy that twenty-somethings should not be writing memoirs. There's no perspective here and Nastia is still very guarded and private, making the book a mediocre read.

[Chantal · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5. Muy muy flojito. Le doy el 2.5 porque Nastia fue una de las primeras gimnastas que seguí, pero uf. Para empezar, el libro es muy corto (160 páginas. Chica, siendo campeona olímpica creo que puedes contar algo más). Y el tema es que se centra poco en lo que es la gimnasia; podía haber contado cómo fue en el campamento previo a los JJOO, cómo fue compartir habitación con Shawn, cómo fue la entrega de medallas, cómo se llevaba con sus compañeras... No sé, es que esto es un libro más a lo: "ten una meta y con esfuerzo lo lograrás". Realmente parece más un libro de autoayuda que sus memorias, a mí me ha decepcionado bastante la verdad. Me ha faltado gimnasia y menos "lucha por tus sueños y todas sois preciosas".

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was a Nastia supporter even through '06/'07 when the media attention turned to Shawn Johnson and everyone wrote off Nastia because of her ankle injury. I was really hoping that this book would provide some insight into what seemed like a very stoic and somewhat aloof athlete. Instead, it read more like a fuller resume, with context added to experience, but there was very little honest emotion.

I find it odd that the book hasn't been updated since 2015, considering the Larry Nassar sentencing (Nastia cites him in the book as a positive figure in her injury recovery) as well as the changes in her personal life (she ends the book still engaged to Matt Lombardi). It's always bothered me that Liukin has never commented publicly on Nassar or on the coverup at USAG even though Valeri Liukin was/is closely affiliated with the organization.

The advice here feels very trite and cliche (work hard, set goals, value the people who support you) and while I know the book is meant for a younger audience, it still feels a bit condescending. Ultimately, I found there wasn't the substance I was hoping for.

[Liralen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Liukin is a gymnast, and a successful one—she medalled several times over at the 2008 Olympics. A writer, however, she is not.

I spent a good fifty pages trying to figure out what word best described the tone and finally came up with both 'sanctimonious' and 'holier-than-thou'. I don't think for a moment that that's what she was going for, of course, and I have no idea what she's like as a person, but the book feels super try-hard: trying to be a role model, trying to sell her product (which is to say, trying to market herself as a motivational speaker), etc. I suspect that there are two things going on here: first, for some reason it's self-published, which means that she didn't have the expertise of editors and so on (except for any she might have paid for) to help her shape the book. I'm curious about that choice—she says at one point that lots of people had told her she couldn't write a book because it wouldn't be interesting enough, but I struggle to believe that no publisher (no major publisher, even) would be willing to work with an Olympic gold medalist. I'm left to wonder whether she went the self-publishing route because it would give her more control, possibly a higher proportion of proceeds, etc...her parents having apparently had entrepreneurial spirits, that might've influenced things (probably indirectly) too. It's too bad, though, because a good editor and ghostwriter could have done something here.

Second, she's not really trying to tell her story here. She's, as mentioned above, trying to shill her product. That's fine if that's what she wants to do with a book, but it feels like this weird hybrid—lots of little lessons, presumably aimed at teens and preteens, wrapped up in a kind of transparent memoir packaging. I'm not the target demographic, of course, but I suspect this would have worked better if it had swung more firmly in one direction or the other: straight-up memoir, minus all the preachy little 'tips' worked in throughout and maybe a more comprehensive strategies/tips/suggestions section at the end, or a self-help book with, e.g., each chapter focusing on a specific lesson. As it is, it comes off as...oh, I don't know. As though she's trying way, way too hard and missing the mark to boot. Not sure she's comfortable enough stepping outside the 'image management' mindset to get really honest/personal, which is fine, but when the author bio says (of Dancing with the Stars) that Liukin and her partner were 'eliminated in the semi-finals, despite having had a perfect score the week before' (160), you know that somewhere inside there's still some part going ah! Must present as perfect! (Along those lines, it seems striking that she notes that most people present only the positive side of their lives on social media—that we don't see the failures or the bad days or the mistakes, even though famous people have them too—but that her own social media is very much 'here's the glamorous part of my life'.)

I don't think this one was destined for the bestseller lists, but...well, I hope she at least did what she'd hoped with it.

[Ari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Felt like this was written for teenagers... If that's the case, then it deserves maybe 3 stars. Lacked a lot of behind the scenes stuff that I wanted to read, plus she said the same things over and over.

[Rachelle Cobb · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading Shawn Johnson’s book I found this one on Kindle Unlimited. Interesting, but surprisingly she only devoted a few pages to the Olympics.

[Janis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Nashua looking story. She was one of my favorite gymnasts in the 2008 olympics. I am glad she is doing well since the Olympics

[Justine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think what Nastia did really well in this book is give some important life lessons. She's been through a lot - not just living an athlete's life, but also living a celebrity's life. Beyond that, she's also just a normal girl in some sense who has the same insecurities as many others. She identifies these really well (for instance, always feeling like the odd one out) and her advice is quite good, especially for young girls. It sometimes felt a bit preachy and bordered on self-help, but the messages were good.

As far as the more straightforward memoir aspect, this is where the book fell a bit flat for me. She does recount her life from birth until now, and we do learn some interesting things about her background and her parents' backgrounds. But most of the time, she's really just summarizing stuff that you could find on Wikipedia. I would have liked a bit more of an inside scoop. Okay, you guys had bunk beds at camp. We know. But what was camp really like? Does she have any funny stories from camp? This sort of stuff is missing from the book.

I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of gymnastics, but don't expect too much juicy detail - it's just not that sort of book.

[Melody · Rating 2 out of 5]

I admire Nastia, she is pretty awesome, but this generic book did her NO JUSTICE. There was no personality to her watered down story, I learned nothing new about her! It was frustrating and disappointing. I have read books by other gymnasts like Dominique Moceanu, Shannon Miller, and Shawn Johnson East (one of her teammates at the 2008 Olympics). All those of those books gave me insight into their real lives, often behind the scenes of their sport (the ups, the sometimes terrifying downs, home lives, eating disorders, real life in it's unperfect glory). Yet Nastia's book was literally a bland timeline of her life, nothing personal whatsoever, and attempts to inform us the generic "life lessons" she has learned (These vanila tidbits could have been written by ANYONE and they would apply). No offense to Nastia, she obviously had very little to do with the actual book. But this was a waste of money and I would like to read about the REAL gymnast's adventures, with detailed trials and tribulations... maybe one day.

[Peppi Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book by chance I was wondering one day if nastia luikin had wrote a book. When I found it I was really happy. In terms of the book itself it contains lots of inspirational messages and tips to be more positive and reach your goal while explaining how nastia used them in her.

I found it very interesting to read about how she overcome her disappointed of 2012 and moved onto become an embassador to young women and I think this book is worth a read. it is is not too long and isn't entirely about gymnastics but it makes you belive in your self which I think is the message she is trying to get across

[Kayleigh Walsh · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one... I'm not sure what to think of it, honestly. Was it a memoir? A bio? A self help book for tweens? Truthfully, it was a little bit of everything, and really could've benefitted from some more specificity. There's some great advice in here for gymnasts and all young girls alike, but it's so scattered (up until the last chapter that was basically like "here's how to live life in three pages!") that it's hard to put it all together. Solid effort, bits and pieces of good stuff, but just a little bit too all over the place for me.

[S · Rating 2 out of 5]

So short. I was honestly expecting a lot more from her competitive days so I'm slightly disappointed. She actually names most of the people in DWTS but doesn't mention anyone other than Shawn from her Beijing days. The structure is a bit odd also, at least chronologically the last three chapters seem out of place. That said I think she's targeting the girls that attend her Shine tour so in that regard I think the book does it's job.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a little confusing. It seemed like it was self help (especially told the end), advertising her sponsors and how busy she is, but also a memoir. It could have done with more editing as there were several mistakes. Nastia doesn't really expand on her many adventures which is a shame. It is worth a read if you are a gymnastics fan but I didn't learn much about Nastia that I didn't already know before reading.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was very interesting. It talks about Nastia Liukin's trials and triumphs as a gymnast, and it was nice to see a different side of her story than what the media says. She admits to facing difficulty like everyone else too and shows that even Olympians aren't perfect. I liked how she talks about her difficulty with training and balancing a regular life because as a competitive athlete, I know how hard that is to do. Overall, I really liked this book and the honesty of it.

[Ally German · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, by Nastia Liukin, is an autobiography about her life of becoming a gold medal Olympic gymnast. Nastia describes her journey, from moving to the United States from Russia and her family building a life to going to Beijing China for the Olympic games. Nastia shares many experiences that readers can relate to in our life scenarios. This is a very good book if you want to hear a true story about faith and dreams. I totally recommend reading this book.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable book about gymnast Nastia Liukin's journey to the top and what she has been doing with her life since winning the Olympics in 2008. Beautiful front and back cover photos compensate for the lack of photos inside and Nastia writes well. Her positivity and motivational words will inspire many young women readers.

[Kelli Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great read for younger teens/older children. It's motivational and encouraging, while also engaging. It's a quick and uplifting read by a very inspirational young woman. My only criticism would be for the editor, who missed a few obvious grammatical mistakes.

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this! Nastia Liukin has been one of my favourite gymnasts forever. I wrote a full review over on my blog: http://www.readgabrepeat.com/2016/09/...

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick read. While it was interesting to learn more about this gymnast I was disappointed in all the spelling and grammatical errors. Also a little bummed that it’s a memoir that doesn’t include any pictures.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not what I expected, but I really enjoyed the format and the story that was told. Nastia's world is so much more than just gymnastics so it was nice to see her personal story and share other hardships and challenges that she faced in her life.

[Trena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Encouraging information for younger readers about goal setting and dealing with disappointment.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a terrible book but definitely geared towards young kids. Was hoping to find out more details of her life and gymnastics career but this book did not really get deep.

[Kaitlin Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Nastia's parents moved herewith virtually nothing and made a life for them and their daughter. I also loved that she talked about her life post olympics and her "lost" period.

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is good but I think that it is a little bit rushed. I also think that it is an amazing story especially if you love gymnastics as much as I do!

[Heidi Mcjunkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspirational story. Interesting for adults but it is definitely meant for teen-preteen set.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

a very quick read that deals with the life of Nastia liukin one of the best American gymnasts to come out in the 2000s.

I really enjoyed this book and how it was written.

[Joanna Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great! If you like gymnastic sportsbooks, then you should definitely read this.

[Sierra Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Nastia Liukin. I have for a very long time. I’ve also owned this book since it came out. I’m glad I was finally able to pick this up. This book was relentlessly positive and optimistic. Her mindset is impressive and it was a soothing thing to read. Especially with the last 2 memoirs I read being SO heavy and depressing, this was quite a balm to my mind. It was also really heartwarming hearing her talk about how close she has been with her parents her whole life. Unfortunately, that’s just not the kind of thing you see often in fiction, memoirs, or real life, ESPECIALLY when there’s some degree of celebrity involved. So that was very sweet to read. I love that the daughter of gymnastics legend, Valeri Liukin, is also an Olympic gold medalist. What a legacy. Gymnastics has obviously always been the biggest part of both of Nastia’s parents’ lives. I love that they were more than willing to give her the space to live her life the way she wanted to and that she also fell in love with gymnastics on her own. Although, it makes sense. She had a good relationship with her parents and she watched them love gymnastics with their whole heart. It makes sense that it would be easy for her to love gymnastics also. I have a lowkey obsession with gymnastics – it’s the only sport I follow to any degree. I always follow what’s going on in the Gymnastics world around the Olympics, but I try to follow it other times, too, so that I’m already up to speed when the Olympics come around. And Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson and the 2008 Beijing Olympics are where all of that obsession stems from. I’m glad Shawn Johnson was mentioned in this memoir, but I’m surprised it was such a small mention. Their social media leads me to believe they’re closer friends than that and I wanted confirmation. But at least she was mentioned at all. I felt like it was kind of weird how no one else on the 2008 Olympic Team was even named. That was obviously a really big part of her life and she went through it with those girls. I would have thought she would have something to say about them. I was also slightly bummed what a small portion of this book the Olympics were. I get that there’s so much more to her and that she’s done so much more, but I’m fascinated by the Olympics and I always want to know more about them. And this book was so short, I feel like it easily could have been longer to include more details about such a pivotal part of her life. This also suited my weird obsession with Russia. I liked hearing about those details of her life. I’m glad that I was able to read her life story up to this point, but the hazard of writing a memoir so early in life is that I’m going to need a sequel at some point. I need to know what she’s doing now. Including her love life. It was sad reading about her relationship with Matt, knowing they’ve broken up. I need to know what happened between them and what happened for her after. This was a nice, ultra-positive time. I’m glad I read this.