Beautiful on the Outside

by Adam Rippon

Former Olympic figure skater and self-professed America's Sweetheart Adam Rippon shares his underdog journey from beautiful mess to outrageous success in this hilarious, big-hearted memoir that the Washington Post calls "comedic gold."

Your mom probably told you it's what on the inside that counts. Well, then she was never a competitive figure skater. Olympic medalist Adam Rippon has been making it pretty for the judges even when, just below the surface, everything was an absolute mess. From traveling to practices on the Greyhound bus next to ex convicts to being so poor he could only afford to eat the free apples at his gym, Rippon got through the toughest times with a smile on his face, a glint in his eye, and quip ready for anyone listening. Beautiful on the Outside looks at his journey from a homeschooled kid in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to a self-professed American sweetheart on the world stage and all the disasters and self-delusions it took to get him there. Yeah, it may be what's on the inside that counts, but life is so much better when it's beautiful on the outside.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Sports, Audiobook, LGBT, Biography, Figure Skating

256 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2019

About the author

Adam Rippon is an Olympic athlete and medal-winning figure skater. He won the 2010 Four Continents Championships and the 2016 U.S. National Championships and was selected to represent the United States at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. He came out as gay in October 2015 and, at the 2018 Winter Olympics, won a bronze medal as part of the figure skating team event, thus becoming the first openly gay U.S. male athlete to win a medal in a Winter Olympics. Later that year, he was named to the TIME 100 List of Most Influential People, Forbes 30 Under 30; AdWeek's 100 Most Creative and OUT Magazine's Power 50: The Most Influential Voices in LGBTQ America. He won season 26 of Dancing with the Stars: Athletes before going on to be a judge on the premiere season of Dancing with the Stars Juniors.

(source: Amazon)

Reviews

[Blaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember once at a competition he said, “You’re the biggest one here, but you’re not the worst skater,” which is a compliment so backhanded it could slap me twice.
…
See? That was another thing I learned from competing—to do the hard work in the dark so I could shine in the light.

Regular readers of my reviews know that I do several reading challenges each year, including the one by Pop Sugar. One category this year was to read a “book about your favorite event in the Winter Olympics.” So, as I watched a staggering amount of Olympic coverage this year, I tried to decide which sport is my favorite. I loved watching the US Hockey teams win gold, but the only game I watched in its entirety was the Men’s Gold Medal game. I watched an insane amount of curling for a normal person, but only a fraction of the available games. But the figure skating? I watched nearly every single moment: team, ice dance, pairs, men’s, and women’s. If nothing else, this challenge category revealed the truth of my favorite Winter Olympic sport. Live and learn.

(Note: I really thought through everything above, despite the fact that 1) I’ve attended the US Figure Skating Championships, 2) fell in love with Amber Glenn as she celebrated her first national championship skating around the ice with a pride flag, and 3) I could not select figure skater Gracie Gold’s memoir, Outofshapeworthlessloser, for this challenge because I’ve already read it. Perhaps I overthought this. 🤣)

Beautiful on the Outside is the memoir of Adam Rippon, who won his first and only national championship in 2016 at the age of 26. Of course, he is most remembered for the events surrounding the 2018 Winter Olympics, where he was the first openly gay US athlete to qualify for—and medal at—a Winter Olympics, and used his platform to stand up for queer Americans everywhere by calling out the head of the Olympic delegation, then-VP Mike Pence, for anti-gay legislation he had signed while governor of Indiana. And the book certainly covers those moments. But they are a small portion of the story he tells about his life, how he got into skating, and how skating affected his relationship with his family (especially his mother) over the years. It’s an interesting portrait of the countless sacrifices he made to become a champion, and a behind-the-scenes look at how US Figure Skating operates, and how and when skaters change coaches. And there’s a very thoughtful discussion of how US Figure Skating’s desire to hype straight male skaters to show that skating is for everyone operates as a subtle, perhaps unintended form of homophobia. But most of all, and I cannot stress this enough, it’s funny. Adam Rippon is a clever, charming storyteller, always ready with a quip or a zinger, often at his own expense. Recommended.

[andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's official - this was my favorite book of 2019!

Probably wrong to rate a book based on a 30 page sampler, but I love Adam Rippon and have preordered a signed copy of this book, an unsigned copy, and the audiobook, so you can't stop me.

What I can tell you based on those 30 pages - his voice really shines through in stories about Victorian women ice skating on popcorn tins, anxiety attacks on the way to school, a skating party hosted by a girl named Anastasia Davenport who is mysteriously not of the House of Davenport, how to get out of team sports with flair, and his mother who, I can only surmise is an honest-to-god superhero.

Can't wait to read this book in full.

RTC.

--

READ.

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Yeah, starting to read this for a second time.

--

Hi, yeah I finished my second read and I may go again. I love Adam Rippon.

I was introduced to who he was during the 2018 Olympics and have been following him pretty closely ever since. I think he's absolutely hysterical, doesn't take shit from anybody, and seeing him on the world's biggest stage as an out, proud, unapologetic gay man really spoke to me as a queer woman who grew up never seeing ANY representation for me at all.

I honestly had no idea the amount of money, work, and mettle went into becoming a professional skater.

This book details Adam's journey growing up, the ups and downs with his skating, and learning about who he is and his sexuality.

I'm not kidding when I tell you that I was laughing throughout this whole book (especially during the two stories detailing the times he shit himself - hysterical), experiencing a ton of anxiety (as he detailed qualifying for the Olympics), and cried my friggin eyes out.

One day, I want to do a full review for this book because I just loved it so much it hurts. I love who he is. I love that this book really imbued me with how to keep on fighting and working hard, I love that each time I've read this book, I've come out the other side feeling more confident and capable. This is a self-help book hidden in an autobio. If the rink is Adam's therapeutic place, this book is mine.

Here's a couple of his INCREDIBLE programs that he talked about in the book (one day I'll do page numbers and link to each performance as he talks about them):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka53A...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Hvo-...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj92v...

And a couple of personal favorite exhibition skates:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIq-E...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW5bj...

[Lorrie Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, you will probably laugh out loud reading Adam Rippon’s Beautiful on the Outside. (That happened to me five times, twice in public.)

If you’re hoping for a sassy gay voice with this book, you’re in luck. Double luck if you were also hoping for gems of skate-mom wisdom from Kelly Rippon.

There is a smattering of inside dirt, all the more delightful because it is meticulously worded and beyond reproach.

I don’t know if you’ll cry, but I did. Once when Rippon paid tribute to Johnny Weir and Rudy Galindo for how they contributed to the sport before him as out gay men, and once when a story about Rafael Arutyunyan showed that Rippon had earned this coach’s respect and affection.

Most of all, this book gives you a close-up view of how this Olympic medalist’s mind works. He acknowledges that he’s not “a normal human, but then going to the Olympics is not something normal humans do.” More than any other skating memoir I’ve read, this one demonstrates that championship skating requires just as much mental strength as physical training. Rippon’s mental discipline is phenomenal, as is his ability to reframe setbacks and learn from them.

The structure of the book is beautiful, like Rippon’s cheekbones. It starts off with a profanity in the first sentence, to keep things humble. His painful 2014 U.S. Nationals, when he didn’t qualify for the Olympic team, comes at the exact midpoint of the book. From that point, the humor revs up until, by the end, I guarantee that you will laugh.

It all started in childhood, of course, when tiny Adam dreamed of being like a woman he saw pictured on a popcorn tin, skating outdoors in a long black coat, a bonnet, and a white muff: “The muff would obviously be the key to my success.”

Enter Kelly Rippon, mother of six: “’We’re not going to get a muff,’ my mom said. ‘You don’t need a muff. Where do you even buy a muff?’”

Even as a small child, Rippon had elaborate plans for family talent shows, but they were often foiled because “there was always at least one Rippon child having some sort of meltdown—maybe my brother was crying or my sister shit her pants.” I raised my eyebrows at that. Wouldn’t his sister feel singled out, with a sentence like that? I needn���t have worried; I soon encountered a major recurring theme of this book. Suffice to say that nobody need feel singled out.

Everything you suspected about Kelly Rippon’s Olympic-level parenting is true. With six kids, she made it to every child’s school play or recital. I can’t even do that with two kids. She once caught Adam engaging in rink gossip and cured him by making him watch a four-hour documentary on the Salem witch trials. She insisted on dinner as a family every night.

Then I read about how she reduced her son’s commute as a young teen and saved money: using connections she’d developed on her own, Kelly Rippon found more paying students for Rippon’s coach at their local rink, then started a hockey program at that rink, booked “a ton of rooms at a local hotel” for that program, and got that hotel to reward her with a free room once a week. Then she was able to get Rippon’s coach to travel to them and stay there, at times, instead of him always taking the bus to train with her.

Give that woman a medal.

Adam was her equal, though. He was in sixth grade when she told him she couldn’t drive him to the rink in the mornings because she had to feed and clothe his five siblings and send them to school with their lunches. He got them up early, fed and clothed them himself, packed their lunches, dressed his preschool sister’s hair in “a crown of braids,” then woke his mother and informed her she could drive him to the rink. He did this every morning until he moved out.

This prepared him well for a boss move in his final training year: he singlehandedly changed coach Rafael Arutyunyan’s haphazard scheduling structure. He coordinated schedule information from every other student, made a master plan for the season, presented it to this formidable coach, then held his breath. Arutyunyan adopted it whole. This seems, to me, as grand an achievement as a quad lutz.

This kind of story gives insight into the degree of organization it takes to be an Olympic-level athlete. No wonder Rippon was able to sustain a near-superhuman public appearance schedule during his first professional year.

“I would watch old interviews the hosts had done, and I would see who their favorite guests were. I would write four or five jokes for each appearance and try to get at least two of them into the conversation. I didn’t want it to look too obvious, like I was straining to get to the punch line, but I wanted to have material prepared. See? That was another thing I learned from competing—to do the hard work in the dark so I could shine in the light.”

Figure skating’s emphasis on technical elements, transitions, flow and glide translated well to his post-skating career, as it often does.

One striking passage involves a life lesson from legendary choreographer David Wilson. Rippon demonstrated Wilson’s choreography with a flawless skate that had a single stepout, and this tiny mistake bothered him so much that he broke character in frustration. This brought on a rant from Wilson, who was furious about the disrespect it showed to the work and the audience. It was painful, but it helped Rippon mature past the trap of perfectionism, an enormously empowering move.

But enough about hard work. Don’t worry, there’s drama, too.

If you’re wondering if former coach Nikolai Morozov appears in this book, the answer is yes. From alcohol overuse, to dating of students, to evidence that Morozov was often behind on his rent, the mentions are restrained, but choice.

Yes, Rippon was desperately broke and hungry. Interviews have mentioned that he used to live on free apples from his gym, but I didn’t know until now that he’s actually allergic to apples.

Yes, Rippon did have a chaste romance with Yuna Kim for a while; they were compatible in many ways. Normally, as an Asian woman, I wouldn’t appreciate a white man claiming, “I, too, am a shy, beautiful, timid Asian girl,” but in Rippon’s case…well, fair enough.

Yes, Rippon discusses his coming out process. He mentions an entire network of support behind him, including officials and staff from U.S. Figure Skating, such as the fiercely supportive Barb Reichert, director of external relations. He thanks choreographer Cindy Stuart, friend and fellow world junior champion Derrick Delmore, and Randy Gardner’s husband Jay Gendron, as well. This kind of network is not new, but the support from USFS is a more recent phenomenon. Rippon’s memoir, in conjunction with earlier memoirs from Johnny Weir and Rudy Galindo, chronicle this development in the sport’s U.S. history.

He also discusses a few relationships with men, with a generosity toward his younger self that is absolutely beautiful. If there is anything that young LGBTQ+ folks take from Rippon as a role model, let that gentleness be part of it.

On the other hand, Rippon can be wickedly funny, as well. Kudos to him for writing about an unpleasant ex in a way that is thoroughly satisfying (he deserved it!) without being actually vengeful at all.

Yes, there’s diva humor. He recounts being pleased that when he broke his ankle, at least he had had a pedicure the day before, so he looked good for the X-rays. And then when he left the rink to heal the injury, he cleaned out his locker and left conspicuous vacuum tracings around it because “I wanted it to look like someone had died.”

Rippon doesn’t focus so much on medals. He barely mentions winning Nationals; it’s not about winning. He discusses the process, instead, especially the mental aspect. He recovered from his injury at the Olympic Training Center, where there are countdown clocks to the Olympics everywhere, but he took their ubiquity as incentive to time his recovery, not as a source of stress.

The entire book conveys a tone of authenticity, but it’s not artless. Nor is it performative, although it is conscious of performance. Rippon’s authenticity, instead, comes across as an intentional strategy: hard-won, mindful. After so long in the sport, he has learned that being inauthentic—skating to please others rather than the self, skating to convey a false image, skating while hiding secrets—can only hold the skater back. You can see the proof of this strategy when you watch his rock-solid Olympic programs. He stays mentally present for every moment. He paces himself; he does not rush; he breathes. This is phenomenal.

Rippon mentions saucily, several times, that his birthday is coming up: November 11, to be exact. What would make a good gift for someone who’s made so many of his skating dreams come true? Can somebody get Adam Rippon a really nice muff? Girlfriend deserves one.

(Review originally posted to figureskatersonline.com.)

[Lost in a Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Adam Rippon SOOOOO hard. Listening to him narrate this story was fabulous and had me LOLing throughout. Definitely recommended.

[Book Concierge · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Kelly_Hunsaker_reads ... · Rating 4 out of 5]

What makes a good celebrity memoir? For me it must be open and a bit voyeuristic, chatty and a bit gossipy, sweet, funny, warm and positive. It must read like a lengthy storytelling one-on-one chat over coffee. It must feel like I know the person.

Adam Rippon's new memoir, Beautiful on the Outside is all of these things. His book will teach you a bit more about figure skating. It will make you laugh out loud. But mostly it will make you feel like you are one of his intimate friends; like he just spilled all his secrets to you. I came away from the book admiring him even more than I did before.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up in the tropics, I did not realize there's such a thing as Winter Olympics until moving to Canada. My first clear memory of watching figure skating is Michelle Kwan on TV. It was fascinating how this beautiful creature can glide across ice, spin, and jump and be so poised and graceful. (Yes, even now, I have a major crush on her.) Anyways, even though I still can't tell a Lutz from an Axel, I enjoy watching figure skating from then on.
Now, on to this memoir from one of the most fascinating, entertaining athletes currently around. It's hard to rate someone's life story. I've said that before. I've also mentioned that biographical audiobooks narrated by the author are the best. Adam Rippon has had a challenging road to the Olympics. For one thing, he did not make the US Olympic team until age 28. Being one of 6 siblings in a not-affluent family, his mother especially, made extensive sacrifices just to encourage him in his sport. He's honest about his struggles, financially, mentally and emotionally. Of course, Adam is known as being one of the first out athletes on the US Olympics team. We see the fears he had to overcome in order to come to terms with his sexuality. Luckily, his family and friends are supportive. As he mentioned, a male figure skater being gay is not really much of a surprise to anybody. I love his humour, mostly self-deprecating, and his perpective on life. It takes a lot of grit and determination to be a high-caliber athlete. Add to that the usual challenges of just growing up and finding one self as an adult, we can see Adam Rippon is not only beautiful on the outside, he's also incredibly strong on the inside.

[Nev · Rating 4 out of 5]

A truly hilarious read, especially when listening to it on audio. Adam Rippon’s personality totally comes through in all the stories that he tells. I think he did a good job of having the book feel balanced between the more serious sides of training, the financial burdens, growing up, coming out, and zany asides and humorous commentary.

Adam talks about how even in a sport like figure skating where it’s assumed to be more gay friendly it can still be difficult to come out. He was also very candid when writing about how his relationship with his mom became strained at times because of his skating. I always appreciate when celebrity memoirs actually feel authentic. It’s annoying to read a book and feel like you wasted your time because they didn’t really reveal all that much about their life or thoughts. Adam Rippon’s book felt totally open and like he wasn’t pulling punches.

I’d definitely be interested in reading another book from him down the road. I don’t know if he plans on writing more, since this probably covered most of what he had to say about his skating career. But he’s such a fun storyteller and I could see him just writing personal essays about all the wacky things that happen in his life.

[Juliette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m going to be that judge and deduct a star for technical merit. Rippon writes a hilarious and compelling memoir, and his book is like a message from a friend.
“But Juliette,” you say, “isn’t Rippon 29-years-old? What could experience he possibly have had to write about?”
He’s an Olympian. He writes about the early mornings, the weeks away from his family as a young boy, his physical difficulties (including his eating disorder), competitions ... everything that you would expect. And he writes with his usual humor and flair.
I was laughing in the train, which is always a good thing. I love how he puts a positive spin on everything he attempts. I love that he encourages his readers to just go for it (which is, btw, what he told me when I said I was scared to skate as an adult). He’s a great human being.

So, about that star deduction....
Sometimes, I struggled with the timeline of events. He would talk about an event, then share stories that may or may not have happened in the past, and then go back to the first story, I think. I wish the transitions were clearer. That’s my only complaint with the book. Nothing that should detract from the book itself.

[Nursebookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this memoir! You have to read this and should not be missed!

This book was well written that got me from laughing to crying to laughing again on this juicy memoir full of raw honesty and an absolute page turner. Rippon's journey and passion to becoming an Olympic athlete was detailed so beautifully. Watching the Winter Olympics Figure skating was always a family affair and was never missed. So when this memoir came out, I knew I had to read it. I enjoyed it so much for the fun, humorous, witty and charming read into his life and vulnerabilities. I wouldn't miss this read at all. It is truly a fun read and absolutely amazing story that is inspirational and heartwarming.

I highly recommend this memoir.

5 stars!

[Jennifer Schultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read if you: Want a fun, funny, but also sweet memoir about someone who beat the odds..

If you've been a longtime figure skating fan, Adam Rippon is no overnight media sensation. However, that's what he became at the 2018 Winter Games. Not only did his beautiful skating attract new admirers, but his witty personality and outspokenness also endeared him to many.

I knew the basics of Rippon's story--oldest of six children, parental divorce when he was young, a rocky post-juniors skating career, financial struggles in his twenties, coming out in a United States Figure Skating official magazine, a catastrophic injury, and a nervewracking 2018 Nationals--but I definitely didn't know the intimate details of such.. He is remarkably honest (and mature) about the very difficult relationships he has had with his parents (all much better now), which I definitely didn't know about.

This is a chatty, warm, funny, and inspiring memoir. It is not an explosive or bitchy tell-all. He is obviously protective of his loved ones and acquaintances, save for a possessive ex-boyfriend and a mean girl from elementary school (who frankly, both deserve it). . Even if you're not a skating fan or have closely followed his career, Rippon's story is an inspirational one without being too sentimental or hokey.

Many thanks to Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

[AliciaJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was heartwarming and hilarious all at the same time. Great read.

[Joshua Dowling · Rating 4 out of 5]

what a treat.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like a long Instagram story from our boy. I enjoyed it!

[Isabeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

No doubt the best memoir to exist.

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just dragged myself out of an hour YouTube Time Suck in which I rewatchd many of Adam Rippon's routines. GAH he was so freaking good. I distinctly remember watching several live and just being absolutely absorbed into his skating.

I really enjoyed this book. I think he has great perspective over the things that got him here, his mistakes and what he did to correct those mistakes going forward. There was drama and his usual brand of honestly but I also really enjoyed hearing about what EXACTLY he was doing to improve his skating.

My only regret is that I wasn't able to listen to this on audio. Maybe someday.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I’m going with ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫, rounded up.

It was a delightful celebrity memoir. Can’t say it’s anything revolutionary but it was a fun treat to read. His humor comes through the page, which is what makes it so fun. The writing itself is just OK and that’s probably the only criticism I have. I bet this would be a super fun audiobook!

Thanks to the publisher for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

[cossette · Rating 2 out of 5]

as an autobiography, this was really refreshing to read. it was funny, authentic, and raw. but some of the jokes/commentary i could've done without (i.e. calling himself a beautiful, young asian woman, etc.)

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adam Rippon is a national treasure.

[Chase Hackett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this from the first shocking sentence to the very end. A fascinating story told by a very funny story-teller.

[Bethany Eschner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOL’ed a lot throughout this book. I love Adam Rippon and I enjoyed reading about his story! Audiobook.

[Rellim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed Adam Rippon’s autobiography. It’s like meeting that friend of a friend at a party and feeling an instant draw to know more about their life. At times it’s all so normal, yet obviously he pursues and achieves dreams so few can.

CW that I’ll mention in the review:
eating & body image disorders

His stories are hilarious, poignant, and full of self reflection. While I was disappointed in his dismissive attitude toward starving himself and his weight (basically, “I obviously have an eating disorder. LOL!”) for the most part I felt like he acknowledges mistakes he made, personal growth, and the numerous people who supported him & his goals.

I learned a lot about professional skating and how much it costs: financially, physically, emotionally, and the toll on personal relationships. In balance there were also amusing anecdotes about his childhood, relationships, and competitions.

Overall a fun and enjoyable listen.

Narration:
Rippon does a great job narrating this himself. His humor and emotions show through and compliment the book well. He definitely has charisma.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

There was no way I wasn't going to enjoy this on some level, Adam is from my area of the world and following him in the Olympics and then onto everything he's been doing since has been great.

What comes across strongest here is his voice and his force of personality. It's present from start to end, page after page.

I also enjoyed getting a more comprehensive picture of his journey - some of it I knew but a lot of it I didn't.

Towards the end of the book I felt like the editing slipped a bit and I kept getting a bit confused as I was jostled between past and present tense. Overall though, a fun read—especially on the cusp of an Olympic year (yes, I know it's summer games, but still!).

[Lindsey Rap · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t know I could adore Adam Rippon more until I listened to him narrate his own audiobook. He had me laughing out loud while also feeling for him as he journeyed to become an Olympian and the confident LGBTQ public figure he is today.
This is a light read I would recommend to anyone who is open minded!

[Shane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This started out slow for me, but I am so glad I stuck with it. I got fucking hooked and I HAD TO KNOW IF HE MAKES IT (except of course I did know that he made it??) to the olympics and have apparently finished it in a single day. The power of a good narrative! I was prepping for the end of grad school when the last winter Olympics happened, so honestly I had no idea who Adam Rippon was, but I am intensely charmed. I'm now going down a rabbit hole of watching all his youtube content. Listen to the audiobook, natch.

[tosiap · Rating 4 out of 5]

So hilarious!!
Adam the DIVA and the ICON you are.
💓

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Figure skating Olympic medalist Adam Rippon delivers a gold medal-worthy memoir that is both laugh-out-loud funny and inspiring. Rippon's sassy, outspoken personality and his skating skills made him a star of the 2018 Winter Olympics. At age 28, he was a decade older than his teammates. He had missed out on two previous Olympics and had broken his foot a year before he finally made the team. But he was also skating at his best. "I think people really connected with all that," he writes. "And I was doing Invisalign, so my teeth were straight and perfect."

At age five, Rippon begged his parents to take him ice skating after he saw an image on a popcorn tin of people skating. He was really more interested in getting a white muff like one held by a female skater in the illustration. Over the next decade, Rippon began competing and winning medals at local, national and international skating competitions. Despite fears that it might keep him off an Olympic team, Rippon publicly came out as gay a year before he finally made the team. He became the first openly gay U.S. athlete to win a medal at any Winter Olympics. Months after his win, his popularity exploded when he attended the Academy Awards wearing a leather harness, began training for Stars on Ice, and signed on for a season of Dancing with the Stars (and won).

Rippon's winning personality shines through on every page. Jaunty and thoughtful, Beautiful on the Outside is the feel-good memoir of the season.

Cheeky figure skating Olympian Adam Rippon's rollicking and inspiring memoir is a gold medal delight even for non-sports fans.

[Nathan Bartos · Rating 4 out of 5]

***I received a free eARC of this book from Grand Central Publishing through Netgalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.***
*4.5 Stars
Adam Rippon has such a strong, entertaining voice that he could've been writing about nearly anything, and I would've been captivated. Luckily, the story of his journey to and a little bit past the Olympics is an entertaining ride on its own as well.
This is really a story of hard work and passion and perseverance, but I think this memoir really shines when Adam is talking about his relationships: romantic relationships, friendships, relationships with his coaches, with his family, etc. He has a keen eye for how he has grown from each and an empathy to understand both how each affected him but also how he may have affected them.
I can't wait to see where Adam goes from here, and I think near the end of the book, you can feel his excitement for the future blasting through the page as well.
I highly recommend the audiobook because Adam truly knows how to deliver.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun memoir that was phenomenal as an audiobook.

This was an easy listen that helped me get chores done around the house with a smile on my face.

Thanks to San Diego County Library for the digital audio version via Libby app.

[Audio: 8 hours, 20 minutes]