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Fast Girl: A Life Spent Running from Madness
Fast Girl: A Life Spent Running from Madness | Suzy Favor Hamilton
10 posts | 15 read | 12 to read
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review
swynn
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Mehso-so

(2015) Memoir of an Olympic runner who became a Vegas escort. She presents her choices through the lens of bipolar disorder, and her sex work as an extended manic episode. But with minimal reflection on mental illness and even less on recovery, the message seems to be that illness is fun and treatment sucks. Which makes the book feel less like a product of recovery than an artifact of her symptoms, and reading it feels uncomfortably voyeurist.

fredthemoose Great review 1y
thegreensofa What a brilliant review! 1y
40 likes3 comments
review
Ashtonnnnxx3
Pickpick

This book surprised me! I connected with the main character so well! I def. recommend this read :)

blurb
Cinfhen
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#HeatOfJuly This true life memoir features some very #promiscuous behavior which was beyond shocking. Suzy Favor Hamilton, a 3 time Olympic athletic, suburban housewife and young mother was turning tricks for exuberant fees & lavish gifts. Addicted to the rush of a thrill & power of attention, Suzy Hamilton soon finds the glamorous world of a paid escort to tempting to quit. It‘s a page turner!

BarbaraBB This does sound appealing! Buy or borrow 😉?! (edited) 6y
BookishMe @BarbaraBB I agree about the naughty appeal ;p 6y
Cinfhen I borrowed from Hoopla or OverDrive ( I can‘t remember) it‘s not well written & once u read it you probably won‘t read again so I‘ll say #BorrowNotBuy @BarbaraBB unless it‘s one of those 99 cent deals 😉 6y
See All 8 Comments
cathysaid I'm pretty sure there was a Law & Order episode based on this. Also, my name is Cathy and I'm a Law & Order addict. 😁 6y
Reggie @cathysaid it‘s hard not to be when at anytime you can turn to 4 different channels and one has a marathon or they have a 2 hr rerun block. #Lennywasmyfavorite. 6y
cathysaid @Reggie Right? Lenny was my fave, too. #RIPLenny 6y
Cinfhen I some how missed Law & Order but it‘s true @Reggie even in Israel it‘s on ALL THE TIME @cathysaid 6y
Cinfhen I know L&O was known for taking ripped from the headlines stories and this story was huge when it broke! Suzy was the second highest paid escort in Nevada! 6y
108 likes2 stack adds8 comments
blurb
WellReadCatLady
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12 likes1 stack add
review
Cinfhen
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Pickpick

This was such a captivating read...I was amazed how a gifted athlete, 3 time Olympian, wife and suburban mom found herself ranked as the number two paid escort in Las Vegas. More astonishing is the role her husband took throughout Suzy‘s ordeal, as he stood by and accepted his wife was sleeping with men and women for money,gifts and excitement. I read this for #booked2018 #OlympicSport #MentalHealthAwareness

Tamra 😲 7y
emilyhaldi Wow!! Sounds fascinating 7y
sammisho I had such a hard time with this book! 7y
See All 14 Comments
Cinfhen I saw your review @sammisho I agree it was difficult to feel sorry for Suzy Favor Hamilton, she showed almost no remorse for what she put her family through and her husband's inactions were REALLY FRUSTRATING!!! I'm not judging but it was hard to wrap my head around the lack of concern...clearly the author's behavior was extreme! 7y
Cinfhen It was really shocking @Tamra @emilyhaldi but I understand it was the author's bipolar disease acting out 7y
sammisho @Cinfhen I am a social worker, and I definitely read from a mental health professional perspective. I was hoping for more insight on her treatment 7y
Cinfhen There wasn‘t any mention of that @sammisho ~ were you surprised by her husband‘s acceptance and willingness to just stand by and almost “support” her behavior? I was more surprised by that!?! 7y
sammisho @Cinfhen I could not believe it! It was so unhealthy, and a classic example of enabling. It was so hard to read it, knowing the damage her and his behaviors were creating. I still can't wrap my mind around it. 7y
Cinfhen Do most couples stay together @sammisho I was also surprised by that 7y
sammisho @Cinfhen I know there are people with bipolar disorder who maintain healthy relationships. I would assume it takes lots of couple therapy and individual therapy for both parties to make it happen. And bipolar does not always manifest itself in this kind of hyper-sexualized behavior. Not sure I could stick around. I honestly think Suzie's and her husband's relationship is unhealthy on multiple levels. 7y
Cinfhen Thanks for all the insight @sammisho 7y
Reviewsbylola This sounds good too! 7y
CaitlinR Wow, sounds fascinating. 7y
Cinfhen It's a quick read and would also work for #booked2018 #invisibleillness @Reviewsbylola @CaitlinR I read this through my library's #OverDrive 7y
100 likes4 stack adds14 comments
review
sammisho
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Mehso-so

This was a fascinating story about olympic runner turned Vegas escort, but it was poorly written and lacked sincerity. I was disappointed that it focused on Hamilton's escapades and not on her treatment and the effects that untreated and misdiagnosed mental illness had on her family and life. It was frustrating to see her husband stand by and watch her engage in harmful and risky behaviors without getting her the help that she obviously needed.

Wife Well said. I kind of wondered if she was sick when writing the book...because she seemed boastful of the behaviors. 🤔 7y
sammisho @Wife I hated that the last paragraph was almost exactly " Oh yeah, then I got diagnosed with bipolar disorder". Like her diagnosis was an afterthought 7y
sammisho This read as an celebrity tell all, more than a mental illness memoir. I read An Unquiet Mind in college and it had such an impact on me. That was the kind of book I was hoping Fast Girl would be like. And to be clear, I am not condemning her for being an escort, but for her lackadaisical attitude towards her mental health and the consequences of her actioms 7y
See All 6 Comments
sammisho I think that if she hadn't be found out, she would never have cated to stop and her husband would never have stepped in to make her get help. 7y
Cinfhen I‘m still shocked by her husband‘s handling of this.....I wanted to shake him and I felt for the daughter.... 7y
sammisho @Cinfhen Isn't is unbelievable!? I really think this book does a disservice to people who have bipolar disorder and their families. 7y
25 likes6 comments
blurb
sammisho
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I am struggling with this one. It is hard to listen to her continuously make self destructive choices, even though I know it is because she has an untreated mental illness.
Even more difficult for me to listen to her husband​ continuously condone and support these choices without getting her help!
I do have empathy for what Suzy and her husband are going through in this book, but it still make me cringe.

Megabooks I had trouble with this one too. It also kind of felt like she was bragging about not getting help. 7y
sammisho Yes! It just doesn't seem sincere and not very reflective.No remorse for her actions. 7y
18 likes2 comments
review
Megabooks
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Pickpick

Mostly a pick. I actually really enjoyed this palate cleanser. It's an easy read about a hard subject - bipolar disorder. Unfortunately the book kind of truncates before she gets to the hard work getting on meds, seeing a psychologist and fixing her marriage. Good book, but it could've been more.

83 likes2 stack adds
blurb
Megabooks
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Another edition of Cheerwine and a book. 👍🏻 Carolinas love ❤️❤️❤️

ApoptyGina69 The can alone makes me cheery!! 💖 8y
Lauredhel What is in the can? 8y
Robothugs According to the label the can is "full of good cheer" @Lauredhel ? 8y
See All 7 Comments
jesstothefuture Cheerwine! 😍😍 8y
Megabooks @Lauredhel Cherry soda (It's basically like drinking a cherry pie!), but that does bring me good cheer @Robothugs 😃 8y
Megabooks @jesstothefuture 👍🏻👍🏻 8y
97 likes1 stack add7 comments