Riding by Cassia Cassitas Review

When he is born, Andre propels his mother's life in a new direction. His father, an executive who organizes Olympic competitions around the world and doesn't know when to come back home, strives to make him a wordly citizen. Cycling, his life acquires purpose: becoming an Olympic para-athlete.

Amidst real events and landscapes, men and women like us wander the cities we inhabit, rehearsing happier lives in the pages of this motivational narrative. From each one, destiny took a part to make them perfect.

Together with his friends, he experiences disappointments and new beginnings. A doctor that builds robots, the daughter of a lonely teenager, and a retired athlete teach André how to overcome his limits and live his dream.

Set in Curitiba with breaks in Los Angeles, Seoul, Johannesburg and Soweto, Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney, Athens, Beijing and London, the narrative ends in 2012, in Rio de Janeiro.

As a tribute to all those who choose to sign the next episodes of their lives, this book is about overcoming one’s self amid achievements, obstacles, love and heroism, written behind the scenes of life.

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My Review:

4 stars

I found this book interesting, unusual, and thought-provoking. The opening alone drew me in and had me wondering what was going to happen next. I enjoyed reading the detailed scenes about the Olympics, especially since it was obvious that the author had done her research and knew her stuff. I also enjoyed the family aspect of the story, though at times, it seemed a bit forced and secondary to the rest of the story. I think some of this may have been lost in translation since the book was not originally written in English.

I also really enjoyed Andre's character. Seeing his determination to succeed and how he never gave up was very inspiring, yet the author didn't mention the fact that he was disabled until almost the end of the book. While I understood why the author might choose to do that, I think the book lost something by not mentioning it sooner in the book, as aspects of the book didn't make sense until I learned that information. I think if it had been mentioned sooner, that would have alleviated some of my confusion regarding the characters and his interactions with the people around him. All in all though, this was a well written, thought-provoking novel that I would highly recommend reading especially if you're looking for some inspiration.

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review.*
*This is a sponsored post.*