Publisher's Weekly Review
In this hard-hitting exposé, Peabody Award--winning ESPN reporters Barr and Murphy recount the rise and notorious fall of Larry Nassar, a Michigan State University sports physician who went to prison in 2018 for sexually assaulting hundreds of women and girls while allegedly treating their injuries. In this disturbing portrait, Nasser is an insidious predator, friendly and ingratiating, who disguised his assaults as legitimate procedures while using his medical reputation to dismiss victims' accusation. Empowering him, the authors show, was the gymnastics industry itself, which demanded girls' unquestioning obedience to tyrannical and sometimes violent coaches, brutal practice regimens, and weight restrictions that fostered injuries that Nassar treated with pain-killers and "massages"; meanwhile, the sport's governing organization, USA Gymnastics, covered up abuse complaints against Nassar and others. Foregrounding several women who finally brought charges, Barr and Murphy vividly convey the sense of confusion and helplessness that beset victims as their claims met with patronizing disbelief, sometimes from their own parents. The result is a searing indictment of a child molester and the culture of silence and submission that abetted him. (Jan.)
Kirkus Review
Larry Nassar, the Michigan State University doctor who sexually abused hundreds of girls and young womenmostly gymnastswill remain in prison until he dies. Peabody Award-winning ESPN journalists Barr and Murphy illuminate how he managed to assault unsuspecting victims for decades.Recent books on the Nassar case have included Abigail Pesta's The Girls and Rachael Denhollander's What Is a Girl Worth? While those accounts provide urgent reading about the massive sex abuse scandal, this one features reporting so deep, broad, and incisive that it is unlikely to be surpassed. The patients Nassar abused were mostly preteens and teenagers, many of them virgins, who sometimes failed to recognize that legitimate treatment by Nassar should never have included the vile, penetrative actions he took. The few victims who tried to express their discomfort before 2016 suffered a different sort of abuse: being disbelieved by their parents, their gymnastics coaches, university administrators, police detectives, and even fellow gymnasts. Nassar was mild-mannered and married with children, and he had earned a reputation as a healer. However, it's unquestionable that the doubters should have known better, and the authors provide copious evidence that shows negligence on the parts of countless individuals. Nassar might have continued his assaults for years were it not for a 2016 expos by three newspaper reporters at the Indianapolis Star, a lawyer in California who was already suing abusive Catholic priests, and a police detective at Michigan State University. The graphic evidence and the attitudes of the enablers are almost certain to produce rage among readers, but the book is a must-read "about power and control." Ultimately, write the authors, "this remarkable group of survivors took back control, spoke truth to power, toppled the leadership of [MSU and USA gymnastics], and, in so doing, empowered countless others."The go-to book about a horrific series of crimes. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Peabody-winning ESPN journalists Barr and Murphy spent nfearly three years investigating one of the most shocking and extensive sex-abuse scandals in modern history. When two survivors of Dr. Larry Nassar's crimes attorney and former gymnast Rachael Denhollander, and Jamie Dantzscher, an Olympic medalist in artistic gymnastics found the courage to go public with their stories, no one could have foreseen the avalanche of crimes and concealment that extended to more than 150 victims. Start by Believing is a must-read exposé that provides an in-depth look into the time line of events and the numerous adults who should have prevented these crimes. Not only was Larry Nassar found guilty, but his enablers included top leadership in USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University. Readers should be aware this might be a trigger for those impacted by sexual misconduct. While the Nassar story is difficult to relive, the authors do a masterful job bringing into context the decades-long abuse. This serves as a tribute to the courageous young women who confronted their predator and exposed a corrupt system, and it also provides a stark reminder to believe victims, no matter what the cost.--Brenda Barrera Copyright 2020 Booklist
Library Journal Review
The conviction and sentencing of Larry Nassar in 2018 resolved the worst sexual abuse scandal in sports history, although the healing process continues for hundreds of victims. Winners of the Peabody Award for their previous coverage of the case, Barr and Murphy, both investigative reporters at ESPN, have written the most comprehensive account of the scandal to date, including a biographical portrait of Nassar and an in-depth investigation of the safety nets that failed to protect the young gymnasts in his care. Several survivors have released deeply affecting memoirs; theirs and others' stories are included along with thorough research that reveals exactly how a dangerous predator went undetected for so long. From the first accusations by frightened victims to the moment of vindication in a Michigan courtroom, this is the definitive history of the case. VERDICT The authors' exhaustive research and relentless pursuit of the truth create an unsettling and stark record of the abuse scandal that sent shockwaves across America and which continues to resonate deeply.--Janet Davis, Darien P.L., CT
