Crazy Is My Superpower: How I Triumphed by Breaking Bones, Breaking Hearts, and Breaking the Rules

The book is NOT what I expected. However it is well-written, very interesting, and quite funny.I get the feeling if Ms. Brooks hadn't had such a crazy perspective on things, her tough life growing up could have directed her towards a life filled with drugs and tragedy. Luckily for us, her super power propelled her to heights most people only dream of achieving.This book will disappoint wrestling fans looking for numerous wrestling anecdotes. Ms. Brooks does tell readers about her career in the wrestling world, but she doesn't dwell on it. Yes, being a wrestler did consume a lot of her time when she decided to seriously make it a career. However it is clear her career didn't dominate her world. She valued family and friends much more than anything else. That's why she was able to walk away from wrestling at the peak of her career. Marriage to her husband Phil outweighed anything the WWE could ever offer. After all, how can you put a price on living happily ever after?

This isn't the book I expected it to be. This isn't a tell-all book about her time in the WWE, or even a compendium of wrestling anecdotes. This is more an in-depth look at how upbringing and mental illness can shape a person's life. A.J.'s life had the capacity to turn out a much darker tale and while she never delves into it deeply, she uses her mother's struggles with MI to show how hers could have turned out.AJ is an engaging writer, and the tone of the book is conversational, bouncing around a bit, though the book mostly flows out in a chronological order. The bulk of the book is focused around her childhood and pre-wrestling time, and the wrestling is treated as any other job, more o fa backdrop to further the book than a focus.I thought it was interesting how few wrestlers are name checked in the book. Punk, Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, Kane, John Cena, and Fit Finlay on the male side, Kaitlyn, Naomi, Layla, Beth Phoenix, Michelle McCool on the female. Especially interesting to me are who isn't mentioned, specifically the Bellas or Paige.THe book shines the most when AJ hits a topic which she feels passionately about. Whether it be the fact that Bipolar isn't something she sees as a negative but part of her that's shaped her life, street harassment, self-image, etc. the writing flows and you can get caught up in her passion. It's an incredible feeling.I'd recommend this novel for anyone who is struggling with MI, especially who is Bipolar. It could also be a great book to show kids how with hard work and utter dedication to a task you can achieve a dream, even with setbacks

Unlike other wrestlers who have released autobiographies through the years, AJ Lee chooses not to dish out any dirt (at least not a lot of it) on the backstage politics of the wrestling business. As many reviewers have pointed out, "Crazy Is My Superpower" focuses instead on April Mendez the person, a young woman who grew up in poverty, raised by a mother who suffered from bipolar disorder and a father who dealt with his share of personal demons. She's also very open about her own struggles with bipolar disorder, and how wrestling, first as a fan and then as an actual competitor, had helped change her life for the better. And all these tales are told with the wit and humor you'd expect from one of the smartest and most talented female wrestlers to ever set foot in a WWE ring.Whether you're a dedicated wrestling fan like myself, a casual fan, or even a non-fan, this book is sure to capture your interest. Kudos to you, AJ, for your triumph over bipolar disorder, as well as writing one of the best wrestling books I've read in a while.

This is a really good book. It gave a lot of insight on her and her life. There is not a ton about her wrestling career but some.

I honestly was not much of a fan of her's initially (I still loved wrestling before, during, and after her time in WWE; same love for other wrestling promotions throughout time). Amy Dumas/Lita and Trish Stratus have always been among my favorite women wrestlers (The Undertaker is my all time favorite among the men); A.J. has proven she is as great as them. Since her retirement, I actually grew fondness for her work and was curious of what she is like as a person. What she has written pierces me as a human, a man, and wrestling fan. There were some aspects I think I genuinely connected with her more than I imagined and to be in touch with her humanity. I have interests in Mortal Kombat and Resident Evil as she does in the video game aspect (of course it includes wrestling games too). Deep down, there are other factors, which did hit me a bit more, while reading like the chaotic relationship with her family; it sometimes reminds me of my own biological family's disconnect with me, but we do mostly get along. We both have many health problems as individuals and our own family members have their own. I loved numerous references A.J. makes throughout her book (a Harry Potter one for example), which informs me of my love for Mystery Science Theater 3000 (one of my favorite television shows of all time next to The Simpsons among certain others; she does happen to like The Simpsons also). I was interested in how she talked about women's issues; her understanding of how girls are socially conditioned in our culture and her encounters in everyday life. The most impact I experienced reading was how she discussed her mental illness; making it her strength just like I have with my lead poisoning since I was an infant. Overall, I think everything turned out nicely for this book; it has its own charm and sophistication. A.J. says to simply be un-apologetically yourself and I absolutely agree. Thank you.

This is just an incredible book. Unfamiliar with AJ's personal life story beforehand, I was shocked by how harsh her life was growing up. Throughout the book, AJ remains witty, engaging and at no point did I feel anything but a desire to keep on reading.It is a true testament to her astonishingly strong will that she suffered such abuse growing up, only to emerge as a strong, incredibly inspiring person, who is arguably one of the greatest female performers of all time. That just shows what a remarkable human being she is.When talking of her time in the WWE, AJ stays classy at all times. When telling any stories that reflected her fellow WWE employees in a bad light, she does not mention anyone by name.This book will shock you. It will make you laugh. It will make you feel heartbroken. It will make you feel joyful. It will make you feel a whole range of emotions. It is truly from start to finish, the ultimate thrill-ride. It is a book that I would highly recommend to anyone.

A very good book. I actually bought this book, as it appeared on my recommendations list, the title instantly caught my attention. Then on closer inspection I realized the author was the wife on one of my favorite wrestlers CM Punk, even though I stopped watching wrestling a few years ago, and have never seen one of Aj's matches, (I will remedy that with youtube), why not give it a go. I am really surprised how much I actually did like the book, and I think definitely has important messages about mental illness. I especially like the way AJ personalizes the illness calling it the darkness and the villain of the story to be defeated.I think I am not main target audience, but I proved my geekhood by recognizing every comic book storyline and character mentioned in the book. On this notes AJ's geeky jokes are great. AJ talks very passionately about mental illness, the way outcasts like freaks and geek are perceived. Though she does all of this from the female point of view. Apart from some message/warnings to depraved men, she does not talk about the same for the males. I understand this as she writes about what she knows. The other thing is she asks a question is you are not a wrestling fan why did you buy this book? There is not all that much about wrestling itself in the book. For people like me who are CM Punk fans they is also not much of him in the book he does get half a chapter devoted to their relationship but not a huge amount. However this is HER story and not his. This is a good book about achieving your dreams, being fine within your own skin and changing perceptions along the way.

Crazy is my super power is now one of my all time favourite book which can change your emotions every page you turn. (From happiness to upset alway to shock) This book is good for fans of the great AJ Mendez Brooks, also it is good awareness to people who suffer from bipolar and how it affects their every day life. Would recommend it if you are studying mental health at College or university as it gives you a lot of information. 10/10

For anyone who has watched aj lee on tv this book is a must have, you will go through a rollercoaster of emotions happiness, sadness, joy and more aj talks about her childhood and how she became a wwe fan and meeting Lita for the first time to her first interaction with her now husband CM Punk it’s a must read for any Aj lee fan

Great read. Flows really well and couldn't put it down at times. Largely about AJ Lee's personal life for 2/3 of the book, with wrestling coming in the final 3rd, however very interesting and couldn't recommend more.