$25.00
ISBN: 9780451496669
Availability: Hard to Find - May no longer be available
Published: Crown Archetype - April 4th, 2017
In the first half of the 2010s, AJ Lee was one of the most popular women wrestlers in the WWE. Her quirky, "Gamer chick" image, small stature, and main event storylines were a far cry from the typical blonde swimsuit models that made up the rest of the female roster.
The woman behind the character, AJ Mendez, had a long journey to the spotlight. Growing up dirt poor, often moving with her young parents just before eviction, AJ learned to live with very little. Her home life was marred by spats of domestic disputes, drug abuse, utility shut-off, and near homelessness.
Her mother was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and her father was prone to leaving the family for extended periods. AJ eventually left home at a young age, when she secured a job, and her family moved back to Puerto Rico.
Her relatively short WWE career was highlighted by championships, storylines with the top mens wrestlers, and a broad appeal to the WWE fanbase. AJ retired young, after performing in Wrestlemania one last time. She married former champion CM Punk, and has been enjoying a relatively quiet life since then.
Her memoir is a quick read, filled with quirky asides and illustrations. If you're coming to this as a fan of AJ Lee, hoping to read about her time in WWE and all the backstage gossip, you won't find it here. The majority of its pages are devoted to her family, upbringing, and dealings with her own mental illness. Great for casual fans, and young feminists looking for an outside-the-box story of a girl achieving her dreams. ~ Reviewed by Chris Linendoll