Review of Rey Mysterio: Behind the Mask

Despite having a relatively small body to be a wrestler, Rey Mysterios's heart and determination has led to him being one of the most popular wrestlers in the WWE. In this autobiography, Rey discusses defying the odds and not letting any barriers hold him back. It is an uplifting story that both adults and children will enjoy. The book is written at a level where both can understand and enjoy the book. However, parents might want to use their markers on the book as there are some stories and words they might not want their children to read.

While most autobiographies take shots at other wrestlers and dish the dirt, Rey has taken the high road in his and let his career speak for itself. Rey reveals a lot of the behind-the-scenes action in his career. My favorite chapters in the book are in the beginning where you really get a sense for the drive and passion Rey has for the business.

There is a huge void in this book though. Rey does not discuss the death of his friend Chris Benoit or his own involvement with Dr. Astin. People want to know the details of Chris missing the PPV the night before the bodies were discovered, how and when the wrestlers found out about his death, and when they found out what really happened. Rey's and the rest of the WWE's refusal to discuss what happened that day does a huge disservice to the company. It has allowed continued rumor mongering about the event to take place.

Rey makes one shocking revelation in this book. In 2008, he checked himself into rehab for a problem with legal pain medications. This took place at the time Rey was missing due to Kane's attack that was never broadcast. It is at this point that mentioning his involvement with Dr. Astin would have made for both a better book and as a warning to his fans about watching out for people like the disgraced Doctor. The book ends before Rey was suspended earlier this year for a Wellness Policy violation.

Rey admits at the end of the book that things in his career have jumbled together and apologizes for that. I caught quite a few errors in this book and feel that the fact checker for this book did a horrible job.

Overall Recommendation: If you are a fan of Rey Mysterio or lucha libre you will enjoy this book. If not, you may want to pass on this because this isn't a must-have book to be a part of your wrestling library. If you would like to sample the first few pages from the first few chapters before purchasing the book, click here.

_{Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.}