Crazy Is My Superpower, AJ Lee’s memoir under her real name, A. J. Mendez, is about more than her rise in professional wrestling. The publisher’s description and Mendez’s 2017 interview point to ten themes: making meaning from difficult experiences, finding inspiration in pop culture, building a wrestling persona, and challenging expectations for women. These are takeaways from the book’s published description and Mendez’s public comments—not a chapter-by-chapter account.
What is AJ Lee’s book?
Crazy Is My Superpower: How I Triumphed by Breaking Bones, Breaking Hearts, and Breaking the Rules is a memoir by A. J. Mendez, known to wrestling fans as AJ Lee. Penguin Random House describes it as an account of her life, mental health, and professional wrestling career. The publisher lists an ebook edition published April 4, 2017, and a paperback edition published April 3, 2018. The paperback is 288 pages and has ISBN 9780451496676. Penguin Random House’s book page includes an excerpt and edition details.
10 things we learn from the memoir’s framing
1. Traits that feel like weaknesses can become part of a person’s strengths
The publisher’s excerpt quotes Mendez reflecting, “I didn’t become successful in spite of them. I became successful because of them.” It is a personal interpretation of her own path, not a formula that every reader should apply to hardship. The memoir’s framing invites readers to consider how qualities that set someone apart may also inform what they do well.
2. Her childhood was shaped by instability
Penguin Random House describes Mendez’s childhood home as affected by poverty, drug addiction, and mental illness. Those circumstances form part of the background the memoir draws on; the publisher’s summary does not provide further specifics, so it is best not to turn the description into a more detailed account of her family life.
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3. Comics and video games offered escape and inspiration
The publisher says comics and video games gave Mendez an escape and that tough, unconventional female characters inspired her. In the book’s larger arc, those interests are not just trivia about a future wrestler: they helped shape the kinds of characters and possibilities she could imagine.
4. Wrestling became a goal she pursued through training and sacrifice
According to the publisher, Mendez spent years training and making sacrifices to pursue professional wrestling. The summary presents wrestling as a concrete ambition that demanded sustained effort, rather than a sudden break or an easy route out of her circumstances.
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5. Women performers faced narrow expectations
The publisher says Mendez was pressured toward a damsel-in-distress role and more provocative clothing. That account places her experience within a broader question about how women in wrestling were expected to look and behave, rather than treating those pressures as merely a matter of personal taste.
6. Her wrestling persona drew on who she was
Penguin Random House describes Mendez’s alter ego as nerdy, enthusiastic, and a little bit crazy—and as a genuine representation of herself. That emphasis suggests the persona’s appeal came partly from leaning into traits that might have been treated as unconventional, instead of hiding them to fit a standard mold.
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7. She writes about living with bipolar disorder
The publisher describes the memoir as covering Mendez’s lifelong struggle with bipolar disorder and says embracing her diagnosis helped her take back control. This is the publisher’s account of Mendez’s personal experience; it should not be read as medical advice or a claim about what diagnosis or treatment will mean for someone else.
8. Mental-health openness was one purpose of the book
In an interview with CBS New York published April 4, 2017, Mendez said she hoped the memoir would “help break the stigma around talking about mental health.” The comment makes clear that sharing personal experiences was part of the book’s purpose, alongside telling her life story. Read the CBS New York interview.
9. She called for women in WWE to receive equal treatment
In that CBS New York interview, Mendez argued that women performers deserved respect, screen time, and the same attention as men. She also called for their pay to rise and for them to be treated completely as equals. Her comments connect the memoir’s account of restrictive roles to a direct public argument about workplace recognition in WWE.
10. The publisher presents the story as a journey toward self-acceptance
Penguin Random House sums up the memoir’s arc as a long road from an unstable home to an empowered wrestling champion. That is the publisher’s framing, and it ties together the book’s themes of identity, ambition, mental health, and challenging expectations. It does not mean hardship is portrayed as simple or that every part of the journey follows a neat upward path.
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Which edition is listed?
| Edition | Publisher-listed publication date | Length and identifier |
|---|---|---|
| Ebook | April 4, 2017 | 288 pages listed; no ISBN included here |
| Paperback | April 3, 2018 | 288 pages; ISBN 9780451496676 |
Edition information is from Penguin Random House. The publisher also calls the book a New York Times bestseller, but the cited book page does not specify a list date, rank, or sales figure.
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