Today I’m sharing my review of Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Another 5 star book! If you’ve been following me you know Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of my favorite authors. I read most of her books before I had the blog but here is my review of Malibu Rising. This is the fourth book on Taylor Jenkins Reid collection of books about fictitious famous women. I love how she writes these women and tackles the topic of how society treats them. If you want to learn more about Taylor Jenkins Reid this article has a great interview with her.
Synopsis
Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular. But by the time she retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Grand Slam titles. And if you ask Carrie, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father, Javier, as her coach. A former champion himself, Javier has trained her since the age of two.
But six years after her retirement, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning player named Nicki Chan.
At thirty-seven years old, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record. Even if the sports media says that they never liked “the Battle-Axe” anyway. Even if her body doesn’t move as fast as it did. And even if it means swallowing her pride to train with a man she once almost opened her heart to: Bowe Huntley. Like her, he has something to prove before he gives up the game forever.
In spite of it all, Carrie Soto is back, for one epic final season. In this riveting and unforgettable novel, Taylor Jenkins Reid tells her most vulnerable, emotional story yet
Why I Decided to Read this Book
I will read anything Taylor Jenkins Reid writes so as soon as I received an advanced copy of her latest one I picked it up. I’ve read all her books but one of her backlist titles. I’m hoping to read that one by the end of the year!
Rating
5 Stars (Check out my rating system!)
My Thoughts
Taylor Jenkins Reid does it again! I was nervous because she has been writing a book a year for the past few years and I don’t know how she does it. Her writing is amazing and in this particular book it transports you to the world of tennis. When you read the tennis matches it feels like you’re there watching a tennis match, how does she do that? I personally love tennis and I’m fascinated by these famous players. I had read Andre Agassi’s book years ago and loved to follow Rafael Nadal. However, I have seen reviews mention that you don’t have to like tennis to enjoy this book. But fair warning there is a lot of tennis in there.
I loved Carrie so much as a main character. She is unapologetically herself and doesn’t care what others think of her. She is one of those celebrities that people love to hate and because they are so ambitious they are not likeable. I will say I am one of those people that sometimes judge those celebrities. Understanding why Carrie is how she is and her character development throughout this book made me love her and even think about how society treats these women without even knowing them.
Besides being about tennis this book is about the relationship between Carrie and her dad (who is also her coach), her relationships with her opponents and with Bowie. I was so invested in these relationships and it is what makes the book appealing to non tennis lovers. I read that TJR is done writing about famous women which made me sad but I know whatever she does next will be great. There are 3 film/TV adaptations of her books coming out in the future so we’ll get to see these women come to live!
Content Warnings
Death of a parent, grief, misogyny, sexism, alcoholism. Check out more content warnings in The Storygraph.
Who I Recommend this Book to
If you’ve read Taylor Jenkins Reid you’ll love this one as well and if you’re new to her work give it a try! Fair warning this is a book about tennis.
Get the Book!
Did this review of Carrie Soto is Back convince you to read it? Check out the links below to order it from Bookshop.org, Amazon and libro.fm. Please consider ordering it from a Black owned independent bookstore. This list of Black owned independent bookstores accepts online ordering.
>>Shop on Libro.fm
If you’ve read this book let me know your thoughts in the comments!
