Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - Carrie Soto Is Back

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Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

111 reviews

hmatt's review against another edition

emotional inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I have been having a time with 3.75 ratings, recently.

This is not my favourite nor my least-favouring TJK! It's a solid read and reliably intersects with the rest of the literary universe. I always appreciate this author's deep-dives into specific subcultures/topics, and this is no exception when it comes to the tennis industry of yore, especially with how it may have intersected with sexism and racism. The father-daughter relationship is particularly well-written and interesting and, as per usual, I could really take-or-leave the romantic relationship that's tacked on. I loved that the Spanish isn't translated, I don't think it needs to be.

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jacks_beloved's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

And she does it again. Another release, another masterpiece. It's like with every character she creates, Reid sets out to break a record (yes, numerous puns derived from the book itself)

Carrie Soto is probably the most real potrait of a person Reid has ever created. A person who flew too close to the sun and is now afraid of getting scorched. This book is so many things. It's a feminist commentary of women in sports, it's about father-daughter relationships, it's about mentors, but most importantly, it's about learning how to fail. Carrie is poetry. She is the legend Reid describes her to be in the book. Carrie teaches you that life doesn't belong to the winners, nor does it hate the losers. Life belongs to those who live every moment, and feel every breath. It belongs to those who enjoy. (I'm sorry, she just makes a sap out of you). Carrie is a mentee but she's also a mentor when it comes to teaching women to be fearless and heartless, and unapolegetic about it. The world will always hate confident women, but you need to stand up to the world and give them a big "fuck you".

As long as I've spent praising Carrie, my favourite character of the book was definitely the sunshine Chan. The rival. The opponent. The reason Carrie Soto is back. Her character is the reason this book has the most satisfying and full-circle ending I could think of (though I can understand why it'll probably be extremely frustrating for some people, but it is in keeping with the tone of the rest of the book). Nicki Chan is the personification of the kind of explosions that can be created if women just start supporting women, whether in their rights or wrongs, in whatever way possible. Nicki Chan is kind but tough. She's an inspiration. She is everything I would want to be at the age she is said to be at. (Additionally, her British accent in the audiobook won me over. Fell more in love right that second. Also, bi-rep.)

One would think that all the tennis talk would bore the reader. That the plot is bound to get predictable and boring. Yes, it was predictable. No, it wasn't boring for a goddamn second because the characters were interesting. They kept you on your toes. They were always doing something complex and out of the box. (Although, the book can definitely get repetitive and monotonous with its technical tennis talk for everyone who is not invested in the characters).

I've said it once and I'll say it again, Taylor Jenkins Reid is an icon. She is the best writer out there in the genre of contemporary women's fiction, which is, arguably, one of the realest and most important genres out there. She has the potential to make history with her style of writing (I'm still in the sports commentator mood, obviously).

Needless to say, every work of Reid's need to be read and analysed and talked about till they achieve the label of modern classics.

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itsheyfay's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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princessblueyes's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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miahenry's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was fantastic. Carrie Soto is one of the best complicated heroines I’ve met in a while. I was a bit skeptical after her dramatic cameo in Malibu Rising. But I quickly grew to care for her and root for her. I also loved all of the supporting characters…Her father Javier is unforgettable. Such a character, and his love for Carrie is heartwarming - a story within the story. Bowe and Gwen just shine as Carrie’s chosen family. Nicki Chan is the best nemesis ever.

The tennis action was fantastically written, even for someone like me who barely understands the rules. I also like the sports media stories and commentary interspersed throughout. This booked moved. By the time I got to the middle, I couldn’t put it down.

This was my third TJR book and by far my favorite. (Saving Seven Husbands for last in this four book universe because I heard it was so good.) I think it being written in first person helped me connect better with the main character. Highly recommend this to anyone who appreciates strong character development, comeback stories, and/or inspiring sports action.

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kelseyfontaine's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I absolutely LOVED this book! As someone who played sports their whole life, I had a special appreciation for it and could understand a little bit of what Carrie was going through. I felt connection with each and every character, and I especially loved how the time period tied into the entire plot. As a romance reader, I appreciated the development between Carrie and Beau, but I liked how it wasn’t the main focus. Not to mention, the relationship between Carrie and her father, Javier, was raw and beautifully written. I also thought the integration of news articles and interviews was super interesting, and gave an outside view to everything that was happening. My only complaint would be the lack of translation at some points when Carrie and Javier were talking in Spanish, as it could be confusing at times when there wasn’t much context surrounding it. But, despite that, I really enjoyed the book and it was an amazing change of pace from my typical romance novel!

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