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hdoomk's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Cursing
anewton's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.0
A quick, delightful read that taps into your emotions whilst navigating complex relationships, identity of self and perfectionism.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Death of parent
funkylitchick's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
david_slack110507's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
relaxing
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
4.25
Back with Taylor Jenkins Reid books and this one was unsurprisingly another hit and incredibly well written. I will preface this by saying that I cannot say whether or not this is a good representation of a Latina character and the Latino community, but I do wish that for those that can give an accurate account of this aspect, that she has done this in a careful, well thought out and well-respected manner to the community and its culture.
I really liked this book even though it is based on a sport I never thought twice about: tennis. The way that Reid wrote the tennis matches and the tennis rules was extremely engaging even if I did forget some of the rules sometimes. The tennis aspect was kept as a constant focus and was well used as a means of facilitating the larger themes and developments of the story, something that reminiscing on Malibu Rising, cannot really be said as if my memory serves me right, the surfing aspect of the book became less critical as the book went on and the party started. I also really liked the return of news articles and interview/talk show transcripts which we last saw that type of documenting format in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, which allowed for there to not only be breaks in the story but also see the larger world's view on the current events and state of tennis.
Something that I also found quite strong was the themes of the book and its characters. The discussion on the difficulties faced by women and people of colour in sports in the past such as when this book is set (E.g. the mid-1990s) and even now was remarkably interesting and is a very topical discussion now and in my opinion is dealt with very well. It expertly highlighted these issues as well as those affected by these issues and how they must hide their anger with this system to appear their absolute best for the public eye. The book has a very focused look on a few characters rather than having a wide stretching one allowing for the story to feel much more intimate as we only really focus on Carrie, Javier (A standout in this book to me due to how willing he was to train his daughter and not be jealous at her success and actually understand her better than she did herself - their relationship and father/daughter bond was probably the best-written part of this book), Bowe, Nicki, and Gwen.
Carrie has to be one of my favourite protagonists that I've read about in a long time, not only does she have the fiery attitude that many of TJR's female protagonists have but she also has incredible character development. She goes from being someone who must win every single game she plays even if it means coming off as an awful person to the public and those that she cares about to being someone who still wants to win but also recognises that losing is not the be all end all of the situations and that it is the journey and the game itself that is the most important part of it all. I also really liked how Carrie developed emotionally as well going from being perceived as cold and remorseless to being someone who gives genuine thanks and appreciation to those who help her and even respect to those she is facing off against.
I really liked this book even though it is based on a sport I never thought twice about: tennis. The way that Reid wrote the tennis matches and the tennis rules was extremely engaging even if I did forget some of the rules sometimes. The tennis aspect was kept as a constant focus and was well used as a means of facilitating the larger themes and developments of the story, something that reminiscing on Malibu Rising, cannot really be said as if my memory serves me right, the surfing aspect of the book became less critical as the book went on and the party started. I also really liked the return of news articles and interview/talk show transcripts which we last saw that type of documenting format in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, which allowed for there to not only be breaks in the story but also see the larger world's view on the current events and state of tennis.
Something that I also found quite strong was the themes of the book and its characters. The discussion on the difficulties faced by women and people of colour in sports in the past such as when this book is set (E.g. the mid-1990s) and even now was remarkably interesting and is a very topical discussion now and in my opinion is dealt with very well. It expertly highlighted these issues as well as those affected by these issues and how they must hide their anger with this system to appear their absolute best for the public eye. The book has a very focused look on a few characters rather than having a wide stretching one allowing for the story to feel much more intimate as we only really focus on Carrie, Javier (A standout in this book to me due to how willing he was to train his daughter and not be jealous at her success and actually understand her better than she did herself - their relationship and father/daughter bond was probably the best-written part of this book), Bowe, Nicki, and Gwen.
Carrie has to be one of my favourite protagonists that I've read about in a long time, not only does she have the fiery attitude that many of TJR's female protagonists have but she also has incredible character development. She goes from being someone who must win every single game she plays even if it means coming off as an awful person to the public and those that she cares about to being someone who still wants to win but also recognises that losing is not the be all end all of the situations and that it is the journey and the game itself that is the most important part of it all. I also really liked how Carrie developed emotionally as well going from being perceived as cold and remorseless to being someone who gives genuine thanks and appreciation to those who help her and even respect to those she is facing off against.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexism, Grief, Death of parent, and Misogyny
Moderate: Medical content, Cancer, Death of parent, Racism, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Grief
Minor: Alcohol, Addiction, Bullying, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Sexual content, and Infidelity
kylielf's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.0
TJR does not write a bad book, and CSIB is no different. I loved how fast-paced the story was. This book literally made me want to play tennis when I had never touched a racquet before. When reading, you feel like you are right there beside the characters. So much heart in this book, and it was a great read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexism, Death, and Misogyny
madflatt's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Death
Minor: Addiction
stephmcoakley's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Grief, Sexism, Body shaming, Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Medical content, and Misogyny
indyjg's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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
4.25
As someone who was introduced to tennis because of my Mum and has watched it for years, I knew I’d love this book. I’ve followed the careers of tennis players like Ash Barty and Serena Williams through the highs and lows and have the utmost respect for the Original Nine, so reading through the career of Carrie Soto, a woman who is wholly unapologetic for being herself, for her success and learning how to face failure along the way was a treat. So, this book gets 4.25 stars from me!
Carrie subverts the expectations that women should be ‘grateful’ for their success as though it was their price for winning. There is an overarching expectation in both real life and fiction that women in sports are expected to act a certain way, to be demure, kind, and appreciative of their success. To not do so, you’ll be ostracised, called a bitch, cold-hearted. When men display the same traits, they are lauded and applauded. They are seen as greats of the game. You see these double standards with Carrie. You see it with Tonya Harding. You see it when men, such as the former Indian Wells CEO Raymond Moore, say female tennis players “ride on the coattails of the men.”
<blockquote>"The bulk of the commentators... They wanted a woman whose eyes would tear up with gratitude, as if she owed them her victory, as if she owed them everything she had."</blockquote>
Carrie’s hardest lesson is one that she learns in the twilight of an incredible career. That to lose is not to fail. She overcomes great challenges through sheer determination, which I deeply admire, but more importantly, she realises that perfection is a double-edged sword.
<blockquote>“Needing to win because we cannot bear to lose.”</blockquote>
As Voltaire said, perfection is the enemy of good, leaving out the possibilities for improvement. I quite enjoyed the ending, even if I did predict it. I haven’t read any other books by Taylor Jenkins Reid, but I’m sure I’ll pick up some of her other stuff soon!
Carrie subverts the expectations that women should be ‘grateful’ for their success as though it was their price for winning. There is an overarching expectation in both real life and fiction that women in sports are expected to act a certain way, to be demure, kind, and appreciative of their success. To not do so, you’ll be ostracised, called a bitch, cold-hearted. When men display the same traits, they are lauded and applauded. They are seen as greats of the game. You see these double standards with Carrie. You see it with Tonya Harding. You see it when men, such as the former Indian Wells CEO Raymond Moore, say female tennis players “ride on the coattails of the men.”
<blockquote>"The bulk of the commentators... They wanted a woman whose eyes would tear up with gratitude, as if she owed them her victory, as if she owed them everything she had."</blockquote>
Carrie’s hardest lesson is one that she learns in the twilight of an incredible career. That to lose is not to fail. She overcomes great challenges through sheer determination, which I deeply admire, but more importantly, she realises that perfection is a double-edged sword.
<blockquote>“Needing to win because we cannot bear to lose.”</blockquote>
As Voltaire said, perfection is the enemy of good, leaving out the possibilities for improvement. I quite enjoyed the ending, even if I did predict it. I haven’t read any other books by Taylor Jenkins Reid, but I’m sure I’ll pick up some of her other stuff soon!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism
tatiannaskye's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow. I read this book in one sitting and it took me six hours. It was beautifully written, the characters very relatable. And the message itself was a hit to the gut. This book made me cry, silently scream and jump for joy. This for sure is going to be a reoccurring read for me whenever I’m feeling unmotivated or like I can’t do something. Carrie should be an inspiration for all women out there.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Body shaming, and Death of parent
Just some sad part that will make you cry.taulkstoomuch's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
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
4.75
Another TJR classic - I don't know how she manages to write such complex characters so well. After reading Malibu Rising, I was very apprehensive about Carrie Soto as a character, but I have been proven wrong. The thing I enjoy about this book, and others within this universe, is the ability to really present the humanity of characters; the main characters are not this picturesque perfect person that does the objective right thing at all times, they are human beings.
The other thing I really enjoyed about this book was the truly beautiful father-daughter relationship: the coaching, the arguments, and the unconditional love for family despite all. It was very refreshing to read about. I am not sure I am in the position to comment on the background of the character but this book somehow perfectly incorporated my love for Spanish with the minimal knowledge I had of tennis, and made it very enjoyable!
I've been putting off Seven Husbands until I read all the other books in the universe so I am happy to finally be able to move onto that one!
The other thing I really enjoyed about this book was the truly beautiful father-daughter relationship: the coaching, the arguments, and the unconditional love for family despite all. It was very refreshing to read about. I am not sure I am in the position to comment on the background of the character but this book somehow perfectly incorporated my love for Spanish with the minimal knowledge I had of tennis, and made it very enjoyable!
I've been putting off Seven Husbands until I read all the other books in the universe so I am happy to finally be able to move onto that one!
Content Warnings
Minor: Death