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wisteria22's review
inspiring
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
5.0
“Carrie Soto is Back” is the best book I’ve read in ages and had me at the edge of my seat the whole time. Carrie Soto might be my all-time favorite female character and TJR managed to let her shine in all of her complicated facets. The novel is an inspiring portrayal of female ambition and even though I’ve never watched a single tennis match in my life, I fell in love with the sport through TJR’s words. Simply stunning. A phenomenal read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Sexism
Moderate: Terminal illness, Body shaming, and Medical content
Minor: Death of parent, Addiction, and Car accident
loesm's review
emotional
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I have issues with Taylor Jenkins Reid as a writer. First off, her books are marked as literary, even though they are clearly not. To me, they read like chicklit, which is a perfectly good genre and one I enjoy, but they should not pretend to be something they're not. Also, her books - or the ones I know of - are about fame and perception, which is not my favourite and I actually think is some sort of cheat code for chicklit: it assumes the importance of the book and the credibility of the characters.
This is also one of the problems I have with this book: The characters are flat. Carrie doesn't rise much beyond her determination to be the best in tennis, the way the book is structured prevented me from becoming invested in his tennis, so he only serves as the persistent love interest and Javier is a male momagaer who compensates for his own injury by living vicariously through his daughter. That's about it. I also feel like Javier's death is conveniently exploited as a tear jerker, solely used for plot development, which feels like an incredible cheap shot and a complete incorrect portrayal of death, which doesn't serve the whiles of plot development.
I am also wondering whether this is an ode to the Williams sisters or it's a subject it avoids. I assume it's set before their reign not to interfere with their legacies, since it touches on the same subjects, such as women in tennis and people/women of colour in tennis.
This brings me to the romance, which feels a bit unbelievable. Yes, Carrie is a boss ass bitch with an admirable determination. But her focus on winning and fear of losing isn't particularly endearing. I loved her unlikability as a tennis player (she's there to win matches, not endear people to her, and why put energy into being likable that seeps from her focus on tennis?) but as a person, there was nothing which made me want to be her friend. That's a long way of saying why I didn't understand why Bowe would suffer the string of rejections. Likewise, Bowe simply felt like a safe choice, as his one defining quality was being attracted to her, suffering the rejections and doing acts of service (which is also not my love language, so maybe I'm the wrong audience).
This book also does not pass a reverse Bechtel-test, of the discussion of things other than tennis. Although this seems to be how you get to be a star athlete.
Nonetheless, it is very well written. I can never put a finger on the things that are good, but Taylor Jenkins Reid knows how to write and keep me reading.
I also appreciated the feminism.
Discussion questions for my book club:
1) What attracts Bowe to Carrie?
2) What purpose does Javier's sickbed and death serve to the story?
3) What's your opinion on fame and perception of star athletes?
4) Did the ending surprise you? The end of the match and her career after.
5) What do we think of the homage to the William's sisters?
6) What genre is this book?
This is also one of the problems I have with this book: The characters are flat. Carrie doesn't rise much beyond her determination to be the best in tennis, the way the book is structured prevented me from becoming invested in his tennis, so he only serves as the persistent love interest and Javier is a male momagaer who compensates for his own injury by living vicariously through his daughter. That's about it.
I am also wondering whether this is an ode to the Williams sisters or it's a subject it avoids. I assume it's set before their reign not to interfere with their legacies, since it touches on the same subjects, such as women in tennis and people/women of colour in tennis.
This brings me to the romance, which feels a bit unbelievable. Yes, Carrie is a boss ass bitch with an admirable determination. But her focus on winning and fear of losing isn't particularly endearing. I loved her unlikability as a tennis player (she's there to win matches, not endear people to her, and why put energy into being likable that seeps from her focus on tennis?) but as a person, there was nothing which made me want to be her friend. That's a long way of saying why I didn't understand why Bowe would suffer the string of rejections. Likewise, Bowe simply felt like a safe choice, as his one defining quality was being attracted to her, suffering the rejections and doing acts of service (which is also not my love language, so maybe I'm the wrong audience).
This book also does not pass a reverse Bechtel-test, of the discussion of things other than tennis. Although this seems to be how you get to be a star athlete.
Nonetheless, it is very well written. I can never put a finger on the things that are good, but Taylor Jenkins Reid knows how to write and keep me reading.
I also appreciated the feminism.
Discussion questions for my book club:
1) What attracts Bowe to Carrie?
2) What purpose does Javier's sickbed and death serve to the story?
3) What's your opinion on fame and perception of star athletes?
4) Did the ending surprise you? The end of the match and her career after.
5) What do we think of the homage to the William's sisters?
6) What genre is this book?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexism
Minor: Car accident
pkc's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
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
5.0
Having read ‘Malibu Rising’, I had no idea how a whole book about Carrie Soto, a troublesome side character in every sense, would fare in her own story, but TJR’s approach is simple - embrace every single that made her troublesome in ‘Malibu…’ but give her a reason and a purpose. The result is almost 400 pages of joyful character development and exploration in a subject that I have little to no interest in (tennis) creating a speedy narrative that I greedily ate up in three sittings.
I think another key to the success of this story was the supporting cast - Stop’s dad, Javier in particular was a gorgeous treasure. Each of the other tennis players had a distinct, fleshed out and realised persona. In short, it was glorious. You don’t need to have read any of the other TJR celebrity books (‘Malibu Rising’, ‘Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’ and ‘Daisy Jones and the Six’) but it’s an enjoyable experience getting some of the references. I hope TJR isn’t done with this universe.
I think another key to the success of this story was the supporting cast - Stop’s dad, Javier in particular was a gorgeous treasure. Each of the other tennis players had a distinct, fleshed out and realised persona. In short, it was glorious. You don’t need to have read any of the other TJR celebrity books (‘Malibu Rising’, ‘Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’ and ‘Daisy Jones and the Six’) but it’s an enjoyable experience getting some of the references. I hope TJR isn’t done with this universe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism
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
horizonous's review against another edition
Not only was I bored reading this, I also don't understand the set-up for the story. Maybe later on it gets more clear why Carrie Soto is so obsessed with being the BEST, but up until this point she just seems like a very one-dimensional character. A tennis machine with nothing going for her otherwise. All she does is train, train, train, complain to everyone around her that she HAS to be the best, that she DESERVES to be the best, because she puts in all this work. So much so she has to come out of retirement after seven years because a younger (equally hard-working) player will probably break her Grand Slam record very soon. On top of that Carrie is incredibly rude to EVERYONE.I do get a healthy amount of rivalry in sports is necessary, but this isn't it. I don't understand how people see Carrie Soto as a "strong woman". To me this has nothing to do with empowerment, feminism or being witty anymore, it's just arrogance and rudeness.
And then there's all of the tennis talk. I played tennis myself, I understand the game. I much rather watch it then read about minutely detailed training sessions or match rallys.
And then there's all of the tennis talk. I played tennis myself, I understand the game. I much rather watch it then read about minutely detailed training sessions or match rallys.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexism, and Infidelity
Minor: Grief, Cancer, and Car accident
samarakroeger's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-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
3.5
I think this book has a LOT of flaws (i.e., shoddy diversity representation handled poorly), but I am relieved to have read it in one sitting after really struggling through Malibu Rising (which I thought was a deeply disappointing read in need of some serious editing).
I think the first person narration was a much better choice for TJR here, and I think this book was better for only being tangentially connected to her previous 3 releases. Fewer characters and a more focused narrative were also smart choices on her part.
It was a bold move to write it from the perspective of such a deeply unlikeable character. Carrie Soto is such a whiny, insufferable bitch but I kinda grew to love her for it.
There were quite a few plot beats that were incredibly predictable if you’ve read her backlist (and I saw each one coming…) that I could have done without. How many books of hers include convenient car crash deaths of loved ones of the main character now? (it’s too many, that’s for sure — and the only book of hers I haven’t read is One True Loves).
I am glad to have actually read it — my expectations were on the ground after being continually more and more let down by an author I once thought was a new favorite. I only deigned to pick it up when my Libby hold finally came in, and it has renewed a small sense of hope in TJR after so many disappointments.
I think the first person narration was a much better choice for TJR here, and I think this book was better for only being tangentially connected to her previous 3 releases. Fewer characters and a more focused narrative were also smart choices on her part.
It was a bold move to write it from the perspective of such a deeply unlikeable character. Carrie Soto is such a whiny, insufferable bitch but I kinda grew to love her for it.
There were quite a few plot beats that were incredibly predictable if you’ve read her backlist (and I saw each one coming…) that I could have done without. How many books of hers include convenient car crash deaths of loved ones of the main character now? (it’s too many, that’s for sure — and the only book of hers I haven’t read is One True Loves).
I am glad to have actually read it — my expectations were on the ground after being continually more and more let down by an author I once thought was a new favorite. I only deigned to pick it up when my Libby hold finally came in, and it has renewed a small sense of hope in TJR after so many disappointments.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Car accident, and Death of parent
thecriticalreader's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
fast-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
Since I highly enjoyed Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Malibu Rising, I immediately ordered Carrie Soto Is Back once I saw it had been released.
Blurb:
Carrie Soto is a thirty-seven-year-old retired professional tennis player who used to be the best woman’s tennis player in the world. When another tennis champion, Nicki Chan, comes close to breaking one of her records, Carrie decides to come out of retirement to defend her title.
Review:
Carrie Soto Is Back is a tight, breezy novel that packs a lot of emotion and excitement into its pages. Unlike some of other Reid’s novels, which feature complex storylines and large casts of characters, Carrie Soto focuses entirely on the development of its protagonist and her relationships with a handful of people. This focus allows Reid to craft a brilliantly flawed, complex, and believable protagonist who we can root for, even when she makes mistakes and treats those around her poorly. Carrie’s character arc unfolds amid the exciting atmosphere of tennis tournaments. The focus and character work in this book make it my favorite so far of the Taylor Jenkins Reid books I have read.
Reid also does a spectacular job writing Carrie’s relationships with her father, Javier, and her sparring partner, Bowe Huntley. Javier and Bowe are flawed but lovable, and the dialogue and banter between Carrie and the other characters add to the book’s entertainment value. Writing realistic relationships between characters has always been Reid’s strength, and it shines through in this novel
Although the storyline does not contain any surprises, it is nonetheless an exciting and inspiring journey to see Carrie grow as a person and as a player. Reid also sprinkles in commentary about feminism, aging, sports, and celebrity culture that is (usually) not too on-the-nose.
My one gripe with the book was the awkwardness of the Spanish words, phrases, and sentences Carrie and her father exchange with each other. I’m all for sprinkling in non-English components into dialogue to characterize a bilingual interaction, but the Spanish here felt clunky and forced. I’m not bilingual, but it did not feel like an authentic fusion of the Spanish and English languages. The sentences were so basic that they felt like they were written by someone with only a few years of high school Spanish under their belt.
The Run-Down:
You will probably like Carrie Soto Is Back if:
· You have enjoyed any other books by Taylor Jenkins Reid
· You like a good underdog sports story
· You enjoy witty banter between flawed but lovable characters
· You like watching a main character learn and grow
You might not like Carrie Soto is Back if:
· You dislike Taylor Jenkins Reid’s writing style
· You despise messy, flawed, and occasionally cruel main characters
A Similar Text:
Borg vs. McEnroe (2017). I chose a movie rather than a book for two reasons: one, Carrie Soto Is Back reads very much like a movie. Secondly, Borg vs. McEnroe has much in common with Carrie Soto—in fact, the Borg/McEnroe rivalry is referenced in Carrie Soto. Similarities between these texts include:
· Stories about tennis world champions
· Deeply flawed protagonists
· Discussions of sports and celebrity culture
· Depictions of characters who push their bodies to the limit for the sake of competition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Bullying, Medical content, Sexism, and Body shaming
Minor: Cancer, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, and Infidelity
kelly_e's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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
Title: Carrie Soto Is Back
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.75
Pub Date: August 30, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Addictive • Riveting • Immersive
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular.
By the time Carrie retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Slam titles. And if you ask her, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father as her coach.
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, British 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.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Taylor Jenkins Reid's Carrie Soto Is Back was one of my most anticipated releases of 2022, and it did not disappoint. TJR has quickly become an auto-buy author for me simply because of her unique ability in writing nuanced and vivid characters. As someone who considers themselves to be a huge sports fan, I was equally intrigued knowing it would involve tennis.
Firstly, I could not put this book down! From the very first page I was fully invested and wanted to keep reading to see how everything would pan out. The characters are complex with multiple layers to each. While Carrie's character comes across as arrogant and entitled, as the story progresses details are reveled that allowed me to get to know and understand her better. The author's writing made me feel like I was sitting in the stands watching every move of the matches, and rooting for Carrie in her comeback. One of the little extras I love about her books, is how she'll gives little hints or snippets of characters from her other books (or maybe future books?), yet she keeps it minimal, so you can easily read the books independently of one another.
Secondly, I absolutely loved the father/daughter relationship portrayed in this book. It was messy and complicated, yet never once did I doubt the father's love for his daughter. I am so used to the mother/daughter relationship trope, that this one was a breathe of fresh air. In fact, the romance development was also very well written.
Thirdly, while the world of tennis takes up much of the narrative, in my opinion, you don't need to be knowledgeable about the game in order to appreciate the narrative, yet if you are a tennis player and/or fan of the sport you'll likely have an even greater appreciation for this story. I know I came away with a greater appreciation for game, and female athletes in general.
And lastly, the audiobook featuring a full cast was fantastic! There are little extras, including parts of it felt like a real live broadcast of the matches. And it allowed for a completely immersive reading experience, and I would highly recommend going that route.
Carrie Soto Is Back is completely different from any of her other books, yet it I loved it just as much. I wouldn't be surprised to see it turned into a movie or mini series at some point in the future. TJR manages to combine plot driven and character driven stories unlike anyone else. Her latest certainly solidifies her place on my author read-it all list, and I cannot wait to read whatever she publishes next.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• mixed media fans
• TJR devotees
• Tennis enthusiasts
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Grief is like a deep, dark hole. It calls like a siren: Come to me, lose yourself here. And you fight it and you fight it and you fight it, but when you finally succumb and jump down into it, you can't quite believe how deep it is. It feels as if this how you will live for the rest of your life, falling. Terrified and devastated, until you yourself die."
"What a gift it is, to be able to guide someone to a point and then let them finish it themselves. To give someone all the knowledge you have and then pray they use it right."
"I am no longer the greatest tennis player in the world. For the first time in my life, I can be...something else."
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.75
Pub Date: August 30, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Addictive • Riveting • Immersive
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular.
By the time Carrie retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Slam titles. And if you ask her, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father as her coach.
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, British 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.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Taylor Jenkins Reid's Carrie Soto Is Back was one of my most anticipated releases of 2022, and it did not disappoint. TJR has quickly become an auto-buy author for me simply because of her unique ability in writing nuanced and vivid characters. As someone who considers themselves to be a huge sports fan, I was equally intrigued knowing it would involve tennis.
Firstly, I could not put this book down! From the very first page I was fully invested and wanted to keep reading to see how everything would pan out. The characters are complex with multiple layers to each. While Carrie's character comes across as arrogant and entitled, as the story progresses details are reveled that allowed me to get to know and understand her better. The author's writing made me feel like I was sitting in the stands watching every move of the matches, and rooting for Carrie in her comeback. One of the little extras I love about her books, is how she'll gives little hints or snippets of characters from her other books (or maybe future books?), yet she keeps it minimal, so you can easily read the books independently of one another.
Secondly, I absolutely loved the father/daughter relationship portrayed in this book. It was messy and complicated, yet never once did I doubt the father's love for his daughter. I am so used to the mother/daughter relationship trope, that this one was a breathe of fresh air. In fact, the romance development was also very well written.
Thirdly, while the world of tennis takes up much of the narrative, in my opinion, you don't need to be knowledgeable about the game in order to appreciate the narrative, yet if you are a tennis player and/or fan of the sport you'll likely have an even greater appreciation for this story. I know I came away with a greater appreciation for game, and female athletes in general.
And lastly, the audiobook featuring a full cast was fantastic! There are little extras, including parts of it felt like a real live broadcast of the matches. And it allowed for a completely immersive reading experience, and I would highly recommend going that route.
Carrie Soto Is Back is completely different from any of her other books, yet it I loved it just as much. I wouldn't be surprised to see it turned into a movie or mini series at some point in the future. TJR manages to combine plot driven and character driven stories unlike anyone else. Her latest certainly solidifies her place on my author read-it all list, and I cannot wait to read whatever she publishes next.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• mixed media fans
• TJR devotees
• Tennis enthusiasts
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Grief is like a deep, dark hole. It calls like a siren: Come to me, lose yourself here. And you fight it and you fight it and you fight it, but when you finally succumb and jump down into it, you can't quite believe how deep it is. It feels as if this how you will live for the rest of your life, falling. Terrified and devastated, until you yourself die."
"What a gift it is, to be able to guide someone to a point and then let them finish it themselves. To give someone all the knowledge you have and then pray they use it right."
"I am no longer the greatest tennis player in the world. For the first time in my life, I can be...something else."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexism, Grief, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Medical content, Body shaming, Cursing, and Racism
Minor: Car accident, Alcohol, Addiction, Infidelity, Sexual content, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Cancer
jackiepreston's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death of parent, and Misogyny
Minor: Car accident and Cancer
fluffy1st's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Car accident