A review by leahgustafson
Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

emotional hopeful inspiring 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

 I put off reading this one longer than I’d liked. Honestly, this one might be tied for my favorite TJR book. This book is intense, face-paced, and I could not get enough! 
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Carrie is an extremely complex character. She can be cold, closed-off, and sometimes down-right rude. However, there are things that make her likeable too. I connected with her competitiveness, intensity, drive, and will to win. You can’t help but admire her determination and work ethic. 
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I love how TJR highlights barriers and double standards female athletes face. This wasn’t super overt, but comments about what women should be wearing, how they are expected to act towards each other, and what the media expects them to say is in sharp contrast with the male players’ behavior. Perhaps my favorite thing about this story, aside from the character development, is the exploration of “greatness.” Throughout the story there are various metrics presented to determine who is “the best.” The reader (alongside Carrie) comes to find that all of these are extremely subjective. This is a very difficult lesson that Carrie struggles with throughout the story, often sacrificing her own happiness and relationships with others along the way in order to “achieve” and continue chasing this title. 
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I absolutely adored Carrie’s relationship with her father, Javier. I feel like they both grow a lot throughout the story, and TJR does a great job developing him as well. 
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