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

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.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings