Reviews with content warning for Medical content - Carrie Soto Is Back

Yet another Taylor Jenkins Reid book that I absolutely have to give five stars to. I honestly wasn’t sure about how much I would like this, especially considering the only sport I’m interested in typically is hockey, but I loved this book. I was hanging on to every word, and I felt like I was actually watching each tennis match. It was described so perfectly, and so easy to follow even for someone who doesn’t know the sport well. (I’d say the extent of my knowledge previous to this came from playing Wii sports tennis with my sister lollll)

Carrie’s feelings of desperation, hopelessness, and being so power-hungry were written perfectly. Listening to the audiobook I was 100% in her head. I also adored the relationship between her and her father, and found myself falling in love with the love her that and Bo have for each other.

I cannot wait to read more of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books!!

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abbiemreads's review

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emotional hopeful 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

4.75

I am devastated in the best way. TJR always knows the best way to tell a story and embed these characters into your heart. I could live in her writing and this interconnected universe forever. I always need more.

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clarke's review against another edition

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inspiring slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

It's no Evelyn Hugo.
Idk, I just didn't get the point of this book? Other than training and playing tennis, not much happened? I expected more.

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quillcg's review against another edition

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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

nora_knight's review against another edition

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challenging emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

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

4.75

Everything that Taylor Jenkins Reid writes is so so beautiful. Her characters are so intricately crafted, so perfectly flawed, and entirely human; it takes my breath away every time. I don't particularly enjoy tennis but this book was so incredibly engaging, I couldn't put it down. I absolutely adore how TJR truly understands her characters, what motivates them, and their truths (the ones they've admitted and the ones they haven't); it shines in the ways her characters interact and form relationships. Reading her writing is like reading art.

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hanna's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective tense slow-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

I spent the first two hours of this constantly wanting to dnf it but I'm so glad I stuck through!

Carrie Soto is an absolute bitch and I respect her so much for that. Her inner thoughts about winning & losing changed so beautifully over the course of the book and really spoke to me.

(Idk how tennis works tho) (made the whole thing a bit anti climatic at times)

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m4rtt4's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense 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

I've never been so invested in any sport as I was in tennis while reading this book! So intense. Through Carrie Soto I could see what I would have become as an athlete - the ever-so-greedy perfectionist that hates losing - but also I'm glad that my imposter syndrome reminds me to be humble. The book could have had some more scenes outside the tennis courts, as if Carrie didn't have a life outside them, but then again she probably didn't and the storyline perfectly reflects that. It's so weird but also cool af that Taylor Jenkins Reid always manages to create characters that feel so real, like any real-life celebrities and whatnot, while still being completely fictional.

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