Reviews with content warning for Infidelity - Carrie Soto Is Back

I shouldn't be too proud I guess, of saying that I see myself so much in Carrie Soto that there were parts at the beginning that cut too deep. I just love her, her growth, her strength, her perfectionism and anger and the sheer willpower of being herself despite what everyone thinks. And what can I say about Bowe, and Nicki, and Gwen? Just that, once again, I'm mesmerized by Taylor Jenkins Reid's writing, of her ability to write such complex characters that you can't help but fall in love with all of them. There was never a moment on this book in which I wanted it to end a well deserved 5/5

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marigold82's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective tense 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

4.75

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horizonous's review against another edition

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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.

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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

norebax's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny inspiring fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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simply_fran's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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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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bella_cavicchi's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Taylor Jenkins Reid writes such compelling, fast-paced books -- I was both shocked and not shocked at all at how quickly I flew through this. Its "readability" is aided in part by what I think is a stronger second half, where the story seems to find its footing and Carrie is less an archetype and more a nuanced character (her relationship with her dad, especially, is beautifully developed). That said, I think the book's biggest pitfall is also one that's hard to avoid given the subject: making each match something new and something "alive."

All said, I will gladly continue to grab whatever Reid writes next, because again: compulsively, addictively readable!

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