A review by onthesamepage
Carrie Soto Is Back, by Taylor Jenkins Reid
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Note: While I'm aware of the discussions surrounding the author and the way she continues to write Latinx characters despite not being Latinx herself, this is not something I can comment on. However, I urge you to seek out Latinx reviewers if you're looking for more details regarding the representation. The only thing I can say about it is that there was a lot of Spanish dialogue in the book.
When I was young, I was never interested in tennis, even though my mother was an avid watcher, but that changed after I happened to see a Federer vs. Nadal match. I still can't explain it, but I loved the way Nadal played, and that's how I kind of got into watching the sport, which would eventually lead me to reading this. I do think a familiarity with the rules helps—while I wouldn't say the author throws you into the deep end, she also doesn't explain everything. The other thing that's important to know is that there is a LOT of tennis in this book. Everything else ends up taking a backseat. I personally didn't mind it, but if you're looking for a character-driven story, I don't think this will scratch that itch.
Carrie is an unlikeable heroine, not because she's extremely ambitious and competitive, but because she's abrasive, rude, and has no filter. It was hard to root for her when she never showed a sense of sportsmanship, and hid behind a shield of "(brutal) honesty is the best policy" regardless of how that made other people feel. Her motivation at the beginning of the story is clear: someone is about to beat her record of Grand Slam titles, and she's determined to prove to everyone that she was, is, and will always remain, the best in tennis. But as you progress through the story, the way she clings to this conviction makes less and less sense, and it's almost like she's only clinging to it so we have a book to read. There are moments of her starting to realize that what she's doing isn't logical or in her best interest, but every time they simply get pushed away in favor of, "I must win!" This means that the growth we see at the very end feels very abrupt, and not in line with how she was acting for the other 95% of the story.
There has always been a double standard when it comes to women who play sports, and the expectation that they should always smile, and be pleasant, and not say an unkind word to anyone, whereas men receive more leeway when they have a bad day and start slamming stuff. I've never understood the latter—personally, I expect all professional players to show professionalism, which means not breaking rackets on the court, and being polite to the people they work/play with. I understand what the author was trying to do with Carrie, but I think there's a way to discuss this topic without making Carrie as unlikeable as she was.
Note: While I'm aware of the discussions surrounding the author and the way she continues to write Latinx characters despite not being Latinx herself, this is not something I can comment on. However, I urge you to seek out Latinx reviewers if you're looking for more details regarding the representation. The only thing I can say about it is that there was a lot of Spanish dialogue in the book.
When I was young, I was never interested in tennis, even though my mother was an avid watcher, but that changed after I happened to see a Federer vs. Nadal match. I still can't explain it, but I loved the way Nadal played, and that's how I kind of got into watching the sport, which would eventually lead me to reading this. I do think a familiarity with the rules helps—while I wouldn't say the author throws you into the deep end, she also doesn't explain everything. The other thing that's important to know is that there is a LOT of tennis in this book. Everything else ends up taking a backseat. I personally didn't mind it, but if you're looking for a character-driven story, I don't think this will scratch that itch.
Carrie is an unlikeable heroine, not because she's extremely ambitious and competitive, but because she's abrasive, rude, and has no filter. It was hard to root for her when she never showed a sense of sportsmanship, and hid behind a shield of "(brutal) honesty is the best policy" regardless of how that made other people feel. Her motivation at the beginning of the story is clear: someone is about to beat her record of Grand Slam titles, and she's determined to prove to everyone that she was, is, and will always remain, the best in tennis. But as you progress through the story, the way she clings to this conviction makes less and less sense, and it's almost like she's only clinging to it so we have a book to read. There are moments of her starting to realize that what she's doing isn't logical or in her best interest, but every time they simply get pushed away in favor of, "I must win!" This means that the growth we see at the very end feels very abrupt, and not in line with how she was acting for the other 95% of the story.
There has always been a double standard when it comes to women who play sports, and the expectation that they should always smile, and be pleasant, and not say an unkind word to anyone, whereas men receive more leeway when they have a bad day and start slamming stuff. I've never understood the latter—personally, I expect all professional players to show professionalism, which means not breaking rackets on the court, and being polite to the people they work/play with. I understand what the author was trying to do with Carrie, but I think there's a way to discuss this topic without making Carrie as unlikeable as she was.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Sexism