Hello Everyone,
Today’s review is on Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
About the Book
In this powerful novel about the cost of greatness, a legendary athlete attempts a comeback when the world considers her past her prime—from the New York Times bestselling author of Malibu Rising.
Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular. But by the time she retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Grand Slam titles. And if you ask Carrie, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father, Javier, as her coach. A former champion himself, Javier has trained her since the age of two.
But six years after her retirement, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning player named Nicki Chan.
At thirty-seven years old, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record. Even if the sports media says that they never liked “the Battle-Axe” anyway. Even if her body doesn’t move as fast as it did. And even if it means swallowing her pride to train with a man she once almost opened her heart to: Bowe Huntley. Like her, he has something to prove before he gives up the game forever.
My Thoughts \
I’ll admit that I was a little hesitant going into this whether I would like it because I know it would be heavy on the tennis aspect. However, Taylor Jenkins Reid once again has brought forth a novel that I think all fans will love, whether they are into pro tennis or not. I think that is the beauty of her writing – she can take something mundane and make it gripping and exciting. I didn’t know what to expect going in because I really didn’t like Carrie Soto in Malibu Rising. However, even though she is somewhat unlikable, readers get to know her over the course of the novel and find that there are a lot of layers to her.
I also really liked seeing her relationship with her father and their father-daughter dynamic, and that of coach and player. I appreciated how her father is able to do both almost seamlessly. Speaking of her dad, he was one of my favorite characters. I loved how supportive he was of Carrie and how he isn’t afraid to speak the truth to her, even though it could mean she never talks to him gain.
I really liked Carrie’s character development over the course of the novel, even though she is 36/37. I also really liked how we had articles and transcripts scattered throughout the book, it just added a little something extra to the plot. One thing I do wish is that we got a longer epilogue, however I think it was also a perfect ending.
I don’t know what else to say about the book without giving too much away. Definitely give this one a read if you are a fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid. I look forward to seeing what she puts out next. 4.5/5 Stars.
Happy Reading,
Janelle L. C.
Meanderings of a BookWorm 