Carrie Soto is Back Book Review: A Novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid
If you’re looking for a book that will engross you and completely transport you into the story, look no further. Today I’m going to be sharing my Carrie Soto is Back book review.
Carrie Soto is Back is the latest novel released by author Taylor Jenkins Reid. It tells the fiction story of professional tennis player Carrie Soto, who comes out of retirement when a much younger tennis player named Nicki Chan comes close to beating her record.
This is my third TJR book and while I didn’t know quite what to expect, I had an idea. Each novel I’ve read by this author has been unique, with flawed characters and interesting settings. The first book I read was After I Di, the story of a married couple who separates for a year, trying to figure things out before making a decision about divorce. Then there was Malibu Rising, about a group of siblings who
So make sure you keep reading for my full Carrie Soto is Back book review. This story is perfect for tennis lovers, as well as fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid books.
What is Carrie Soto is Back about?
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.
In spite of it all, Carrie Soto is back, for one epic final season. In this riveting and unforgettable novel, Taylor Jenkins Reid tells her most vulnerable, emotional story yet. (from Amazon.com)
Who is Taylor Jenkins Reid?
Taylor Jenkins Reid is quickly becoming one of the most popular authors around. Her first book called Forever, Interrupted was published in 2013. After that she wrote seven more books and is a New York Times Bestseller. Many of her books are set in the past, and sometimes her characters even run into each other.
Taylor’s books are very popular and I have picked up a few of them from the Book of the Month club. In 2021 her book Daisy Jones and the Six was a finalist for the Book of the Year award by Book of the Month. (if you aren’t already a member, you can find out more about joining here).
Her latest novel is about a former champion in women’s tennis who sets out to have an epic final season. And that’s the book I’m going to be discussing in today’s Carrie Soto is Back book review.
My Initial Thoughts
Carrie Soto is Back is a book that I’ve had on my To Be Read list for a while now. So you can imagine my excitement when my hold from the library finally came in.
As I mentioned earlier in this book review, I’ve read some of this author’s work before. But the description of Carrie Soto Is Back really grabbed my attention. It seemed like it would be a book filled with competition, complicated feelings, and grit. And I had a feeling that during her comeback, Carrie was really going to discover the cost of greatness.
I had so many thoughts running through my mind as I read. Could Carrie really make a comeback? Or was all the time Carrie was investing useless? I didn’t know. But I soon found out.
Do you Need to Understand Tennis to read Carrie Soto is Back?
No! While there is a lot of tennis in Carrie Soto is Back, the story also focuses on hard work and emotions and so many other things that go into becoming the best tennis player possible.
I wasn’t sure if I would wind up liking this book during the first couple of chapters. I thought it would be too complicated for me, with blow-by-blow descriptions of championship matches. But Taylor writes her scenes technically, but also with a lot of thought and emotion. Part of what makes Carrie such a good tennis player is her mental game, as well as her physical game.
It’s ok if you don’t understand tennis. You really don’t have to have a lot of knowledge upfront because the author does a great job of writing descriptive scenes that teach you what you need to know.
Carrie Soto is Back Controversy
There has been some discussion online regarding the fact that Taylor Jenkins Reid is white, and she decided to write about a character who is Argentinean American. Carrie’s father Javier is an immigrant and she grows up in a bilingual household. Throughout the story there is Spanish dialogue spoken between Carrie and her father and I would say it is a very big part of the story.
Some people in the book community took note of this prior to publishing and pointed out the fact that Taylor Jenkins Reid is a white woman, so should she really be writing the story of a person of color? Why aren’t POC authors getting the chance to share these stories in the publishing industry? In Carrie Soto is Back Taylor doesn’t specifically discuss race but she does write about things like Javier’s immigration and she does have a secondary character named Nicki Chan, who is Asian American. Some people found it odd for two minorities to be pitted against each other.
In my opinion, while Carrie Soto is Back is an unforgettable novel, it is not perfect. I too question why Taylor felt the need to write the story of an Argentinean American when she cannot possibly fully understand that character because it is not something she has experienced. It is disheartening that POC authors do not get the chances they deserve to share their stories, and that white authors have every opportunity to tell every story that they can think of.
This is not meant to be an attack on Taylor, because I do enjoy her books. But sometimes people don’t know what they are doing is wrong. I myself have said some or thought some things in the past that were wrong, and people have told me about it. In that kind of situation, it is best to listen with open ears and an open heart. The only way to move forward is by educating oneself.
Is Carrie Soto is Back Part of a Series?
I love stories about exceptional women, and Taylor Jenkins Reids writes awesome books about them! This is actually the last book in her “famous women quartet” comprising of Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones, Nina Rivas, and Carrie Soto. Each of their books features complex characters and each book is a powerful novel. I found Carrie Soto (also known as the Battle Axe) to be a great main character. Of course she’s controversial. But she’s hard working and inspiring and that’s what makes her the greatest tennis player of all time.
Carrie Soto is not part of a series but it does relate to these other books by the same author.
This Story has Complicated Characters
As I mentioned earlier, this book may be about tennis but it’s also about so much more. In Carrie’s journey to regain her strength and her tennis abilities, she works incredibly hard with her father, Javier. They also work with Bowe Huntley, another older tennis player who is doing his best to tread water and move ahead on the court. He’s the only option Carrie has for other tennis players to train with in order to maintain her grand slam record. Everyone else is too scared or too annoyed by her.
Carrie’s Dad (and Coach) Rocks!
I love Javier. Even though he and Carrie butt heads sometimes, it’s because of the fact that he’s her coach and she has to listen to him. It has nothing to do with their father daughter relationship. I loved how even though they had been through so much, they always had tennis to focus on. I think that when you go through a hard time it’s important to have things to distract you. And for Carrie and Javier, that was tennis.
During her last year of tennis, the sports media is tough on Carrie. She keeps her eyes on the prize, which is winning her last grand slam. As she and Bowe train together, they also have to deal with their previously fling they had when they were younger. I liked how no matter how much they fought, they were always there for each other. It made me smile when after months of training with Carrie, Bowe was finally able to get Javier’s grudging respect.
Is Carrie Soto is Back Spicy?
No, it is not. Although Carrie does have a love interest in the book, this story is not graphic. It mainly focuses on the emotional aspect of their relationship as he works with her on her tennis matches.
Is Carrie Soto is Back Worth Reading?
In my opinion, yes. I liked this book for a lot of reasons, but the main reason is because of Carrie. She’s a strong female lead and while I couldn’t necessarily relate to anything that she was going through, I admired her for her strength and rooted for her through it all, even when she was being difficult. It’s an emotional story about figuring out your true purpose and reminding yourself why you do the things you do.
At thirty-seven years old, commentators and spectators considered Carrie too old to be a real threat to her competitions. They figured that after the year she would have no more grand slam titles to her name. They weren’t even sure she would make it to the us open.
Deciding to come out of retirement was a monumental decision that could have gone very well or very poorly. This story is about a legendary athlete, and although Carrie may not be a real person I think her story will mean many things to many different people.
Who would I Recommend This Book To?
I hope you enjoyed today’s Carrie Soto is Back book review. I would recommend this book to you if you enjoy tennis, strong women, female athletes, and complicated characters. At first Carrie might seems like an unlikeable character but Taylor Jenkins Reid really dives into her mind and shows us her many sides and emotions.
In Closing
Thank you so much for reading my Carrie Soto is Back book review. This was a really enjoyable book. It was so fun to sneak a peek at the fictional tennis world and follow along as Carrie fought for her title at her grand slam tournaments. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a great author and if you’re a fan of Emily Henry (author of book lovers), make sure to check this book out.
