Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid – A Book Review

Spoiler-Free Overview

Carrie Soto is the fiercest tennis player the sport has seen. Even after retiring from knee surgery, Carrie is the greatest player in the world. She holds the record for more Grand Slams, but that record is threatened by Nicki Chan. 

At thirty-seven, Carrie decided to take back to the court to keep her record. The only problem – she’s been out of the sport for five years and she’s not as young as she used to be. With her father as her coach, she works towards one final, epic season.

Liz’s Thoughts and Feelings

This is my first time reading a book by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and if the rest of her books are like this, I get it! This story is amazing, engaging, unpredictable, and heartwarming.

Carrie earns her name as the Battle-Axe, on and off the court. She feels so real, and her relationships – both with herself and others – are complicated and dynamic. I love a female character who is fierce, confident, and complex. The decisions she makes feel so completely appropriate. 

Carrie and her dad’s relationship is amazing. They love each other completely while also making mistakes that cause long term damage to each other. 

Reid doesn’t pull any punches. The ups and downs in the plot and the characters leave your heart pounding and weeping. Typically, in a sports story, you know when the main character or team is going to win. But this plot kept me on my toes the entire time. And, along the way, we learn that winning isn’t nearly as important as people and ourselves just as Carrie does. 

I wasn’t prepared for Bowe. He doesn’t show up until about a third through the book, but when he does, he’s amazing. He’s the perfect match to Carrie’s blunt and brash nature. I was rooting for them from the moment he stepped on the page.

Without a doubt I’ll listen to this audiobook again. The pacing was near perfect. I was sad when it was over. And, I learn a bit about tennis!