CARRIE SOTO IS BACK
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Date released: 2022
Category: Contemporary
Synopsis: 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 everyone. 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.
The UnReel Take:
Story: 10
Writing: 8.0
Characters: 10
Setting: 8.0
UnReel AR: 9.0
Bottom Line: Carrie Soto is Back? No. Carrie Soto is here to stay! I loved Jenkins-Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, but I couldn't get into Daisy Jones and the Six or Malibu Rising, so I was pretty nervous going into this one. I didn't need to be though, because TJR absolutely killed it!
This book has athletic competition, personal drama, a romance, but at it’s heart, Carrie Soto… is the story of a professional athlete’s relationship with her sport and her father/coach. I actually do like tennis but you don’t need to be a fan to enjoy this book; the writing is tense enough to rope you in whether you're a total noob or you've won a grand slam yourself. While the tension will keep you turning page after page, the real stars of the show are the characters. Carrie is both tough and vulnerable, Javiar is my new favorite literary dad, Nicki is impossible not to like even as you're rooting for her to lose, and Bowe's determination to grow and fight for what he wants despite being later in his life and career is super inspiring.
At the end of the day, here's what it comes down to. I very rarely cry over books. I cried TWICE while reading this. That's the single biggest endorsement I can give.
Ideal Reading Location: Wimbledon, probably. Somewhere you can feel the sun on your skin, definitely.
Drink Pairing: Gatorade all the way.
Maybe your experience will be different!