Book Review: Carrie Soto Is Back
Carrie Soto Is Back is Taylor Jenkins Reid’s best novel to date. A bold claim given that among her writing credits are novels like Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones & the Six, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, but I said what I said. I saw myself in Carrie Soto, a thirty-seven-year-old former tennis great who returns to the court to defend her record. She has only ever known how to be great, even at the cost of, well, everything else. While I’m no tennis great, I resonated with her struggles with vulnerability, her push to succeed, and her deep love of her father. Perhaps that’s why I loved this book so much. Carrie felt real.
Carrie Soto has had a storied tennis career. Coached by her father Javier, a former champion himself, she retires from the sport as the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty slam grand slam. She’s also not especially liked by her fellow competitors. She’s known for her abrasive nature and her “win at all costs” approach to the game. Six years into retirement, she watches her grand slam record be taken by Nicki Chan, an aggressive player who also likes to win.
Carrie will not stand for it.
At thirty-seven, ancient for a professional tennis player, Carrie decides to come out of retirement to reclaim her record – and to be coached by her father. Her body may not move the way it used to, but she’s determined to be the best once more. Even if that means training with Bowe Huntley, a fellow champion that she once almost gave her heart to – and who has something to prove himself before he hangs up his racket for good.
Carrie Soto Is Back takes the reader through the entirety of her career. We see her hold a racket for the first time, compete for the first time, have her first kiss. We go along with her as she begins to compete at the highest levels, as she makes up her mind to be the best, as her father pushes her and coaches her through the ranks. We also see her push people away, develop tunnel vision, and decide she’s content being alone.
As a woman in her mid-thirties, I found Carrie relatable and oddly likeable – despite how much everyone seemed to dislike her. The father-daughter relationship was a highlight of the book and I enjoyed watching Carrie and Bowe navigate the complexities of their past, present, and potential future. There were times I felt Carrie’s frustrations, times I wanted to shake some sense into her, and times I couldn’t turn the page fast enough to find out if she won the match, won the argument, finally gave in to the tension between her and Bowe… And I cried. I ugly girl cried while reading last few chapters at one in the morning, unable to put the book down despite an early wake-up call the next morning.
Carrie Soto Is Back is a well-written, compelling story about a woman searching for happiness despite having all the success in the world. The reader can’t help but cheer for Carrie – and for that matter, Javier and Bowe, too. Put this one on your must-read list.
