Title: Carrie Soto is Back
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Type: Fiction
Page Count/Review Word Count: 384
Rating: 4/5
Perhaps the first thing to say here is that while this is a novel about tennis, I know next to nothing about the game. But in many ways that doesn’t matter, because Reid teaches you everything you need to know without it feeling like a chore. In fact, I came out of this with a much healthier respect for tennis, which is probably a good thing because my girlfriend plays it.
Carrie Soto is the greatest female tennis player of all time, but she’s also retired and thinks her playing days are behind her until another, younger player threatens to unseat her record. That’s why Carrie Soto is back. She’s the kind of driven and determined player who takes no prisoners and who doesn’t make many friends along the way, and that’s just how she likes it. In fact, she finds it easier to beat people if she doesn’t see them as friends.
She’s cut herself off from a lot of relationships, including romantic ones, and I quite liked how Reid shows that there can be a high price to pay when you’re chasing perfection as a sportsperson. The same is true with anything, really. I’ve been guilty of doing the same thing that Carrie Soto did in my pursuit of a career as a writer, although I think that age also brings the realisation that sometimes your art isn’t everything.
And besides, writers can keep writing until the day they die, but world-class athletes are fighting against the inbuilt expiration date that their bodies bring.
I liked the fact that Soto isn’t necessarily the most likeable of protagonists, but that she’s still a lot of fun to follow. I also liked the supporting cast of characters, and I enjoyed reading about Carrie’s father in particular.
All in all, it was a cracking read and one that I got lots of enjoyment from. It was also a good reminder of just how much I enjoy Jenkins Reid’s books in the first place. If you’re new to her work but want to check her out, or if you’re a tennis fan looking for your next read, you should grab it.
