Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC. It has not affected the content of my review.
Oh, hey, look at that. Five stars. I think no one is more surprised about that rating than me after slowly making my way through this over the past two and a half months (this was written in August). But really, I was only slow because I didn’t expect to get this ARC, so I was reading it in between other books when I had time. But more importantly, this is an e-book so my attention span while reading it was like that of a fruit fly, because that’s just how my brain deals with e-books. I am fairly certain if I’d had a hard copy of this, or if I’d been listening to the audiobook, I would have gotten through it in a couple of days. It’s compulsively readable, and ridiculously well-paced, and even as you’re compelled to read about what happens to Carrie and her comeback, you’re also yelling at the page and telling her to get it together.
This is historical fiction, it pains me to say, that is set in 1995—a year which I remember, so how is that allowed to be historical fiction, please? And it does have very 90s vibes. Carrie Soto is 37 years old, and has been retired from professional tennis for almost a decade. When Nikki Chan overtakes Carrie as the record-holder for most Grand Slam wins, Carrie becomes determined to make a comeback, and win back her record. Perhaps more importantly, to her at least, to prove to everyone that she is THE BEST.
About the first third of the book shows us Carrie’s life before retirement, and the second two-thirds chronicles her striving to get back into shape, and win at least one more slam while her body can still handle it. If she does so, she will be the oldest (sigh) woman to do so. Carrie is . . . something else. She is fierce, determined, incredibly talented, dogged, and brusque. She is Difficult with a capital ‘D’. The media dubbed her the Battle Axe her first go-round, but now they’ve just taken to calling her The Bitch. But all Carrie cares about is winning. Her father is her coach, and he is an excellent one. Their relationship is the center of the novel, and it was painful to see him realizing too late how Carrie’s need to win has taken over her life.
At first, I wasn’t super in love with this because Carrie was so difficult. I have so many lines highlighted where I’m constantly trying to talk back to this fictional character, and maybe pound some perspective into her head, but she is stubborn. But because of the difficultness and the stubbornness, when her character growth does come, it’s extremely satisfying.
Also, I am just a sucker for a sports story. Can’t pay attention to a real sports game to save my life, but you give me a a sports movie or book and I’m gonna be there for it, every time. It’s not really a surprise that TJR did such a good job with this book, which speaks of heavy research, and deep character work. So when it came time to click the star-rating, I found I really couldn’t give it any less than five stars, and now I have to have a my own copy when it comes out. I’m also very intrigued by the audiobook, which like Daisy Jones, is full cast.
Looks like TJR has another bestseller on her hands, as if there were any doubt. But I think it will be deserved.