The Situation: It is 1994 and Carrie Soto sits in the stands of the US Open, anxiously waiting to see if her record is about to be tied for the most Grand Slam singles wins. If Nicki Chan wins this match, she will also have 20 Grand Slam wins, and maybe even a few years to win some more. Carrie retired five years earlier, but at this moment, if Nicki wins, she cannot imagine staying that way. Carrie cannot imagine a life where she is not the best female tennis player the world has even seen. To say the sport is her life would be an understatement. And to say that winning was everything to her would only scratch the surface of what being the best really means to Carrie Soto. So when Nicki does win that 20th title, Carrie and her father Javier come to an understanding right there in the stands that she will be coming out of retirement, and he will be her coach.
The Problem: At the age of 37, Carrie will be the oldest female tennis player to ever win a Grand Slam title, must less hold a record of 21 wins. Training will be brutal - she has already had one knee surgery - and of course, the press and commentators will be just as unforgiving. It also does not help that Carrie's rise to the top did not earn her any friends. Known for being cold, calculating, ruthless, standoffish, as well as downright mean, Carrie earned her nickname of "Battle Axe." But she does not care about any of that. Carrie cares about winning and getting her record back, with her father at her side. Friendships are not really her thing, and she has never been good at romantic relationships either. What she is good at is tennis. It may in fact be all she has.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a historical fiction novel set mostly in 1995 as Carrie trains for and plays in the four tennis Grand Slam championships: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Told from Carrie's point of view, the reader is given full access to how she thinks, even during the intensity of a tennis match. She has one focus, which is to not only play the best tennis she can, but to be the best and always win. To fail is a devastating disaster. As a female athlete, she is expected to be graceful and kind as well as dominant, but Carrie is certainly the latter, with no interest in being the former. Then there is the relationship with her father, who possibly loves tennis more than she does. Carrie has kept her social circle small, because being the best at tennis has always been the focus, and the worry is that if she loses the record, would she know how to be anything else?
My Verdict: So, I might as well start with this: Carrie Soto is a hard character to like. In fact, I did not like her, and I rooted against her with the turn of every page. I understand there will be some out there who feel for her, even like her, but I am not one of them. Even so, Reid managed to write a book that is still exciting, and enjoyable, and intense, and even easy to read, despite its main character and narrator being so terrible. There is a slight element of predictability, while also keeping the reader on their toes just enough where they cannot see the next scene coming, or the outcome of the next match. It is a focused look at someone whose entire life is one thing, and they are incredibly good at that one thing. Readers can expect a story that is part cautionary tale, part celebration of tennis, and 100% a look inside the mind of a ruthless winner.
Favorite Moment: There are a few instances where Carrie and Nicki Chan get to have real conversations one on one. There is one in particular where the usually cheery Nicki drops the smile and tells her fierce competitor something Carrie needs to hear. Whether Carrie fully took it in is debatable...
Favorite Character: There are a fair amount of unlikable people here, but Carrie's father Javier has a joy about him that his daughter lacks, even though he can be almost as intense about tennis and winning as she is.
Recommended Reading: Daisy Jones & The Six remains my favorite of Reid's books. What I really need to do is explore the ones that came before it.
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