Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular.

By the time Carrie retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Slam titles. And if you ask her, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father as her coach.

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, British 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.

In spite of it all: Carrie Soto is back, for one epic final season. In this riveting and unforgettable novel, Taylor Jenkins Reid tells a story about the cost of greatness and a legendary athlete attempting a comeback.

Personal opinion:

I only picked up this book from the library because when I read The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo I couldn't stop reading the history! I adore how Taylor Jenkins Reid writes, and therefore I started Carrie Soto is back without knowing the plot.

Honestly, reading this novel made me grow up. I healed inner wounds while I was immersed in the plot. I learned to forgive myself at the same time I understood Carrie the most. 

Otherwise, it's true that this book isn't as dynamic as Evelyn was. If you don't know anything about tennis, you will enjoy it anyway (because I neither had any idea of this sport and I think, at least, it became interesting to me), but if you don't want to read a slow plot don't choose it. Carrie spends lots of pages training to become the best tennis player in the world, so it's going to be monotonous. Also, the romantic part isn't conventional, it's more adult and mature, slow burn too. 

I really recommend it if you're looking something to connect with yourself, to see how to reach happiness without being perfect. It's a good book for people who are looking to understand how bonds between children and parents work, about how much the education you give counts on them and how bad the pressure impossible dreams or beliefs put in their mind while being little and innocent. 

Mark: 4 out of 5

Kisses, 

@mcccace

Enmig del soroll de l’era moderna, un assaig narratiu sobre la força del silenci i sobre la importància de construir-nos espais de soledat que ens permetin aïllar-nos del món.

L’aventura, i el plaer, d’aïllar-se del món: «Quan no puc escalar, caminar o navegar lluny del món, li barro el pas. Aprendre a barrar-li el pas al món, a tancar-li la porta, requereix el seu temps. Primer vaig haver d’entendre que la necessitat de silenci és una qüestió primordial, diria que vital. Llavors vaig començar la seva recerca. I allà, al fons, molt al fons, enmig de la cacofonia, dels trànsit de sorolls, dels pensaments, enmig de la música, les màquines, els mòbils, els iPhones, les teles, etc.; allà, molt al fons, hi era, esperant-me. El silenci.»

En aquest assaig narratiu, il·lustrat amb fotografies de diversos artistes, l’autor es planteja tres qüestions: què és el silenci?, on el podem trobar?, per què és més important ara que mai? A partir de les seves experiències com a explorador, com a pare, i com a home de món, Erling Kagge aborda un tema, el silenci, que desafia de manera significativa i poderosa alguns mals dels nostres temps moderns.

Ítems:

 ✒️ Estructura 3/5: Trobo que els escrits són una mica dispersos, no tenen una direcció clara ni hi ha una progressivitat, però en cadascun d'ells s'afegeix un nou factor diferent i li fa un petit gir que fa que continuïs llegint només per curiositat per les situacions i reflexions interessants que planteja. Si no estàs al dia d'aquest moviment del "slow living" i del replantejament de la vida que es porta avui dia, potser no t'acabarà d'agradar, però considera llegir-lo per veure que és el que et suggereix l'autor.

💭 Reflexions 3/5: No trobaràs un llibre que t'obri els ulls i la ment completament de forma que passaràs a ser una persona nova, però sí que potser et portarà a treure les teves pròpies conclusions en altre moment. M'agrada que dins del relat de l'autor, és plenament conscient dels privilegis que existeixen i de com ell es pot permetre el silenci que altres no poden per la seva situació econòmica. No et desvelarà el secret de l'univers, però t'entretindrà per una tarda. 

Opinió 

3/5

És un llibre curt amb reflexions interessants, que recorda les petites coses que s'obliden en el dia a dia si no s'està present. No el compraria com a tal, però sí que recomano llegir-ho, donat que a mi m'ha ajudat a pensar que m'he de tornar a reconnectar amb mi mateixa.