Even without detailed tennis knowledge, I could follow the story. You can tell Reid did her research about the sport before writing. It was really a lot of show not tell in terms of how the game works in terms of specific rules and scoring. If you are hesitant about the tennis, try the book anyways. 

This story has so much emotional depth with Carrie. I enjoyed feeling their pain and triumphs throughout her life.  I wanted to watch Carrie win every match. I rooted for her to get back up and try again after a loss. I truly felt like a fan of hers. 

I really appreciate how this book is a great example of a healthy father-daughter relationship. While daddy issues are relatable for many, it doesn't need to be in every book. 

One of the things that stood out the most was the plentiful life lessons. We can all learn a lot from Carrie's life. Carrie's father in particular was chock full of great advice.

While it was pretty obvious that a certain plot point was going to happen. I still cried when it did. If you've read the book, you know what I am talking about. Otherwise, just prepare tissues for the last 10% or so. 

The narration of the story highly benefitted from having multiple narrators. The value of the audiobook was incredibly high quality. Particularly during the radio/TV broadcast segments felt real, with the production and all. It truly added to the immersion of the story.

In sum, this story is so solid and engaging from beginning to end. Despite Carrie being a bit abrasive, I was still rooting for her to succeed at every turn. My favorite character by far was her father. His advice touched us both and really felt like good dad advice. If I am going to recommend a book to someone who doesn't have a specific taste (or even those who do), I would recommend this one. 

Please see my blog for a more in-depth review:  https://readintowonderland.blogspot.com/2024/05/carrie-soto-is-back.html