Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for a copy of Tom Perrotta’s Tracy Flick Can’t Win.

Perrotta returns to one of his most memorable characters, Tracy Flick, in this sequel to his best-selling novel, Election. In Tracy Flick Can’t Win, we find Flick in her forties, a divorced single-mother working as a high school vice-principal. When the long-time principal announces his upcoming retirement, Flick starts the interview process for the promotion. Her strong work-ethic, high morals, and innovative ideas still can’t manage to eclipse her inability to connect on a social level. Just like in high school, Flick sees her dreams slipping away as more popular/less qualified candidates take center stage.

Perrotta is one of my favorite authors and Election is one of my favorite books. I was thrilled that Perrotta was bringing back Tracy Flick. You do not have to read Election to enjoy Tracy Flick Can’t Win, however, I highly recommend it. This sequel was really written for fans and having the context of Flick’s struggles in her teen years, makes the sequel more poignant. Flick becomes an everyone woman in her struggles, as she faces many micro aggressions and flat-out dismissals from the men in the story. As a woman, reading this felt like a jab from a sharp needle and it make me recall times in my life where I suffered similar treatment. Flick isn’t a likable character. If I met her in real life, I’d find her to be very grating. However, she is also a person who suffers a lot of misfortune and who tries to do the right thing, only to see that she really can’t win. This makes me root for her to succeed.

Tracy Flick Can’t Win is not Perrotta’s finest work, but it is certainly a book that I wanted to read. It was the 2022 new book release that I was most excited to read. Fans are going to be thrilled and if you’re a fan, you must read it. It did not disappoint. I’d love a third Flick sequel or maybe a follow-up to another character from Election.