Book Review: The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants

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Author: Ann Brashares
Title:  The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publish Date: Sept 2011
Buy: Amazon

Book Blurb:Carmen got the jeans at a thrift shop. They didn’t look all that great: they were worn, dirty, and speckled with bleach. On the night before she and her friends part for the summer, Carmen decides to toss them. But Tibby says they’re great. She'd love to have them. Lena and Bridget also think they’re fabulous. Lena decides that they should all try them on. Whoever they fit best will get them. Nobody knows why, but the pants fit everyone perfectly. Even Carmen (who never thinks she looks good in anything) thinks she looks good in the pants. Over a few bags of cheese puffs, they decide to form a sisterhood and take the vow of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants . . . the next morning, they say good-bye. And then the journey of the pants — and the most memorable summer of their lives — begins.

Review: I've wanted to read this book for a long time.  I'm very selective when it comes to YA. I found I had a lot of mixed feelings when I finally finished this one. Not mixed in that I didn't like the story, but because the characters really made my emotions go all over the place in this book.

The sisterhood is Carmen, Tibby, Lena and Bridget, and the pants come from a thrift shop and travel with each of them through the summer.

I found that I liked Carmen and Tibby the best. They felt more like typical 15 year old girls. Carmen has issues with her father and his new family. Heck, if I were Carmen, I probably would have been as obnoxious and angry as she was.

Tibby has a summer job and through that she meets a younger girl, Bailey who has leukemia. To say that this story isn't going to tear your heart out at some time is an understatement. Seriously, you are going to cry. That's all I can say.

Lena spends the summer in Greece with her grandparents and Bridget is in Baja California at a soccer camp. Both girls screw up with guys. Lena by being standoffish and Bridget by being a bit of slut.

I didn't get very involved in these two girls stories. They seemed too unbelievable, be it a huge weird misunderstanding or a fling with an older guy. The pants empower them, helping through the hard times and putting things right.

Overall, it was a fun read and a great start to this series. I look forward to seeing where the girls and the pants go next.

Rating: 4 flowers