This series is keeping me warm during this emotionally frigid time.

1) the girls never learn. 2) most of them became complete wusses.

To brave the undertow, we had learned to hold hands

I enjoyed this book as much as the first two, although I did have a few issues with it.

1. What kind of camp assigns a male and female councelor to do an overnight trip with 10-14 year old boys and has them share a tent without the campers in it? I don't care if they -are- both over 18, I just don't see a camp doing that. It became unbelievable to me. Now, if they'd had different tents and one or the other snuck over to the other... although that would go against what they were trying to accomplish (trust) so... yeah. Same problem with him helping her when she was sick. Although it was super sweet, I think someone would complain and they'd probably get fired for her sleeping in his bed. Even if she was sick. And especially cause he was there too, they were both in nothing but underwear, and he had his arms around her. At a camp full of 10-14 year old MALE campers... that seems like a no-no to me. I was very, very proud of Bee for not having sex with the guy, though.

2. Lena's scholarship. It was just too perfect. Her parents take away her chances of going to school, her teacher pushes her to apply for a scholarship - there are already 70 applications and only a few days to apply - she pulls off a bunch of drawings of her family in a very short time with very little preparation... and of course she gets the scholarship. It just works out too perfectly for me. I was almost hoping she -wouldn't- get it, to shock us, since everyone -knew- she would get it. Or maybe she didn't get it, but her parents saw how amazing her work was and changed their mind and saw she was really determined to go so they paid for it and it all worked out, but for a while we were scared she wouldn't get to go, you know?

3. I must be a bad person, but I was seriously hoping that David (Carmen's mom's husband) was having an affair. Out of town for work all the time, his cell phone is turned off... I was seriously thinking that Carmen and Win would get to Trenton or wherever he was, and find him with another woman. But no, of course, these books are too good for that. Once again, predictablilty wins.

4. And finally, something good. I loved Tibby in this book. In the first two, she annoyed me. But in this one, she really came into her own and I really liked her character. She was not predictable, and she changed a lot as a person throughout the book. Yay Tibby!

Three books in, I am starting to appreciate what Brashares is doing here. This isn't like some other YA books I have read that are just about drama with boys and friends and family. These books, after the first one, actually have very little to do with plot. It is a lot of the girls just sitting around in their homes watching tv, talking to each other on the phone, working jobs, etc. And you would think that would be pretty boring, but it's not. Because these books are about feelings. And damn does it feel good to feel bad with these girls!

3.5 Stars

Re-Read: September 7-13, 2016
Original Read: May 26-27, 2009

My re-read of the series continues... this time on audio book. All so I can *finally* read the final book in the series, Sisterhood Everlasting.

I had forgotten so much about this third book (then again it has been seven years since I originally read it). I don't feel the need to do a full review so here are some random thoughts.

* For the third book/summer in a row Bridget is away from the other girls. In the first book they were all apart but here especially it felt like one story about the other three girls... and then another story about Bridget.

* Lena showed some growth here that I was applauding. Moving on from Kostos and going against her father's wishes to follow her own dreams/goals. Go Lena.

* Tibby has always been a favorite (I can't help but love her cynical/sarcastic personality) but her pushing Brian away had me annoyed with her. Last summer she blew him off in favor of her "cool" new film-making friends and now she shuts him out after Katherine's accident. Brian deserves better treatment, Tibby. He might not always be waiting around for you.

* Carmen has always been my least favorite. Between her temper and her selfishness, I don't find her all that likable. Once again she treated her mother so shabbily and yet again Christina took it all graciously without ever putting Carmen in her place. Carmen is a brat.

* Bridget showed some real restraint and self-awareness while away at soccer camp in PA. She was much less impulsive with Eric and I really liked how their story played out.

3.5 stars

The third summer has begun!
While the magical pair of pants that fits all four of them made their last two summers incredibly special, this summer is a milestone. It's the summer before Lena, Bridget, Tibby and Carmen leave for college.
Tibby is heading off to NYU for film. She's ready for the space and freedom from her family, but still won't be too far from any of the girls or Brian. That is, until her little sister falls out of the window and she must reevaluate who she's going to miss the most.
Carmen's mom is a newly wed. Their apartment is now cramped and everything feels different. She's happy for her mom though, as hard as it may be. And it becomes even harder when something falls out of her mother's medicine cabinet that sends her world spinning.
Bridget is going back to soccer camp, but not as a camper and not in Mexico. It's going to be different and better than two summers ago. She is going to be a soccer camp counsellor in Pennsylvania. It's what she shines at and she's excited. Of course, it can't be that easy. And it's not, when she arrives and finds out her partner is none other than Eric. Bridget must figure out how to hold her self together and not lose everything to him as she did two summers before. But with an apology and so much time spent together, he certainly isn't making it easy.
Lena is struggling. The love of her life got married to someone else and her father has forced her grumpy grandmother to move in with them. Now all she has is art. But when her father finds out she is taking a nude model class, he informs her that he will not pay for her to go to art school or pursue her passion any longer. Lena is lost and the only way she can find her way out is through disobeying her father.
With a brand new set of heartrenching events, it doesn't make the pant's job easy getting them through to the other side. But in the end, they always will because it's not just the magic of the pants. It's the magic of having one another.

This was by far my favourite one!! The events that each of the girls face is extremely different than before. It narrows in on different flaws and strengths, making them all more distinct characters. All four of them have such unique talents and they all shine through really bright in this story! I absolutely loved it and really think other people should read it!! Please, please, please read it!!!!!

And as you do...
Remember: Pants = Love. Love your pals. Love yourself.

Emily
Fiction Executive

i know this book meant for young adult. but the story of 4 girls going through thick and thin somehow touching me.

that kind of friendship is rare. reading this book makes me believe there is magic in this world.

Yep, still my favorite book in this series. These characters have grown so much!

This book is from Tibby's point of view



The sisterhood of the Traveling Pants graduates from high school and spends their last summer before college learning about life and themselves.



So I am reading the third book, and again Carmen is killing me, she just spoiled everything. I just finished and I am really happy for Carmen's choice on Win and Williams, and for Tibby and Brian, and Bee and Erik and Lena for once doing what she is good at. But I don't want the series to end.

A disturbing side effect of reading these books as a teenager is that they've given me marginally unrealistic expectations about men. Lemme tell ya something--these girls get the guy every.damn.time. The magical plot device of The Pants somehow always finds a way.

Bridgette's crush has a long-time girlfriend? No problem. She'll be forgotten come summer's end. Lena's beau is living in Greece with a wife and baby-to-be? A miscarriage and a loveless divorce will solve that nicely. Carmen has emotionally manipulated a hot pre-med hospital volunteer into thinking she isn't a spoiled, selfish b? It's whatever! Boys are into that! Where's the failure? Where's the struggle? Where's the sudden onset of disinterest because of some glaring personality flaw? I want my money back!!!