I think I liked this book even more than the original. In spite of the quirky almost stereotypical characters, this story has heart. Tons of it. I found myself being genuinely moved on several occasions. The bonds between these characters which withstand all sorts of challenges are beautiful and touching. I am blessed to have longtime friends and this book makes me realize it all the more.

The ya-ya's are growing and even have their grandchildren in the tribe now. There are stories of every generation and the deep connectedness between every member of the family tree. Teensy, Caro, Necie, and Vivi have created quite the conundrum of a family and never fail to keep things interesting. We discover stories from the founding of the ya-ya's, a grandchild being kidnapped in a video store, and even a Christmas party with the entire gang.

I wasn't a big fan of this one. The stories felt so random and there was no clear plot. Nothing was really related at all and no loose ends were tied up (because there were none to begin with). I actually liked the beginning when it was just the four original ya-ya's and laughed a lot at their childhood shenanigans. But as we branched out to other generations, the story got lost on me and I lost most of my interest. The only thing that kept me going was that this was the only book at school with me.

Fun

Great story telling. I was worried it was just going to scrape up the scraps of the other two books which I read ages ago. But was pleased to be taken on a new and yet familiar journey with the Ya Ya’s soul and devoted friendship.

Now that I have read all three of Rebecca Well’s Ya-Ya books, I can honestly say that while Divine Secrets was the most intellectually satisfying of the three, Ya-Ya’s in Bloom was the most emotionally satisfying.

It’s mostly a matter of tone. The books seem somewhat like a continuum… or maybe more like working through the stages of grief and recovery. In Little Altars Everywhere, I felt the author dwelled on the broken, angry, bitter aspects of the Walker family history. In Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, there was still pain and anger to process and come to grips with but Wells included some of the bright moments, the things done right, the sense that the mistakes of the past didn’t necessarily have to cripple the future. Ya-Ya’s in Bloom takes that one step future with stories of the high points of growing up Ya-Ya. In a lot of ways, it’s like a bright reflection of Little Altars. That’s not to say that everything was suddenly all better or that the past could be ignored or erased. All in all, it just seemed as if the characters and author were choosing what to dwell on and were happier for that choice. I enjoyed it and I am glad that I read the entire Ya-Ya saga.

Assorted chapters/short stories about some of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood characters and some of their children. This may be enjoyed by fans of the other novels written by Rebecca Wells, but does not stand alone as a memorable book. A piece of pleasant fluff for her fans, but an empty time waster for other readers.

This book started off strong but got a little strange/disjointed towards the end. I think it would've been better had it just focused on the Ya-Ya's childhood/teenage years and the characters involved with that era of their lives.

Great Book

This is a great book for quarantine. Fun characters and the love of family and good friends. A timeless theme.

I wasn’t totally enthralled with this fictional world, but I would say the time I took to read the trilogy was worth it. It was very cute and highly family oriented but I guess the plot was a little too loose for my rating to be any higher than three stars. I wasn’t fully sucked in. Usually with series novels I get emotionally attached to the characters, not to say I wasn’t with these generational Ya Yas, but I don’t find myself sad to have finished their narrative. Overall heart warming but not enough consistency to keep me locked in.

I had a hard time staying interested in this book. It was a little confusing with all the characters and the family trees really didn't help much. I also didn't like how it kept jumping around from the characters as little girls to being grandmothers. It made it a little hard to follow the progression. It had been quite a few years since I read the original Ya Ya book but I remember liking that one very much. This one had some really good moments but I think it was a stretch.

I kind of like the way this book was written. It is sort of like entries from a personal journal, dated and titled. Rebecca made drinking whiskey and smoking cigarettes seem almost desirable when done with your best friends. I laughed at her comical description of Catholic and the Baptist habits. The chapter named Too Wild was my favorite and the last chapter in the book was my least favorite. That chapter seemed like something that an overloaded college student would grind out after midnight the morning it was due.
P.S. Cotton is sold by the pound and not by the bushel. I wonder if an editor put that in because Rebecca's knowledge of the cotton industry impressed me when I read Divine Secrets.

If I had read this ten years ago, I probably would have given it five stars. After all, in high school, I was obsessed with all things Ya-Ya. Seriously - I read Little Altars Everywhere and Divine Secrets multiple times. I loved Sidda and her artistic take on the world. I loved the idea of friends being best friends since childhood. I loved the Southern phrases and the references to entertainers through the decades. And, of course, I loved the drama of it all.

Now, while I enjoy the books, I see more of Wells' formula, more of her pattern. Don't get me wrong - I can't help but love the Walkers and the rest of the Ya-Ya gang. I'm just not as willing to follow them anywhere they want to go. So, all that said, if you loved the earlier books, feel free to give this a whirl. If you haven't read the others, don't start here. And remember, as the Ya-Yas would say, life is always better with a drink in your hand.

A prequel-sequel to the Ya Ya Sisterhood. Lots of drinking and smoking, not nearly as good.