2nd Quarter Outside Reading Book Review

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares. Delacorte Press, 2001.
Genre: Fiction
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, is a powerful novel about true friendship. Four completely different girls, Lena, Carmen, Bridget, and Tibby have been best friends their whole lives. Now, they have to spend their first summer apart. Bridget, a tall beautiful athlete, is going to Baja California for soccer camp. Quiet, Lena is going to Greece to visit her grandparents. Carmen is going to visit her father who left her and her mother when she was a little girl. Tibby is the only one stuck at home working a summer job. The day before they separate, they discover a magical pair of pants that fit each of them perfectly. They decide to pass the pants on to each other throughout the summer, to have a little bit of each other with them.
“Ann Brashares has here created four captivating characters and seamlessly interwoven their stories for a young adult novel that is fresh and absorbing,” the book jacket reads. “It is a remarkable and uplifting novel on true friendship.”

Each girl faces many challenges and adventures during the summer. Each time one of the girls receives the pants in the mail, they each feel more confident and ready to face their troubles. Carmen has trouble dealing with her father’s new life. He tells her he is getting married and he doesn’t act like he did when he lived with her mother and her. When she receives the pants, she gets the confidence to tell her dad how she feels. When Lena has the pants, she finds the courage to apologize to Kostos and admit how much she likes him. When Bridget gets the pants, she has the self confidence to talk to one of the coaches at camp. When Tibby has the pants, she discovers that life is all about the small pleasures we experience.
This book reminds me of Sarah Dessens’ writing style. This is because both these authors write about the everyday challenges young girls face in our world. Also, they both are descriptive in their writing, but their writing is simple to understand.
“Carmen disappeared into an upholstered chair by the wall as Lydia proudly donned what looked to be at least seventy yards of shiny white fabric.” (160)
This was the first book I have read by Ann Brashares and I really enjoyed it. This book was very uplifting and I could relate to some of the experiences and challenges these girls were facing. I liked how Ann Brashares focused on one girl at a time so the book didn’t get confusing. She was very descriptive in her writing and I plan on reading more of her books.