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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
So... I read the sisterhood of the traveling pants as a young teenager and enjoyed it a lot. And I do not see this book as a worthy continuation of that story. In my mind, the events of this book did not happen. The women of the book grew up to be other people and do other things.
The story in this book is annoying in several ways, and I am not going to give a play by play of the book but rather note one thing that really annoyed me. Tibby dies, and why she dies is not immediately apparent, and the revelation is tinged with "it wasn't suicide and that is good because otherwise Tibby would be a bad person". Not having her die by suicide is a valid choice, but shrouding it in a veil of "at least it wasn't her fault" feels like vilifying suicide.
The story in this book is annoying in several ways, and I am not going to give a play by play of the book but rather note one thing that really annoyed me. Tibby dies, and why she dies is not immediately apparent, and the revelation is tinged with "it wasn't suicide and that is good because otherwise Tibby would be a bad person". Not having her die by suicide is a valid choice, but shrouding it in a veil of "at least it wasn't her fault" feels like vilifying suicide.
No. No no no no no no no no no. Disliked every single storyline. I will pretend this book never happened.
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Actual rating 4.5...
I was about the girls age when this book dropped but somehow, life got in the way of reading this conclusion to the Sisterhood Saga. If I had read this as a 30 year old who had everything going on for myself, I would have appreciated the content as mere YA entertainment. Reading this as a 40 year old who devastatingly lost her mom to cancer, childless (due to infertility) and recovering from that loss and unemployment, I found it to be therapeutic. Society is very unkind to those grief and the bereaved urging us to move on from situations that we can barely live with.
Carmen, Lena, Tibby and Bee deal with their losses in ways that make them relatable and human, in my book. The men their love remind me a lot of my own could've beens, and of my husband who met me when we were 18 years old and still decided to marry me when the opportunity arose. If I didn't have 20 years of experience and adventures with the same guy, some of the story arcs would have come across as unbelievable or unnerving. I am fortunate to be represented by this work of fiction, and to have a powerful tool to convey the message of hope and skepticism in the face of tragedy - the characters emotional journey for the truth and a happily ever after is exactly what young adults need to hear, especially if their lives mirror the narrative.
It took me a few hours to devour the pages, which played in my head with the same heart and soul as the movies. I recognized the bits and pieces used here in there to create the world Brashares needed to bring to life this tale - the barely functioning cellphones, the cost of travel, the way people lived in the 1990s to 2010s - back when you still had to reach out and touch someone to understand their pain and hardships. The writing was solid, and I can't think of any moment where I couldn't suspend disbelief because the narrative was too outrageous or incredible. What you take out of this prose is exactly what you put into it, and if you are not interested in following along with some faith, this chapter of the story won't work for you.
At least I tried it...
I was about the girls age when this book dropped but somehow, life got in the way of reading this conclusion to the Sisterhood Saga. If I had read this as a 30 year old who had everything going on for myself, I would have appreciated the content as mere YA entertainment. Reading this as a 40 year old who devastatingly lost her mom to cancer, childless (due to infertility) and recovering from that loss and unemployment, I found it to be therapeutic. Society is very unkind to those grief and the bereaved urging us to move on from situations that we can barely live with.
Carmen, Lena, Tibby and Bee deal with their losses in ways that make them relatable and human, in my book. The men their love remind me a lot of my own could've beens, and of my husband who met me when we were 18 years old and still decided to marry me when the opportunity arose. If I didn't have 20 years of experience and adventures with the same guy, some of the story arcs would have come across as unbelievable or unnerving. I am fortunate to be represented by this work of fiction, and to have a powerful tool to convey the message of hope and skepticism in the face of tragedy - the characters emotional journey for the truth and a happily ever after is exactly what young adults need to hear, especially if their lives mirror the narrative.
It took me a few hours to devour the pages, which played in my head with the same heart and soul as the movies. I recognized the bits and pieces used here in there to create the world Brashares needed to bring to life this tale - the barely functioning cellphones, the cost of travel, the way people lived in the 1990s to 2010s - back when you still had to reach out and touch someone to understand their pain and hardships. The writing was solid, and I can't think of any moment where I couldn't suspend disbelief because the narrative was too outrageous or incredible. What you take out of this prose is exactly what you put into it, and if you are not interested in following along with some faith, this chapter of the story won't work for you.
At least I tried it...
I went in this book already knowing what happened to Tibby, which may or may not have affected my opinion. I actually didn't start enjoying the book until at least a third of the way through. I had been excited at first to start this, knowing that I am currently the same age that the girls were in this book, so I thought I might be able to relate to at least one of them. Unfortunately, I couldn't relate to any of them. Out of four almost-thirty year olds, I find it surprising that not one of them had their life together (well, I suppose Tibby arguably did, but she had a completely different issue). I guess this is a case of women holding too tightly on to their childhood friendship that they weren't really growing up. However, I loved Tibby's role in the story and how she basically helped her friends get their lives back together. I loved Bridget's journey to Australia and how that affected her. I loved the turn of events in Carmen's life on her train trip--there's just something cathartic about train trips that can really change one's life. The only plot I didn't end up loving anything about in the end was Lena's.
Editing to add some other thoughts:
I hate that all of the girls (don't feel I can really call them women because they don't act like it) have "glamorous" jobs like actress or film maker(?) or artist (or not really have a job, in the case of Bridget) and their boyfriends are all extremely successful and are basically there to take care of them financially (Kostos as a super successful businessman, Eric as a lawyer, Brian as very successful in his company, Jones as a successful TV executive). None of these girls can support themselves on their own. Carmen theoretically may have enough money now due to her TV role, but she never would have gotten it without Jones. Lena is trying to make it on her own most of the book, but clearly isn't making enough money to support herself beyond the absolute basics. These girls are almost 30 and the story takes place in the 21st century! I would have loved for one of the girls, maybe Bee, to have a "regular" job and be successful on her own, and independent.
I still don't get Eric and Bee together. Their relationship should have been over with the first book. I don't see Lena and Kostos actually ending up together in real life. How was she still not over him after more than 10 years? Granted, she seems to latch on to things because she still hadn't forgiven Effie for losing the pants...ten years later...and they were really just pants! The only relationship I believed would truly last was Brian/Tibby.
The "Bee is pregnant" plot seemed a little unnecessary and thankfully was mostly forgotten once she went to Australia.
Finally, why don't they have friends? If they really had drifted/grown apart so much recently, surely they have other people they spend time with. What about friends from college?
Once I got past these irritating points of the book, I did enjoy aspects of it, as mentioned above. However, as a whole, it did not live up to its potential of what the story could have been.
Editing to add some other thoughts:
I hate that all of the girls (don't feel I can really call them women because they don't act like it) have "glamorous" jobs like actress or film maker(?) or artist (or not really have a job, in the case of Bridget) and their boyfriends are all extremely successful and are basically there to take care of them financially (Kostos as a super successful businessman, Eric as a lawyer, Brian as very successful in his company, Jones as a successful TV executive). None of these girls can support themselves on their own. Carmen theoretically may have enough money now due to her TV role, but she never would have gotten it without Jones. Lena is trying to make it on her own most of the book, but clearly isn't making enough money to support herself beyond the absolute basics. These girls are almost 30 and the story takes place in the 21st century! I would have loved for one of the girls, maybe Bee, to have a "regular" job and be successful on her own, and independent.
I still don't get Eric and Bee together. Their relationship should have been over with the first book. I don't see Lena and Kostos actually ending up together in real life. How was she still not over him after more than 10 years? Granted, she seems to latch on to things because she still hadn't forgiven Effie for losing the pants...ten years later...and they were really just pants! The only relationship I believed would truly last was Brian/Tibby.
The "Bee is pregnant" plot seemed a little unnecessary and thankfully was mostly forgotten once she went to Australia.
Finally, why don't they have friends? If they really had drifted/grown apart so much recently, surely they have other people they spend time with. What about friends from college?
Once I got past these irritating points of the book, I did enjoy aspects of it, as mentioned above. However, as a whole, it did not live up to its potential of what the story could have been.
I was quite upset with the major driving plot element. I found myself interested in certain characters than others just like the original series. The girls decisions frustrated me just as much as they did before. Still fun to go back to characters I grew up with.
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Nostalgic reread for me. Obviously some wildly unrealistic plot lines but I still loved it ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
I'd put it at more 2.5 stars, as I only sort of liked it.
There will be spoilers for the book here, so beware.
Sisterhood Everlasting is the fifth book in the Travelling Pants series by Ann Brashares. It takes place ten years after Forever in Blue, when the pants were lost and the girls were looking to their futures. I’d read somewhere that one of the girls would die in this book, but I sort of dismissed it as it seemed unlikely. I wish it had been, but sadly I was wrong. As the book begins we get a cursory back story for three of the girls. Carmen is an actress with a bit part on a weekly show, and an ass of a fiance, living in New York. Bee is in California with Eric, not doing much but still wanting to be on the move. Lena is teaching and still mostly avoiding her life. But Tibby is missing, off to Australia with Brian for a couple of years with very little contact and no visits in between. What’s going on with Tibby? The other girls are about to find out when she finally reaches out and organises a trip to Greece, where the pants were lost. But then, tragedy strikes.
I really enjoyed the earlier books, and even the first film based on them, as the friendships always seemed real, as did the characters and how they interacted and went about their lives. I didn’t feel that as much with this one, and that comes down to the death. When I heard there might be a death I did think about who I’d prefer it to be. I have favourites of course, but I figured I’d be ok with it for the most part, as long as it wasn’t Tibby. Funny, awkward, wonderful Tibby, who isn’t really like me at all, but whom I have always identified with. And, of course, it was Tibby after all. I was so sad reading that part of the book, I could hardly continue with it. And then I spent the rest of the book mostly angry with the rest of them. For thinking that Tibby would kill herself. Tibby! As the reader I don’t think I have any more information than they, her best friends, do, and yet I was able to see quite clearly that that is something she would never do, especially not in such a cruel way – inviting them all to Greece only for them to have to identify her body? You’d have to be a seriously fucked up person to do that, and even after a couple of years away I don’t think Tibby could have become that messed up. It seemed obvious to me that her letters meant that she was sick, but her friends never even thought about it. Instead they went back to their lives and did a terrible job with them, until Tibby sorted them out from beyond the grave. I think she deserved better than that.
It felt like Brashares killed off her most interesting character to give the others something to do, and then they don’t even really do anything anyway. Lena goes off and mopes about Kostos, as usual. This being a relationship of yearning and being apart and not really real at all. Bee runs away, as usual, though at least she redeemed herself slightly by finally going to find Brian. And Carmen dives into her career and wedding, ignoring her own feelings, as usual. At some point these girls need to grow up, right? If I’m honest I’d have preferred if Carmen had died, seeing as she’s the least likable of the lot. She’s selfish and self-absorbed, and I’m not sure why I’m supposed to care about her really. She’s the voice of the books in the early ones, the ‘heart’, but she’s pretty dreadful in this one. Her friend died and she’s obsessing about a phone, before having an epiphany on a train. Hers were my least favourite parts to read.
I wish it had been different. I wish they had been better and done better by Tibby. I can’t really fault the writing, as it is engaging and I really didn’t want to put it down, even when I was mad at it, but there was definite something missing. Or someone.
There will be spoilers for the book here, so beware.
Sisterhood Everlasting is the fifth book in the Travelling Pants series by Ann Brashares. It takes place ten years after Forever in Blue, when the pants were lost and the girls were looking to their futures. I’d read somewhere that one of the girls would die in this book, but I sort of dismissed it as it seemed unlikely. I wish it had been, but sadly I was wrong. As the book begins we get a cursory back story for three of the girls. Carmen is an actress with a bit part on a weekly show, and an ass of a fiance, living in New York. Bee is in California with Eric, not doing much but still wanting to be on the move. Lena is teaching and still mostly avoiding her life. But Tibby is missing, off to Australia with Brian for a couple of years with very little contact and no visits in between. What’s going on with Tibby? The other girls are about to find out when she finally reaches out and organises a trip to Greece, where the pants were lost. But then, tragedy strikes.
I really enjoyed the earlier books, and even the first film based on them, as the friendships always seemed real, as did the characters and how they interacted and went about their lives. I didn’t feel that as much with this one, and that comes down to the death. When I heard there might be a death I did think about who I’d prefer it to be. I have favourites of course, but I figured I’d be ok with it for the most part, as long as it wasn’t Tibby. Funny, awkward, wonderful Tibby, who isn’t really like me at all, but whom I have always identified with. And, of course, it was Tibby after all. I was so sad reading that part of the book, I could hardly continue with it. And then I spent the rest of the book mostly angry with the rest of them. For thinking that Tibby would kill herself. Tibby! As the reader I don’t think I have any more information than they, her best friends, do, and yet I was able to see quite clearly that that is something she would never do, especially not in such a cruel way – inviting them all to Greece only for them to have to identify her body? You’d have to be a seriously fucked up person to do that, and even after a couple of years away I don’t think Tibby could have become that messed up. It seemed obvious to me that her letters meant that she was sick, but her friends never even thought about it. Instead they went back to their lives and did a terrible job with them, until Tibby sorted them out from beyond the grave. I think she deserved better than that.
It felt like Brashares killed off her most interesting character to give the others something to do, and then they don’t even really do anything anyway. Lena goes off and mopes about Kostos, as usual. This being a relationship of yearning and being apart and not really real at all. Bee runs away, as usual, though at least she redeemed herself slightly by finally going to find Brian. And Carmen dives into her career and wedding, ignoring her own feelings, as usual. At some point these girls need to grow up, right? If I’m honest I’d have preferred if Carmen had died, seeing as she’s the least likable of the lot. She’s selfish and self-absorbed, and I’m not sure why I’m supposed to care about her really. She’s the voice of the books in the early ones, the ‘heart’, but she’s pretty dreadful in this one. Her friend died and she’s obsessing about a phone, before having an epiphany on a train. Hers were my least favourite parts to read.
I wish it had been different. I wish they had been better and done better by Tibby. I can’t really fault the writing, as it is engaging and I really didn’t want to put it down, even when I was mad at it, but there was definite something missing. Or someone.