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adventurous
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Racism, Terminal illness, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Death, Car accident, Alcohol
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a super cute read, I loved following all four girls! It was the perfect comfort read that I needed while recovery from wisdom teeth surgery 🩵 👖
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have a lot of thoughts on this book. I saw this in the library recognized the title and checked it out.
Firstly this is a book realeased in 2001 and it definitely hasn't aged well. Literally the first page has casual racism against Koreans. I also saw from another user saying the author shouldn't write characters of color and that she relied on stereotypes. I'm white so I'm no authority on what is and isn't racist but Carmen the only main character of color is Latina and chiefly defined by her temper. It feels a little bit like the "spitfire" trope of Latina women.
But the worst part of this book and the section that's aged the worse is Bridget's whole section. Basically Bridget is 15 and at her soccer camp she begins a flirtation with one of her coaches Eric who is 19. Aside from the fact one person in this relationship is an adult and the other is a minor (there's a huge maturity gap between 15 and 19) one is in a position of power over the other. I was grossed out reading about their entire relationship. And it gets even worse because they end up sleeping with each other and to give some small credit Brashares does depict it as a traumatic experience for Bridget. But I don't think it really villainizes Eric like it should. His whole romantic final speech to Bridget is especially gross and I hated reading it. And I know from The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants wiki that she and Eric are an Endgame couple. Even in 2001 I feel this was very irresponsible for Brashares to do. She'd know that the main audience for this book would be girls the main characters age or even younger and she's telling them than an adult being sexually interested in them is romantic and not creepy.
I guess as this book tells four different simultaneous stories I'll rank them from best to worst.
1. Carmen - Despite the possible stereotypes Carmen's character plays into, I like that they didn't portray her anger as unwarranted or unreasonable. My favorite part of the book was when Bailey says to Carmen "You're allowed to be angry". Her anger was entirely justified it's just that she didn't communicate it in the best way which is completely accurate. I remember being 15 and trying to drop subtle hints about my feelings to my parents which they completely missed. Her story is the most realistic and understandable.
Also this might just be another example of how the book hasn't aged well but I'm pretty sure a lot of people of color have been in Carmen's situation where a white family member invites you to there plantation wedding and doesn't see a problem with that.
2. Tibby - Tibby's story tugs at your heartstrings. But it didn't feel cloying or anything. Her and Bailey form a nice friendship together and it causes Tibby to look at life in a whole new way.
3. Lena - Lena's story was just sort of meh. I don't really believe her relationship with Kostos. They barely spoke to eachother so why is she in love with him. I get kids fall in love really easily but Lena's the one who's distrustful of boys. I don't see her falling in love with someone unless she knows them very well.
4. Bridget - Please send Eric to jail. Don't let him be around minors anymore.
I'm giving this book a lower rating not just because of the problematic aspects but because I didn't connect to the characters. I think the two are connected. When I had to read things like Bridget and Eric's relationship I had to detach myself emotionally as a defense mechanism. So when it switched back to stories I might have connected to like Carmen or Tibby's I couldn't easily reattach myself so I felt no connection to the characters.
Firstly this is a book realeased in 2001 and it definitely hasn't aged well. Literally the first page has casual racism against Koreans. I also saw from another user saying the author shouldn't write characters of color and that she relied on stereotypes. I'm white so I'm no authority on what is and isn't racist but Carmen the only main character of color is Latina and chiefly defined by her temper. It feels a little bit like the "spitfire" trope of Latina women.
But the worst part of this book and the section that's aged the worse is Bridget's whole section. Basically Bridget is 15 and at her soccer camp she begins a flirtation with one of her coaches Eric who is 19. Aside from the fact one person in this relationship is an adult and the other is a minor (there's a huge maturity gap between 15 and 19) one is in a position of power over the other. I was grossed out reading about their entire relationship. And it gets even worse because they end up sleeping with each other and to give some small credit Brashares does depict it as a traumatic experience for Bridget. But I don't think it really villainizes Eric like it should. His whole romantic final speech to Bridget is especially gross and I hated reading it. And I know from The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants wiki that she and Eric are an Endgame couple. Even in 2001 I feel this was very irresponsible for Brashares to do. She'd know that the main audience for this book would be girls the main characters age or even younger and she's telling them than an adult being sexually interested in them is romantic and not creepy.
I guess as this book tells four different simultaneous stories I'll rank them from best to worst.
1. Carmen - Despite the possible stereotypes Carmen's character plays into, I like that they didn't portray her anger as unwarranted or unreasonable. My favorite part of the book was when Bailey says to Carmen "You're allowed to be angry". Her anger was entirely justified it's just that she didn't communicate it in the best way which is completely accurate. I remember being 15 and trying to drop subtle hints about my feelings to my parents which they completely missed. Her story is the most realistic and understandable.
Also this might just be another example of how the book hasn't aged well but I'm pretty sure a lot of people of color have been in Carmen's situation where a white family member invites you to there plantation wedding and doesn't see a problem with that.
2. Tibby - Tibby's story tugs at your heartstrings. But it didn't feel cloying or anything. Her and Bailey form a nice friendship together and it causes Tibby to look at life in a whole new way.
3. Lena - Lena's story was just sort of meh. I don't really believe her relationship with Kostos. They barely spoke to eachother so why is she in love with him. I get kids fall in love really easily but Lena's the one who's distrustful of boys. I don't see her falling in love with someone unless she knows them very well.
4. Bridget - Please send Eric to jail. Don't let him be around minors anymore.
I'm giving this book a lower rating not just because of the problematic aspects but because I didn't connect to the characters. I think the two are connected. When I had to read things like Bridget and Eric's relationship I had to detach myself emotionally as a defense mechanism. So when it switched back to stories I might have connected to like Carmen or Tibby's I couldn't easily reattach myself so I felt no connection to the characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child death, Grief
Moderate: Animal death, Racism
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Cancer, Child death, Terminal illness, Violence, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicide, Death of parent
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Grief
Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Racism, Abandonment
Minor: Death of parent
adventurous
challenging
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Grief
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It's a good coming of age story but reading it as an adult it's very cringe. There are a lot of topics this hits on that are very uncomfortable to read. I also think some of the main characters were annoying we're almost glad when they got knocked down a peg. I also dont think the author should be writing characters of color. She really played into stereotypes and the character fell flat and two dimensional.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child death
Moderate: Animal death, Cancer
Minor: Alcoholism, Death of parent
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Cancer, Death
Minor: Body shaming
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
I just recently revisited this series after buying the last book to accompany the rest in my book collection. Even though I've read it multiple times and know what's coming at each twist and turn, it still keeps me invested. Being able to come back to this book, and the sisterhood, felt like coming home.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Terminal illness
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The rating (4 stars) is from when I first rated it in Goodreads back in high school. I loved this series as a teenager, and enjoyed brushing off The Pants again as an adult. I’m not sure if my rating now would change because these books were so special to me as a child that it feels wrong to rate them less.
Carmen and Tibby’s stories were the most touching to me as an adult, and as a pre-teen reading this I think I longed for Lena’s story the most. Bee’s story broke my heart both as a preteen and as an adult for vastly different reasons.
There were parts of the book that were rough (the intro with the racist dog eating thing), and others that were so indicative of the time the book was written/published. Like Carmen’s dad picking her up at her gate in the airport. Such a bygone thing!!
Both times I read this story I came to the conclusion that Carmen’s dad is a dick (preteen me would say “jerk”), and that still stands. He’s a grown man that never mentioned proposing to someone??? Moving in with them??? In all the times he visited the DC area and saw Carmen??? What the absolute fuck!!!
Also Eric, what a scumbag. Truly what a gross dude. Yeah, he resisted for a bit but… then he didn’t. And it’s on him to keep that boundary. He’s the adult. Just gross.
Carmen and Tibby’s stories were the most touching to me as an adult, and as a pre-teen reading this I think I longed for Lena’s story the most. Bee’s story broke my heart both as a preteen and as an adult for vastly different reasons.
There were parts of the book that were rough (the intro with the racist dog eating thing), and others that were so indicative of the time the book was written/published. Like Carmen’s dad picking her up at her gate in the airport. Such a bygone thing!!
Both times I read this story I came to the conclusion that Carmen’s dad is a dick (preteen me would say “jerk”), and that still stands. He’s a grown man that never mentioned proposing to someone??? Moving in with them??? In all the times he visited the DC area and saw Carmen??? What the absolute fuck!!!
Also Eric, what a scumbag. Truly what a gross dude. Yeah, he resisted for a bit but… then he didn’t. And it’s on him to keep that boundary. He’s the adult. Just gross.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Death, Mental illness
Minor: Suicide, Death of parent