The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants: Part 1

Friday Spines Book Review Number 31: 

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, by Ann Brashares

This book is one of those books that emanate summer from the first line ("One upon a time there was a pair of pants." Not the best, but combined with the creative and easy-to-relate-to paragraph that follows, it will definitely keep you reading). While the story is slightly cheesy and slightly far-fetched (if you're the type of person who notices these things), it combines with the quotes to envelope you in the friendship of wild Bridget; shy careful Lena; mutinous spunky Tibby; and loyal, unadventurous, hot-tempered Carmen.

The Pants are found by Carmen in a thrift store, abandoned on her dresser, and rediscovered by Tibby. Tibby, who's wallowing at the prospect of working at a drugstore all summer, demands the pants as compensation for a lonely few months without her traveling friends. Lena, who's visiting her grandparents in Greece, Carmen, who'll be staying with her dad in South Carolina, and Bridget, who's attending soccer camp in Mexico, agree: But upon closer examination, the pants fit skinny Lena and plump Carmen as well as more average Tibby and Bridget. The four girls declare the pants magic, hold a quick ceremony, and agree on a set of rules, including

1. You must never wash the Pants

3. You  must never say the word [fat] while wearing the pants. You must also never think to yourself, "I am fat" while wearing the Pants.

9. You must not wear the Pants with a tucked-in shirt and belt. (It's tacky. There will never be a time when this will not be tacky.)

10. Remember: Pants=love. Love your pals. Love yourself. 

And so the Traveling Pants go from Lena to Tibby, to Carmen, to Bridget, and then in reverse, as hearts and rules are broken, questions answered (or not), limits stretched, and summer enjoyed to the fullest. 

While the writing in this book is more mainstream than sophisticated, it fits with the easy warmth of the story. The content is a little toward the more mature side (Bridgett gets involved with a camp counselor, and Lena with a boy she meets in Greece) but it's written in a very gentle way: I recommend the Pants series for ages 12 and up. 

Other things I like about this book:

• The story of Bailey, a younger girl who befriends Tibby during her summer of solitary moping.
• Summery, friendship, inspirational quotes adorn the beginning of each chapter, keeping with the spirit of easygoing happiness.
• Letters are interspersed with third-person narratives from the four girls.
• The love stories range from rather cliche to totally unexpected.

Other books you may enjoy: Peaches, by Jodi Lynn Anderson; The Truth About Forever, by Sarah Dessen; and Girl at Sea, by Maureen Johnson.

(Psst-next Friday I'll be reviewing the new Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants book, Sisterhood Everlasting!)

See everyone on Monday!

Happy reading!

M. Gabrielle