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Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares, reviewed by Morgan K.

In her third installment of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants entitled Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood, Ann Brashares delivers, for the third time, a brilliant novel about the maturation of four best friends, both individually and mutually. In part three of this wittily written series, we are reintroduced to our four main characters; Carmen, Lena, Bridget, and Tibby. As they embark upon their last summer before starting down four different paths towards college and the future, the reader begins an endless love affair with all four, or as Brashares affectionately refers to them as, “The Septembers,” adoring them for their innocence and never-ending faith in their infallible friendship. At the completion of this story, the reader can’t help but feel blessed for the loved ones they have, and the importance of being able to love at all. =

It’s graduation day for The Septembers’. As the four girls throw their caps into the air and end an enormous chapter in their lives, they realize they have two more summer months to prepare for a new one. Lena, the Greek and beautiful one, is still mourning over her loss of her beloved Kostos to another girl. (Kostos was introduced in the first installment and exited in the second as he found another girlfriend, impregnated, and then married her.) She decides to focus on art, a favorite hobby of hers, and is determined to win a scholarship to RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) and to convince her uncompromising father of her talent and passion. Tibby, the movie-making and reserved one, is shown to be concerned about the change that is occurring around her. Throughout the course of the story, Tibby faces a multitude of obstacles including opening her heart to a boyfriend, taking responsibility for a siblings’ fall, and helping a not-so-strange woman though labor. Carmen, the insecure and voluptuous one, begins to deal with the idea of her mother remarrying and even having a new baby brother. As she becomes more comfortable with who she is and starts to embrace “Good Carmen”, she is able to open her heart to love and allows herself to be loved in return. Bridget, the blonde and athletic one, embarks upon her soccer camp journey. Here she rekindles an old flame, with whom, when she hears has a girlfriend, takes a more mature and friend-like approach. But when fate brings them together on more than one occasion, they each become irresistible. Though each story and character within the novel is unique unto theirself, there is a distinct feeling left by the author that they never would have conquered any of their fears had it not been for their friendship and the magic of the Pants.

This novel provides so much to learn about friendship. It allows you to open your eyes and your heart to find love in all the places you never thought you could find it. While reading this novel, you can’t help but feel the innocence and happiness that reeks from every word on every page. It is tremendously uplifting and written so cleverly, you are bound to be laughing and giggling your way through. The author’s writing style, very young adult savvy, allows you to be in the moment with each one of these four girls. Even when you put down the book, it’s a cinch that you’ll be left wondering what’s to come. This book always leaves you feeling warm, loved, and in the mood to hug everyone you know!

Some readers may feel that this particular installment is a little less action-packed than the last two. The plots of each of the girls seem to be focused on just one particular problem, rather than a whole array of issues. In addition, those who have not read the last two Sisterhood novels may feel completely lost. Others may find that this book is too young for them, made obvious by the extreme careful use of sexual language. I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone over the age of 18. Some readers may find that this book leaves you feeling like they only went an inch when they could have gone a mile.

Overall, this book deserves four smiley faces. Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood is an extremely warm-hearted novel with love practically bursting out of its pages. Each of the characters challenges in this story inspires us to push ourselves to be the best we can be. Girls in Pants allows ourselves to reflect upon every challenge we ourselves have faced, and how we never could have gotten through it without a little help from our friends.