The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

published	May 11th 2004 by Laurel-Leaf Books
first published	2001
binding	Mass Market Paperback
isbn	0440229707 (isbn13: 9780440229704)
pages	352
description	They were just a soft, ordinary pair of thrift-shop jeans until the four girls took turns trying them on--four girls, that is, who are close friends,...more [close] They were just a soft, ordinary pair of thrift-shop jeans until the four girls took turns trying them on--four girls, that is, who are close friends, about to be parted for the summer, with very different sizes and builds, not to mention backgrounds and personalities. Yet the pants settle on each girl's hips perfectly, making her look sexy and long-legged and feel confident as a teenager can feel. "These are magical Pants!" they realize, and so they make a pact to share them equally, to mail them back and forth over the summer from wherever they are. Beautiful, distant Lena is going to Greece to be with her grandparents; strong, athletic Bridget is off to soccer camp in Baja, California; hot-tempered Carmen plans to have her divorced father all to herself in South Carolina; and Tibby the rebel will be left at home to slave for minimum wage at Wallman's. Over the summer the Pants come to represent the support of the sisterhood, but they also lead each girl into bruising and ultimately healing confrontations with love and courage, dying and forgiveness. Lena finds her identity in Greece and the courage not to reject love; Bridget gets in over her head with an older camp coach; Carmen finds her father ensconced with a new fiancée and family; and Tibby unwillingly takes on a filmmaking apprentice who is dying of leukemia. Each girl's story is distinct and engrossing, told in a brightly contemporary style. Like the Pants, the reader bounces back and forth among the four unfolding adventures, and the melange is spiced with letters and witty quotes. Ann Brashares has here created four captivating characters and seamlessly interwoven their stories for a young adult novel that is fresh and absorbing. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell [close]
date added	05-11-07 edit book

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Namz rated it:

(review of isbn 0385729332)

06/14/07

bookshelves: turbulent-teens, ya-lit

Read in June, 2007

A sparkling breath of fresh air, this book captures the spirit of friendship in the most charming and sauciest manner possible!

The book is a far cry from the regular breed of YA novels which seem to dwell on the fixed notions that young girls basically fall into two main groups: One, the hatefully pretty, perpetually scheming Prom Queens with their nastier than “week-ol’ milk” cliques! And at the other end of the rainbow, the brave under-dog…..not much to look at, the gene...more A sparkling breath of fresh air, this book captures the spirit of friendship in the most charming and sauciest manner possible!

The book is a far cry from the regular breed of YA novels which seem to dwell on the fixed notions that young girls basically fall into two main groups: One, the hatefully pretty, perpetually scheming Prom Queens with their nastier than “week-ol’ milk” cliques! And at the other end of the rainbow, the brave under-dog…..not much to look at, the general do-gooder, the faithful confidante and to nicely round it off, more often than not, armed with an IQ formidable enough to gain entry into MENSA!!!

Breaking the age-old mould with insouciance, Ann Brashares creates a world where it is possible for four friends, as different as chalk to cheese to form a deeply satisfying friendship. They care for each other, love each other, put aside fights and misunderstandings with a careless shrug and offer unstinted, non-judgmental support any time, everytime.

Lena, the reluctant beauty; feisty, big-tushied Carmen; the anti-everything, mad-at-the-world Tibby and the over-achieving, statuesque athlete Bridget are friends; literally since birth (their mums shared a preggers-aerobics class). Having grown up in each other’s pockets, along comes a summer when the four are parted for the first time. Lena is off to Greece to meet her grandparents; Carmen to spend some quality time with her divorced dad in South Carolina; Bridget to Baja, California for summer camp and Tibby, the impotent rebel is stuck at home, cutting a minimum wage at Wallman’s.

A well-worn pair of soft jeans bought at a thrift-shop by Carmen but never-tried becomes an unexpected bond to hold the four pals together. Despite their vastly different body proportions, the seemingly-magical pair of jeans fits each of them like a dream……hugging the right curves, resting gracefully on the varying waistlines, making each teen feel sexy and infusing them with much-needed confidence!!!

They make a pact (complete with a set of serious-cum-nonsensical rules) to circulate the pants amongst themselves throughout their vacation, passing it on when the time is right. Thus begins the saga of the Sisterhood…….

As the long, glorious summer unravels, the pants become a source and symbol of the generous support which the sisterhood provides to each of the four buddies as they face unwieldy situations.

Sucker-punched by new emotions, the friends absorb confidence from their ever-reliable ‘magical pants’. For each, the pants seem to be infused with the strength and support of their fellow friends.

Brimming with energy and vitality, the book effortlessly hops between the four friends as they deal with life, love and all-things ‘teen-achy’. One of the best coming-of-age books in a long time, it’s a must read for everyone who is-a-teen, was-a-teen and will soon be-a-quakin’ in your boots-teen!.....It’s a tough world out there, but when you got your SIST –AHS, life’s just a wee bit more bearable!!
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