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The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Sisterhood, #1)
by Ann Brashares
by Ann Brashares
** spoiler alert **
I saw the movie first and kind of liked it. So, of course I thought "Well the book is always better than the movie" so I decided to read it, even though its written for teens and I wasn't too sure I could relate. I guess I couldn't because this is one time I liked the movie a lot better than the book. I mean really, how many 15/16 year old girls do you know who's parents let them go trapezing all over the world (in Lena's case literally) and don't think twice about it. Come to think of it how many 15/16 year old girls have the money to it even if they're parents really are that totally oblivious. Not to mention Bailey, who is roaming around with Tibby all summer despite a major medical condition that would most certainly keep her slowed down, if not out completely.
The main characters in this book are flat and, frankly, boring and the situations they are in are really not very believable. The adults are almost completely absent, and when they are present they are made out to be selfish, stupid, unaware, or all of the above.
This is a perfect teen angst novel that I'm sure will appeal to teenagers everywhere who will find this a wonderful book about girls their own age who get to do what they want when they want and have really no real consequences. Not to mention the whole "My friends are my life" theme which will also appeal to a younger angrier audience. For those of us who have battled through those misunderstood years and know that life doesn't work quite that way, well...this novel will leave most ADULTS cold.
The main characters in this book are flat and, frankly, boring and the situations they are in are really not very believable. The adults are almost completely absent, and when they are present they are made out to be selfish, stupid, unaware, or all of the above.
This is a perfect teen angst novel that I'm sure will appeal to teenagers everywhere who will find this a wonderful book about girls their own age who get to do what they want when they want and have really no real consequences. Not to mention the whole "My friends are my life" theme which will also appeal to a younger angrier audience. For those of us who have battled through those misunderstood years and know that life doesn't work quite that way, well...this novel will leave most ADULTS cold.
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vinnayvie
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rated it 2 stars
Feb 12, 2008 03:07pm
Love your review. It perfectly matches the feelings I got from the book. It's totally unrealistic and is based on an immature teens perception on life. Very black and white with no connection with reality whatsoever.
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Well, you didn't like it and that's fine. To each his own, as they say, and you're certainly entitled to your own opinions. But I have to disagree. I thought the characters were fleshed out really well and the situations more or less realistic. Lena wasn't just traipsing around the world on her own. She was sent to spend a summer with her grandparents. Hardly a summer of unsupervised partying in Europe. (With certain exceptions to the travel which take place later in the book.) And, maybe it's just because I've read the second book and see what happens later, I got the impression the characters had to suffer very real consequences for their actions. As an adult, I thought it was a pretty realistic teen novel.
Not all teenagers are the same. I certainly am not like this or ever will be. Although this is done quite a bit, I am still bothered with how teenagers are grouped into this mob of rebellious, angry youths. As for the "my friends are my life", to me, my friends were an important part of my life, but not my whole life. You may think this book will "appeal to teenagers everywhere", but this is one teenager it did not appeal to, now or before.
Yes... Adults are not present as much as they should be but fact is they aren't exactly without adults! Lena is with her grand parents! Bee is at a camp! Carmen is with her dad! And about Bailey... Bethesda has a bunch of more rural type areas so it's very possible that her parents trusted the area. It is also a fiction book, I wish people could just simply enjoy the heartfelt story of a strong bond between friends! It does actually happen, just in a different variation. If the book was too realistic it would be boring. ;)
My thoughts exactly! I think this is the first book I have ever read where I liked the movie better!!
She wasn't "trapezing all over the world".. she was sent to meet her GRANDPARENTS. Going all the way to Mexico I didn't quite get, true, but she had the $$$ and her parents apparently didn't care
This book is not really meant for adults! I read this when I was the age of the girls in the book, and I identified with all of them in some way! I thought it was great at the time and I kept reading it over and over again! Now when I re-read it, I see the flaws in it and I think the way you do. Basic rule of marketing: if it doesn't make sense to you, then you're not the target audience.
this always happen when you watch the movie first, if u have read the book first may be you wouldn't even like the movie
I agree with Alexis 100%! It's not too unrealistic, it's believable enough. Just because you (and I) don't have such interesting summers doesn't mean others don't. :D
