Review: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
(Sisterhood #1)
by Ann Brashares
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: September 11th 2001
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 294
ISBN: 9780385729338
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Book Club

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Carmen got the jeans at a thrift shop. They didn't look all that great: they were worn, dirty, and speckled with bleach. On the night before she and her friends part for the summer, Carmen decides to toss them. But Tibby says they're great. She'd love to have them. Lena and Bridget also think they're fabulous. Lena decides that they should all try them on. Whoever they fit best will get them. Nobody knows why, but the pants fit everyone perfectly. Even Carmen (who never thinks she looks good in anything) thinks she looks good in the pants. Over a few bags of cheese puffs, they decide to form a sisterhood and take the vow of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants . . . the next morning, they say good-bye. And then the journey of the pants -- and the most memorable summer of their lives -- begins. (Goodreads)

I am probably the last person in the world to have read The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Believe it or not, I haven’t even seen the movie. I did, however, have it on my to-read list. When my dearest book friend, Kathy, come up with the wonderful idea for The Sisterhood of the Traveling Book club, I was excited to join. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was our first group read!  I know I would have eventually read the book, but I am so very glad that Kathy had me read it sooner. It was really wonderful!

Each of the girls in the story were each interesting in their own way. Lena is quiet and introverted, just like me. (I was actually able to relate to her the most because of this.) Carmen was full of sass and wanted everything to be just her way. Bridget was the super-star athlete, and Tibby... well, Tibby seemed to be mad at the world. (Someone else I was definitely able to relate to when I was her age.)  I really enjoyed reading each girls adventure with the traveling pants, and I was definitely able to sympathize with each girl’s story.  I was also envious of the girls relationships with each other. Friends like those don’t come around often.

There were a handful of secondary characters in the novel that I really cared for, maybe even more than the main characters in once case. That would be with Bailey, the girl that Tibby meets at her work. She was super snarky, and just flat out told you how things were. I loved her, and I loved her story. I will definitely admit, I cried for her. 

I don’t know what kind of magical jeans these are that fit each girl perfectly, but I definitely need to get me a pair of them. I love that the storyline revolves around the pants, and the girls sending them off to each other. It reminds me of a Flat Stanley project I did with my son a while back. It was so much fun sending our package to people all over! It would be something really cute to do with a group of friends.

Overall; I really didn’t know what to think before I started this book. I have heard about it a million times, and even had the book on my shelf. But I never read it. I don’t know why. I am really glad that I finally did. Now I’m going to pass along this book to my teenager, and share the experience with her. I’m really looking forward to reading the rest of the series, and watching the movie as well!

Happy Reading!