Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood
Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this book is the third in a hugely popular series for teens. It explores the relationship of four close girlfriends in the summer before college. Themes include romantic experiences, familial changes, anxiety about college, and facing challenges from the past before moving ahead. A magical pair of pants purchased in a thrift shop in the first novel, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants makes its rounds among the four girls while they tell their very different coming-of-age stories. There are some references to "getting stoned," detailed descriptions of kissing-type experiences with boys, and mentions of sleeping with and skinny-dipping with a boy, making this potentially iffy for young teens. But the romance is mostly in the background of these girls' stories.
Families who read this book can talk about the girls' friendship. They're different in many ways -- family make-up, ethnicity, interests, and personalities -- yet they're bonded like sisters. What makes their friendship strong? Is this friendship realistic or fantasy? Parents could also talk about the individual challenges each girl faced and how they were handled successfully -- or what they could have done differently. Finally, what helps the girls overcome their obstacles and learn about themselves -- a pair of old jeans or their own maturation?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Pam Gelman
The pants are back -- and with them, adventure and self-discovery for four college-bound friends. Ann Brashares' third novel in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series continues the odyssey that's struck a nerve with teens across the globe.
A pair of "magical" jeans purchased in the first book is still a symbol of friendship and support as each girl navigates through her tumultuous teens. Humor and adventure are intermixed as four likeable girls gain maturity and positive self-esteem during the summer after high school graduation.
As the girls grow during this summer, the pants become less of a prominent symbol in the story, distinguishing this book from its two predecessors. Brashares does a great job making the novel flow as the reader jumps around the girls' four different adventures, sometimes within the same chapter.
Teen readers have fallen for these girls and their seemingly unbreakable bond, but many parts of this story are unrealistic. Besides the fact that their communal pair of jeans fit all four of their very different frames to a T, they're never petty with one another, and all are accepted at top-notch colleges.
What brings the story back to earth are the real-life challenges the girls face and Brashares' good writing. That makes this tale a good match for mature teens who enjoy the coming-of-age genre.
GIRLS IN PANTS is best read as part of the series, as this book includes plenty of references to the girls' history together.
From The Book
It was a miracle how when you looked hard enough, when you really sought out information, there was so much to see, even in a person's tiniest gesture. There was so much feeling, such a dazzling array of things that your words, at least Lena's words, could never say. There were thousands of images and memories and ideas, if you just let them come. There was the whole history of human experience somewhere contained in each of the bits, the most universal in the most specific, if you could only see it. It was like poetry. Well, she had never really found poetry in poetry, to be truthful. But she imagined this was what poetry might be like for someone who understood it and loved it.
Either it was like poetry or it was like getting really, really stoned.
The ring was off and Paul had it cradled in his palm now. He looked at her again. "This is my father's. He went to Penn, too, so he wants me to have it."
Lena stared at him solemnly. She wondered if the swelling compassion she felt for him was finding its way out of her eyes. "He's sick. Carmen told me."
Paul nodded.
"I'm so sorry."
Plot Summary:
It's the summer after high school graduation, and the four girls unfold the pants once again as they embark on summer adventures. Always looming is the thought of another good-bye as they leave for different colleges.
Carmen takes a job caring for Lena's depressed and cranky Greek grandmother and meets a boy who only sees her as Carmen, doer of good deeds. She's also horrified to discover that her middle-aged, newly remarried mother is pregnant. Lena's ultra-conservative father confronts her about her ambitions in art and threatens to pull the plug on RISD. Tibby's relationship with a male friend takes a romantic turn in the midst of a family crisis. And Bea, still processing the death of her mother, is reunited with a past fling -- but learns this time to start with friendship before romance.
The book concludes at the end of summer with the four girls together at the beach exchanging gifts and sharing the ultimate gift of memories together.
Related Books:
The first two in the series are The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and The Second Summer of the Sisterhood.
Another coming-of-age book to check out is Unfinished Portrait of Jessica. Fans of the Pants books may also like the movie.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentDetailed descriptions of kissing. One girl sleeps with a boy. A girl also skinny dips with a boy. Sexual experience from the past is discussed. |
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ViolenceA 3-year-old falls from the window and sustains a life-threatening head injury. Grandmother trips and hurts her knee. |
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Language"Damn" and "ass" are used occassionally. |
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Social BehaviorGirls experience teenage drama with boys and family, but they speak with respect about their families and about the bonds they have to each other. |
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CommercialismThird book in the popular series. A film was made of the first. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoReferences to getting stoned or drinking, but none of that is experienced by girls in this book. |
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