Tools for this page
Print

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Book Summary

Reviewed by Matt Berman

Lena, Bridget, Tibby, and Carmen have been best friends since birth. Now, just before they are about to spend their first summer apart, they discover a pair of jeans that miraculously fits all of them, despite their differing physiques. And not just fit -- the Pants make each girl look, and feel, beautiful and confident. They don't know it yet, but they'll need that confidence during a summer that will test them, each in different ways.

That's all the magic, if such it is, that comes from the Pants themselves -- the rest comes from the powerful love these girls share, which travels with the pants. In a solemn midnight ceremony, the kind of solemnity of which perhaps only teenage girls are capable, they make up a compact about the Pants, part of which is that they will send them back and forth among themselves throughout the summer. Thus they will be present during each girl's time of crisis and tie the strands of the story together engagingly, if somewhat artificially.

Is It Any Good?

3

There are few things teens love as much as melodrama, and they'll get plenty of it here: Tibby befriends a 12-year-old with leukemia, Carmen's father has a new family, Lena falls in love in Greece, and Bridget has her first sexual experience, which devastates her. But Ann Brashares is simply a better writer than most authors of this kind of literature and she builds a reservoir of affection for each character that makes the climax of each of their stories effective.

The friendship among the four girls is the kind every teen longs for but never actually experiences: rock solid and dependable, with no rivalries or pettiness to mar it, filled only with kindness, love, and understanding. But if this friendship, along with the girls' openness to the world and their capacity for honest self-appraisal and growth, gives teen readers something to which to aspire, then this book will deserve its popularity.

Give Us a Minute, Get a Lot of Common Sense!
  • Age-appropriate best bets for your kids
  • Weekly email alert with the latest picks, reviews & advice
  • Post your own reviews and share them with friends
This will never be displayed to others.
Your email will never be displayed to others.
Your password should be 6-10 characters long.
A screen name protects your privacy
(It's free!)

Already a member? Log in
Your family's privacy is our highest priority.
See our privacy policy, community guidelines, and terms of use.
To post a review or comment you must become a Common Sense Member. It's easy!
Set-up your account
This will never be displayed to others.
Your email will never be displayed to others.
Your password should be 6-10 characters long.
Choose a screen name
It will appear when you post your own reviews and recommendations.
A screen name protects your privacy
Tell us your children's ages
You'll see the movies, games, books, shows, music, and sites our editors select just for them. As your children get older, our picks will grow with them!Why we ask for this
We never display your children's names, (or nicknames) to anyone, but you. Providing your children's ages allows us to personalize information on our site, so you get better information, faster.
is
until
(optional)
is
until
is
until
is
until
is
until
is
until
Add another child

Already a member? Log in
Your family's privacy is our highest priority.
See our privacy policy, community guidelines, and terms of use.
We can make Common Sense just right for you. With a little info about you and your family, you'll get the most out of our site.
Set-up your account
This will never be displayed to others.
Your email will never be displayed to others.
Your password should be 6-10 characters long.
Tell us your children's ages
You'll see the movies, games, books, shows, music, and sites our editors select just for them. As your children get older, our picks will grow with them!
Why we ask for this
We never display your children's names, (or nicknames) to anyone, but you. Providing your children's ages allows us to personalize information on our site, so you get better information, faster.
is
until
is
until
is
until
is
until
is
until
is
until
Add another child
Choose a screen name
It will appear when you post your own reviews and recommendations
A screen name protects your privacy
Already a member? Log in
Your family's privacy is our highest priority.
See our privacy policy, community guidelines, and terms of use.
Register to add this school to your profile. You'll be able to see and share reviews from parents, teachers, and kids at your child's school.
I'm already a Common Sense member.
Kids under 13 must use a screen name
Your family's privacy is our highest priority.
See our privacy policy, community guidelines, and terms of use.