Hadley: The Traveling Pants: Not the Write Fit

This review is by Hadley, student reviewer for Culbreth Library Blog:
Forever in Blue is the last installment in the adored Traveling Pants series. Bridget, Lena, Tibby, and Carmen have been friends since birth and have just finished their freshman year in college. In the other books they haven’t saved the pants to use only in summer when they’re apart. This time, since they are all at different colleges, they have shuttled them along the whole year. As this summer unfurls, each girl confronts different problems. Bridget, known as Bee, is in Turkey on an archeological dig, but finds herself falling for her professor instead. Lena finally thinks she’s over Kostos, and into Leo, when the former shows up at her door. Tibby breaks up with Brian when she thinks she’s pregnant, but regrets her decision later. Carmen, who has been avoiding her friends, finds a way to feel better about herself, through acting.

Forever in Blue: the Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood doesn’t have quite the charm of its predecessors. The girls’ stories have the same genuine ring to them, and the problems they encounter are new and interesting. However, Ann Brashares seems to be trying too hard to give a satisfactory ending to the series. This book has trite and almost maudlin phrases thankfully missing from her other books. For instance, when Carmen is performing for the first time and she sees her friends in the audience, Ms. Brashares writes something about Carmen drawing strength from their smiling faces. The power bit just seems too contrived.

There were also a few scenes that didn’t make sense. When Bee and the professor get serious, and his family shows up, her actions are bizarre. She decides to walk to China. I think Ms. Brashares was trying to convey the jerky thinking that people get when something emotional happens to them, but Bee’s not that stupid!

Let’s face it, this last book doesn’t live up to its dynamite denim forerunners. It’s a good thing this was her last book otherwise I know that at least I wouldn’t have gone on to read the others. Ms. Brashares should hang up the pants and put something else on.