Lena moves on emotionally from Kostos and while this is, in theory at least, a good thing you can't help but think 'No No No, they have to make it work somehow'. Then just as you come to terms with the fact that Lena is over him, he turns up with the astounding news that he divorced his wife because she lied to him and was never really pregnant. This comes just as you think Lena has sorted herself out and he throws her back into turmoil, the only good thing about this train is that by the end of the book Lena has at least come to terms with everything and is able to move on.
Tibby finds herself in the middle of a pregnancy scare and pushes away nearly everyone who cares about her, including Brian, who cares about her more than anything. When she tells him she wants to end it and effectively grants Effie free reign to be with him she's devastated. She becomes self-absorbed and can't see the irony of her own actions as jealousy rears it's ugly head. Once again there is only one good thing about this story thread which is that when Brian and Tibby reunite at least it mollifies some of the guilt you feel at Brian having his heart broken.
Bridget, I don't even know what happened with Bridget. She is in a happy, stable and thriving relationship with her first and only love and yet she goes to another country and while there kisses a married man. This for me sums up the craziness of this book compared with the others.
Meanwhile Carmen you just wouldn't recognise, it's like she had a personality transplant. After one year without her friends she is no longer outgoing and bubbly, but shy and introverted. It's ironic considering they all went to different schools so it's not actually like she's never had to make friends before.
As you may be able to tell I didn't really like this book. Personally I think that Ann Brashares would have been better to have left the story at Book Three and just rounded off Lena's story a little better. The sisterhood didn't work once they were apart and the characters changed too much.
Rowen
For related Posts:
- Book Beginnings: The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants - Ann Brashares
- The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants - Ann Brashares
- Book Beginnings: The Second Summer - Ann Brashares
- The Second Summer - Ann Brashares
- Book Beginnings: Girls in Pants - Ann Brashares
- Girls in Pants - Ann Brashares
- Book Beginnings: Forever in Blue - Ann Brashares
- Sisterhood Everlasting - Ann Brashares
I think it was this book but it was certainly one of them where suddenly it all seems like they were at the same school! Oh I remember it was the previous one where they are all graduating together and I was really confused because I was like "Oh I thought they were at different schools?!" It feels like Ann Brashares sort of lost her thread and forgot what she'd written before! There's also another one I've read that's based on them but later in their lives... can't think of it right now but that was slightly annoying too! (Though worth reading anyway)
ReplyDeleteI think I got that sense too. With the films as well they seem to have all gone to school together, but in one of the books she said that Bee went to a private school, Tibby to some kind of self-teaching school and Lena and Carmen only to the local state school I believe.
DeleteAnd I think you're thinking of Sisterhood Everlasting, which I read also, and kind of enjoyed but found really quite frustrating!