Release Date: March 6, 2012 [Paperback]
Publisher: Random House
Series: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Book 5
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: NetGalley
Buy: Amazon ❘ The Book Depository
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From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ann Brashares comes the welcome return of the characters whose friendship became a touchstone for a generation. Now Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bridget have grown up, starting their lives on their own. And though the jeans they shared are long gone, the sisterhood is everlasting.
Despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them. Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends. Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn’t take. Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can’t seem to shed her old restlessness.
Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await. And indeed, it will change their lives forever—but in ways that none of them could ever have expected.
As moving and life-changing as an encounter with long-lost best friends, Sisterhood Everlasting is a powerful story about growing up, losing your way, and finding the courage to create a new one.
Despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them. Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends. Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn’t take. Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can’t seem to shed her old restlessness.
Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await. And indeed, it will change their lives forever—but in ways that none of them could ever have expected.
As moving and life-changing as an encounter with long-lost best friends, Sisterhood Everlasting is a powerful story about growing up, losing your way, and finding the courage to create a new one.
**May contain spoilers if you haven't read the previous books**
Heartbreaking. UTTERLY heartbreaking. I grew up reading The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants through middle school into high school and it is SO heartbreaking to see this magnificent series end.
Sisterhood Everlasting takes part 10 years since the last book, Forever in Blue. Carmen, Lena, Bridget and Tibby have almost broken apart– Carmen is an actress in New York, Lena is an art teacher in Rhode Island, Bridget living with Eric in San Francisco, and Tibby lives with Brian in Australia. Despite a few phone calls between each other, they've never really met up.
I was scared to go into this book, because I was afraid of two things. 1) It ending, of course. The pain of letting go a fabulous series, as it finally concludes. And 2) If the magic wasn't there anymore. It's been a while since Forever in Blue had come out, so I was somewhat skeptical about the magic, the love and the sisterhood wouldn't be brought back to life. Turns out...I had nothing to worry about. When I started reading this book, from the first page onwards I was hooked. I got lost into it from that point on. I can't believe I actually haven't picked this one up earlier. I have to say, even though the four previous books concluded well, this one totally fits.
I LOVE Lena. I think I always have. She's the shy, pretty-but-doesn't-know-it, artistic one. In Sisterhood Everlasting, her emptiness, her emotions were so amazingly detailed and described. You really do feel something pang for Lena as she goes on living in the present and thinks about her past with Kostos (who is, and always will be, the best love interest to ever fall for...and a certified hottie).
Bridget: I've been on a love-hate relationship with her. I've loved her for the most part, but when she does some stupid stuff, the stuff worth of slapping your forehead for, I hate her. But I gotta love her liveliness. Her initiative. Her will to be free and forever moving forward....or away in some cases. Glad to see she's with Eric (finally!) and the love between them is as strong as when she was in her teens.
What is up with Carmen? I hated her (at first) in this book! She's kind of self-conceited, and full of herself. Becoming an actress had certainly changed her. I miss the sweet, slightly chubby Carmen who tried as hard as she could to keep their friendship alive. Now her main focus is her career, her fiancé (who I pretty much just LOATHE) and her looks and body, which is now very very thin.
The one character who I felt was always the outsider to the whole group, the one needle in the haystack was Tibby. I love Tibby, but I always felt like she had been the odd one out. Anyway, I love her originality and her willing to do as she pleases. And in Sisterhood Everlasting, I would have to say her story is the most impacting one of all. Seriously, her story will make you cry. And I'm leaving it at that.
I love, like with the previous books, that the story's told with alternating perspectives, and of course, Carmen is the story-teller, the writer, who introduces and concludes the story. Just like old times! I really hope they do make a movie on this one. The movies for these books are AMAZING, and have perfectly captured the novel. The actresses even look like the characters for pete's sake. I think the timing is absolutely perfect and they should make one.
I've read these books over and over again since I was 11. I'm besotted, head-over-heels in love with this series. I never want it to end. I nearly cried with Sisterhood Everlasting. It completely shattered me– the magic, the characters, EVERYTHING was told to perfection. The conclusion to this amazing series is in such a way that you know the magic will never be lost, and will live on forever.
If you like this, try...
- What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen ◆ Goodreads
- Moonglass by Jessi Kirby ◆ Goodreads
- Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott ◆ Goodreads
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Aww, so glad to hear that it was a fitting conclusion. A couple of us have seen the first movie, and one of us has read the first book, so while we didn't grow up on the series, we do like the characters and want to know how things turn out for them. Do you think we could still enjoy this book without having read the rest of the series?
ReplyDeleteI too love the series! It's great you loved it. My favorite was Tibby, she's always been off-beat which is great!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review:)