Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood

Author: Ann Brashares
Published Date: January 2007
Letter Grade: A-

As you know is my habit, I was wandering through Barnes and Noble last week. As I was wandering through the Teen Fiction section, I spotted it.

I don't keep up on these things. I don't know when certain books are due to come out, at least not when it doesn't necessarily come in any set pattern (like Julia Quinn's books come out every June.) I read the first three books right after each other, and didn't expect to see another one for awhile.

Well, all right, I didn't see one for awhile. I read the first three books during those two weeks at Writing and Thinking Workshop. Well, those and... let's not discuss how many other books I read in those two weeks.

But yes. That was a year and a half ago. When I saw this book, it was an attack of nostalgia.

So, anyway the book:

The series, in case you haven't seen the movie (which, admittedly, got me to read the books) is about four friends, Bridget, Lena, Tibby and Carmen, who have pretty much been together since their prenatal days when their mothers were in some pregnant ladies' aerobics class. The first books starts out their sixteenth summer, the first time they'll all be separated from each other for the summer. The find this pair of pants, The Traveling Pants, if you will, which seems to magically fit all of their different body types.

Another two books insue, following the respective summers, and following different but connected plot lines for each girl.

The fourth book, then, takes place the summer after their first year away at college (the poor Pants, which cannot be washed, have been worn by each girl in turn for the entire year, not to mention the three summers prior. Poor Pants.)

It was nice to get back some old friends. Their "lives" are familiar, their loves and losses are familiar. I remember Lena and Kostos' romance. I remember the bit of the shock of how it ended in the second two books.

So, yes. I enjoyed this book overall. There wasn't anything that really bugged me, though I wish the ending didn't need to be the way it was, it made sense. It was a good way to end the series. I can't really complain, because I'm not sure I would have been satisfied with the end if it had been different.

I can see myself picking favorites. It would be nice to say that I love all the characters equally, that I enjoyed reading each one the same. Which is partly true. There were points during each of their narrations that I wanted to continue when it switched to someone else. "No! keep going! Oh, fine. Just don't take too long, okay?"

At any rate: I think I like Lena best. This might very well be because she's Greek. But I'll be honest: this counts for a lot. I read things that happen to her from another Greek girl's perspective. I love how she uses "I'm Greek" as a reason for things (not wanting to pose naked, loving garlic). Me: "Exactly. That's really all there is to it."

That, and I kind of like the reappearing Kostos. There are times in the series when I know I shouldn't, but let's face it: Greek men are sexy. Don't tell my mother I said so.

Carmen, on the other hand, has to be my least favorite. She makes me want to shake her sometimes. At one point for being too stubborn, at another (this book) for not asserting herself nearly enough. At the end I usually like her fine and think "Okay, now STAY that way, please? Ya got it just right."

As for Bee and Tibby... hmm. They have their ups and downs. I don't have a preference between the two. So, yes, I love them equally. :)

I think I like my bad reviews so much better.

Bottom lin: Read the book. Ignore that this is a bad good review. Just read it. I suggest getting it from Wal-Mart, it's cheaper. Or so my roommate told me.