Series Review: Sisterhood #1-5

If you’ve been a consistent reader since childhood, you probably have those books and series that you’ll always feel nostalgic about. The Sisterhood series (specifically the first four novels) makes me feel this way. I read and reread those books so many times when I was younger, and I’ll always feel fond towards these four best friends and their stories. In case you’ve never heard of the series before, it centers around four best friends – Carmen, Bridget, Lena and Tibby – who discover a magical pair of thrifted jeans that fit all of them in spite of their different body types just before a summer that they are due to spend apart from one another. Each succeeding novel tackles another summer in their lives, save for the fifth one (which revisits the girls and their friendship a decade later).

This series is far from perfect. The writing is simpler and more straightforward than I remembered, which is not generally the writing style I gravitate towards these days. The books are littered with insensitive comments and uncomfortable scenarios that weren’t handled well or with caution, which all stood out starkly during my reread. It also had the kitschy addition of random quotes between sections which I admittedly enjoyed as a younger reader but found unnecessary to the reading experience as the reader I am now. And the dramatics (especially with regards to the romance) were certainly over the top at many points in the series.

However, I still found there was a lot to enjoy. It was nice getting reintroduced to these characters, especially as we readers get to witness their evolution from who they start off as at the very beginning of the series. All four had their own personalities, as well as their individual struggles to wrestle with in every book. I also quite enjoyed the fact that the novels take place primarily during the summer, and thus fall into the ‘life-changing summer’ trope that I do enjoy in my contemporary reads.

But, in the end, the heart of this story is their friendship and it still resonated with me. The four of them have such a defined foundational history for their relationship (with their mothers having been friends since they were in the womb). And it’s really compelling to watch the highs, the lows and all the moments in between of their friendship! It felt very complex and very real, and I still felt such a strong kinship with their group dynamic. These girls have their differences, but in the end, their love and respect for one another always shines true.

I’m no longer head over heels in love with The Sisterhood series, but it doesn’t diminish the fact that the first four books were foundational reading during my younger years. It will always bear the rose-tinted glow of nostalgia in my heart, and I’m glad I was able to finish out the series this year (even if I didn’t love the entirety of that fifth book – there was a big event that I was definitely not a fan of in it, among a few other problems I had).

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Sisterhood #1) - Add it on Goodreads | Buy the book

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood #2) - Add it on Goodreads | Buy the book

Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood #3) - Add it on Goodreads | Buy the book

Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood #4) - Add it on Goodreads | Buy the book

Sisterhood Everlasting (Sisterhood #5) - Add it on Goodreads | Buy the book