Title: Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood
Author: Ann Brashares
First published January 9, 2007
384 pages, Hardcover
ISBN: 9780385729369 (ISBN10: 0385729367)
Rating: 3.82
Overview
The Traveling Pants may be frayed, but the sisterhood is stronger than ever in Ann Brashares’ latest novel, Forever Together. Lena has found love in her painting and a summer fling, but fears that forgetting Kostos will only bring him back into her life.
Carmen falls for a sophisticated friend whose passion for the theater overshadows the meaning of the Pants. Meanwhile, Bridget joins an archaeological dig in Turkey, only to find that her professor is available in every way except one.
And Tibby leaves behind the one she loves, hoping he will wait for her return. With their bond unbreakable, the sisterhood faces challenges that will change their lives forever.
Join Lena, Carmen, Bridget, and Tibby on a fearless journey of love and friendship that transcends the past, present, and future.
About the Author
Ann Brashares spent her childhood in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with her three brothers. She attended Sidwell Friends, a Quaker school in the D.C. area.
After graduating, she went on to study Philosophy at Barnard College, which is part of Columbia University in New York City. Originally planning to continue her studies in graduate school, Ann decided to take a year off after college to work as an editor, with the hope of saving enough money for school.
However, she found that she loved her job so much that she never went back to graduate school. Instead, she stayed in New York City and worked as an editor for several years.
Eventually, Ann made the transition from editor to full-time writer with the publication of her first novel. Today, Ann and her husband reside in New York with their three children.
Editoral Review
Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares is the final installment in the beloved young adult series that follows a group of teenage girls and their magical pair of jeans that they share over the summers. Brashares’ writing style is light and poetic, with a focus on introspection and emotional growth.
The book opens with the girls, Carmen, Tibby, Lena, and Bridget, all grown up and scattered across the country, grappling with the challenges of young adulthood. Each girl is facing unique struggles, from Bridget’s uncertainty about her future to Tibby’s battle with chronic illness.
Meanwhile, the sisterhood remains as strong as ever, with the bond of their shared experiences and the jeans keeping them connected despite the physical distance. The main conflict of the book arises when the girls face a major loss that threatens to tear them apart once and for all.
Over the course of the summer, they must confront their grief and learn to rely on each other once again. Brashares’ writing is at its strongest when she delves into the inner lives of her characters, conveying their thoughts and emotions with depth and sensitivity.
Her descriptions of the girls’ surroundings are also particularly striking, whether it be the suburban streets of Maryland or the bustling cityscape of New York. On the other hand, the pacing of the story can feel slow at times, with the plot taking a while to build up to its main conflict.
Additionally, some readers may find the characters’ privileged backgrounds and relatively minor struggles to be somewhat unrelatable. Overall, Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood offers a poignant and heartfelt conclusion to the series, with Brashares’ beautiful prose and insightful characterizations shining throughout.
While it may not be a perfect book, it will surely resonate with fans of the series, particularly those who are dealing with grief or the challenges of growing up and moving on. For those who haven’t read the earlier books in the series, it may be best to start from the beginning to fully appreciate the strong bonds and character development that make Forever in Blue so impactful.
Nevertheless, anyone who enjoys well-written contemporary fiction with a touch of magic and a lot of heart will find something to enjoy here. Overall, I would give Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
While it has its flaws, it is a moving and well-crafted book that will leave readers feeling both nostalgic and hopeful for the future.
