Review: The Second Summer of the Sisterhood By Ann Brashares

Title: The Second Summer of the Sisterhood
Author: Ann Brashares
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Publishing Date: April 22nd 2003
Pages: 373
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary, Chic Lit, Coming of Age
Series: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants #2
Source: Paperback

Goodreads Summary:

With a bit of last summer's sand in the pockets, the Traveling Pants and the Sisterhood that wears them embark on their 16th summer.

Bridget: Impulsively sets off for Alabama, wanting to both confront her demons about her family and avoid them all at once.

Lena: Spends a blissful week with Kostos, making the unexplainable silence that follows his visit even more painful.

Carmen: Is concerned that her mother is making a fool of herself over a man. When she discovers that her mother borrowed the Pants to wear on a date, she's certain of it.

Tibby: Not about to spend another summer working at Wallman's, she takes a film course only to find it's what happens off-camera that teaches her the most.

Review:
I loved the first book and I loved the second book. I was not sure what to expect when I picked up the second, if it would seem like a do over of the first or be completely different. The story continued but the issues were different and the emotions ran just as high.

The story continues of the Septembers as they spend their second summer apart. Still holding on the traveling pants, the girls start the ritual once again. This time Carmen and Lena stay home for the summer, Bridget takes a trip with a mission, and Tibby decides to indulge in her filmmaking skills. Of course the summer doesn’t quite go as the girls imagined and events change their lives.

I think that I enjoyed Bridget’s summer the most this time. It was great to see her reunite with family and learn a little about her mom’s side of the family and a lot about herself. She struggles with the deceit from her father and the withdrawing from her brother. I loved the interactions between Bridget and her grandmother.

Tibby spends her summer at a film school to find herself leaving her home life behind and finding new friends. She not only leaves her life behind but she leaves herself behind and starts to become someone different. After hurting quite a few people she finds herself again and discovers which relationships really matter.

Lena stays home and gets a job at a local boutique. She spends the summer struggling with her feelings for Kostos. After sending him letters less frequently she finally ended it with Kostos but is still in love with him. Trying to figure out her feelings she comes home one day to learn he is in town. The relationship starts to spark again until a powerful truth comes out.

Carmen spends the summer upset over her mother’s dating life and has to come to terms with her selfish side. She struggles with sharing her mother.

I think the girls are making headway in their lives but still have lots of growth to experience. My emotions run so high with these books and I always feel so good after reading the last page.

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