Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) (Paperback)

by Ann Brashares (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Ann Brashares has created a wonderful, heartfelt series for teens (and adults) around a pair of pants. In her breakout bestseller, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Brashares introduced readers to four girls, Lena, Bridget, Carmen, and Tibby, and to the magical pair of jeans that fit them all perfectly, and inspired them to live their young lives to the fullest. Forever in Blue, the fourth and final novel in the series, promises a dazzling finale--one "last glorious summer" for the four girls, and their fans. See a note from author Ann Brashares, below.--Daphne Durham

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A Note from Ann Brashares

December 1, 2006

Dear Amazon Reader,

Well, here we are together again. If you are getting ready to read the fourth book, Forever in Blue, that means we've probably spent some time together. I hope you've enjoyed it. I know I have.

We don't know each other and we may never get to meet, but I feel like we are connected nonetheless. We've spent time with four fictional girls together. We've puzzled over their lives and their choices. We've rooted for them and sometimes felt annoyed by them. We've shared some hopes for them, I think, and in the process for ourselves.

So thank you for being part of the sisterhood with me. I have really appreciated your company along the way.

Happy reading,

Ann

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Spend Time with the Sisterhood

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Boxed Set

Girls in Pants

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

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--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal
Grade 8 Up—In their latest episode, Bridget goes to Turkey on an archaeological excavation and Lena takes a painting class in Providence. Tibby stays in New York to take classes, and Carmen attends a theater festival in Vermont to work as backstage crew. There are new love interests, loss of virginity, and breakups and makeups. The themes are familiar, but fans who already identify with the characters will want to read more about their latest exploits. The pants pay a more prominent role than they did in the third book and a significant event takes place as each teen receives them. The possibilities and impossibilities of love are explored as Bridget is attracted to the married leader of the excavation team and Tibby fears she is pregnant. When Carmen auditions and lands a major role in the theater production, she worries that she cannot handle the part. Although squeamish at first, Lena becomes attracted to a fellow art student when they agree to pose in the nude for each other on weekends. Although the ending is a bit unrealistic, fans will surely suspend judgment as they delight in the story. The quotes from famous people that open each chapter are the most profound words in the book, but young romance readers and those wanting light fare will not be disappointed.—Linda L. Plevak, Bulverde/Spring Branch Library, Spring Branch, TX
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (April 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385734018
• ISBN-13: 978-0385734011
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (140 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #34,442 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 4 in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Last Book in the Series! A Great Ending for all of the girls., March 15, 2007

By	Elizabeth Darcy (Wilmington , NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, Book 4) (Hardcover)

If you are not familiar with the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, this is the last book in the series where four real close friends travel far away from each other but share one thing in common. They can all fit into these pants that look wonderful on each of them. This last book takes place after their first year of college and all of them face the fact that they are changing and what used to be home can no longer be called home.

The scenario of this book goes like this:
Bridget (the beautiful blonde, athletic type) goes to Turkey kind of randomly particpates in this dig. She finds that she loves to dig but also realizes that she makes the same mistake over and over. See she has this really great boyfriend Eric who also made plans for the entire summer. She was upset that they wouldn't be seeing each other and started to forget about him thinking she didn't love him anymore. What will Bridget learn about love in the end? Will she learn the hard way or the easy way?

Carmen (confident latina girl) has not been herself for a whole year, she has become invisible. Carmen somehow lost who she was and has been hiding behind Julia this popular actress who is a bad friend if you ask me. Carmen excludes herself from her friends and follows Julia to a drama camp, she isn't into acting but want to be with Julia and build sets. Carmen learns that friends are not supposed be happy when you are sad.

Tibby (timid and fragile) is invovled with a great guy named Brian. Because they love each other so much they took the relationship to the next level. Tibby freaks out because she might be pregnant. She becomes resentful towards Brian and pushes him away thinking that she never really loved him. What is the fate of Tibby and Brian? What does Tibby learn? Is she pregnant?

Lena (artistic and romantic) takes summer classes and intends to focus on art work all summer. However, she becomes very curious about a classmate of her's and feels like she is over Kostos. Is Lena capable of loving someone else though? She certainly is trying, what about Kostsos, he does appear in this book!

The friends all come together at the end because something has happened to the pants! The story ends but when you read it you can predict what will happen for each girl in the future, the author did a great job with this final book. I am sad the series has to end, but I felt it ended in a good way. Just Perfect.

I would reccommend this book for any girl or young woman who has great friends or who wants great friends!

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Satisfying final installment of the series, January 10, 2007

By	Always Reading (sunny california) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, Book 4) (Hardcover)

If you've read the other three books in this series, you're going to love this installment. If you haven't, read those first three books and then check this out.

Forever in Blue has the four girls fresh out of their first year of college, and a lot has changed. Carmen hasn't found her niche in life yet and feels like she doesn't belong to anything, so she's doing her best to avoid the other three seemingly successful girls and instead goes to a theater camp with a college friend, to work on sets instead of act. Tibby is taking a summer class at her college and is still in love with Brian... until a pregnancy scare makes her hide. Lena is in an art class, lusting after the first guy she's been interested in since Kostos. And Bee is in Turkey, doing an archaeological dig and becoming closer and closer friends with a young professor there (nevermind that she has a boyfriend and he's married!).

While this book deals with more mature and adult themes than the first three, it is no less charming. The author writes beautifully and manages to include numerous thought-provoking statements that are easy to relate to. You will feel yourself being pulled into the novel, unable to stop reading.

The ending of this novel is more satisfying than those in the past have been, likely because this is the last one and readers want to know what happens in the future. Most loose ends are tied up nicely, and the few that aren't are hinted at so you are able to draw your own conclusion. I highly recommend this book for those of you who have ever spent time reading about Tibby, Bee, Lena, and Carmen - you won't be disappointed. I can't wait to reread it myself.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A little confused here...., January 20, 2007

By	College Student (Miami FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, Book 4) (Hardcover)

I am a big fan of the first three books in the series. I think Ann Brashares is a wonderful writer and really has a sense of all the emotions, ideas, and worries that go through the minds of 16, 17, 18, and 19-year old girls. I was 17 when I read the first two books, 18 when I read the thrid one, and am 19 now (and just finished the last book), so I could really appreciate Brashares's ability to get into a teenage girl's head and heart. Every worry or thought these 4 girls have ever expressed in these pages I have thought too, and it was refreshing to hear Brashares express these feelings through Lena, Tibby, Carmen, and Bridget.

When the fourth book came out, I was very eager to read it. I was the at my local bookstore at 9AM pestering the customer service to put the book on the shelves. I hurried home and began reading it immediately. I have to say, I was somewhat confused by what I read.

Without giving too much away to those who have not read the book yet...
Carmen: Since when is Carmen the kind to take that level of abuse and neglect from a person? She is such an assertive and indepentdent character, and one year of college destroyed that?

Tibby: While I understand the confusion Tibby must have felt about the situtation (those that have read know what I am referring to), I don't know if Tibby would have completely alienated Brian and let things get so bad.

Bridget: Although Bridget's storyline seemed entirely random (Turkey? Where did that come from?), hers was the only one I felt remained true to the character's essence. My favorite story from Bridget is still the one from the second book.

Lena: Okay this is my main problem... what is going on here? Her entire storyline is completely and utterly out of character. Sorry, but *SPOILER* come on- Leo? What?!? Since when is Lena an exhibitionist who sleeps with artists? And then Kostos just randomly appears and the whole hotel sequence? Then it turns out his wife was faking a pregnancy and yay for everyone now they can be together? WHAT?!?! Personally I am very disappointed that Brashares did not pursue the Lena-Paul storyline she mildly started in book 3. At the end of the book, it was insinuated that Paul and Lena had a mild attraction that could grow into something. That would have been great! Paul seemed like he would have been such an interesting character that the readers could have gotten to know better through Lena. In my opinion he is much better option than Kostos, but Paul is not even mentioned in book 4.

In conclusion, while I did enjoy reading the last book, I felt the storyline and characters were slightly lost. The last section of the book seemed to come completely out of left field, and the last chapter in particular where bridget puts everything to a close seemed very anti-climatic and abrupt. I liked the series overall, but the last book is definetly not my favorite one.