1. The Sisterhood Series
I decided to combine all 5 of the Sisterhood books into one, since it's a continuous story. These are definitely my favorite books by Brashares. They are the epitome of what summer is and means, as they are filled with love, friendship, adventure, and finding your own self-identity. All five books are so hard to put down. I went through them so quickly! You'll fall in love with all of the girls and their love interests. Even though each girl is different, I found myself relating to all of them, in one or another. I do have my favorite girl, which is Lena. However, all the girls are likeable, which is what makes these novels so special. For Brashares to create 4 different girls, with 4 different personalities, and to have them all be attainable and interesting to read for the reader is astounding. I do have to add that the last and possibly final book, Sisterhood Everlasting, was somewhat dissapointing. The whole plot and focus of this particular book felt unnecessary and pointless. Although I do like the idea of catching up with the girls 10 years later, couldn't it have been a different event that brought them together? I hope I didn't spoil anything there for those who haven't read the 5th book. Still, I encourage you to read the Sisterhood books, just maybe skip the last one.
2. The Last Summer (of You and Me)
This is another strong work by Brashares and should surely be read in the summer. It's a little more adult than the sisterhood, but all the more compelling and addictive. It has all the elements that you've come to love from her previous novels, but Brashares expands on them and pushes her boundaries. There's summer love, sisterhood, and friendship. But there's also a darker side to this story, one that makes you question how far you will go for love, and what you will sacrifice in the process. This more serious take on Brashares' similar themes and storylines is appreciated and admired. The only thing I was missing was a connection between the main characters. I didn't have that same bond with the girls in this story, as I did when reading The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. However, The Last Summer (of You and Me) is a great beach read, and is very enjoyable. 3. 3 Willows: The Sisterhood Grows
I liked this book, but it definitely wasn't my favorite. It's written in the same vein as the Sisterhood novels, but this group of friends isn't as compelling. They are younger, and surely less wiser. For most of the novel, they're not even friends. They went through a fall-out at the beginning, so each girl gives their own account of the summer, with little connection to the the others. They kind of just felt like separate stories, but ones that were sort of amateur. I mean, one girl spends her summer going to modeling camp. While I appreciate delving into a story that deals with one's idealized image of themselves, did Brashares really have to have her go to modeling camp to complete her journey? I didn't even know there was such a thing and it just seemed a little absurd to me. All in all, their summers are dull and not as enticing as the original Sisterhood we know and have come to love. This just seemed like a knockoff, a story trying to emulate the magic of it's predecessor, but with little to no success. Overall, I would just say, read this at your own risk, and prepare yourself for disappointment. 4. My Name is Memory
This is probably my least favorite book by Brashares and it's probably because of it's over-complicated story that never seems to find a balance between romance and science fiction. The whole thing is just really confusing and kind of messy. The scenes that are set in present-day are definitely what saves it, as we see a glimpse of who Daniel and Lucy really are, and how they are connected. When Brashares dives into Daniel's past lives, it gets really boring, and it's not stimulating enough to capture my full attention. It felt like she was trying to hard for the story to be the next Twilight love story or something, and it just wasn't. It doesn't help matters when the third act takes a drastic departure where a new villain arrives in town to stir up trouble for this couple. It was kind of predictable, the way the story unfolds, which is disappointing. I wouldn't waste my time with this book. When you get to the end, you'll be asking yourself, what was the point?
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