The Second Summer of the Sisterhood : a reading response.

In the The Second Summer of the Sisterhood, the best friends, Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bee are spending yet another summer apart, with only the traveling pants to keep them together. To those new to this series, the traveling pant is a pair of pants that fits all four girls perfectly. The tradition of passing them to each other started in the first book, and it was a way for them to cope with spending a summer apart.

Lena’s summer is very uneventful. Last summer, she went to her homeland of Greece and met Kostos, whom she dated. She broke off the relationship because she didn’t think it would work with the distance in between them. She wants Kostos back. All I want Lena to do is come to terms with her decision to let Kostos go and honestly, get over it. Lena’s a lot like me. Everything we do is based on pure logic, but we always doubt our decisions after we’ve made them. We both over think things. If she doesn’t control all the “what ifs” then she will get her heart broken by Kostos.

 Tibby has left her supermarket job because she hated it and because of Bailey, a cancer victim (she died in the first book) and friend of Tibby’s that started Tibby’s interest in filmmaking. Tibby is now at a college taking a course in creating films. She isn’t very social, but two people mesmerize her. Alex and Maura are from New York, and they stick together. Alex is kind of bitter and sarcastic about everything. It’s hard to describe him. He’s like a brooding artist.  I’m pretty sure Tibby is attracted to him. Tibby’s first impression of Maura is similar, but I’m actually at the part when she realizes that Maura really just cheers Alex on.

Bee has discovered letters from her grandmother, who was exiled from communicating with Bee by Bee's father. She decides to visit her in Alabama. Bee used to be an athletic soccer player with dazzling blond hair. After a failed romantic interest during soccer camp, she dyed her hair brown, quit soccer, and withdrew from the world. She meets her grandmother, lying about her identity. Her grandmother hires her to clean out the attic, allowing Bridget to learn about her mother. Bee also begins to watch the local team play soccer and helps them out. I hope that this vacation allows Bee to revert back to her old, happy, energetic self.

Carmen's mother has a new boyfriend, and Carmen feels left out. I feel bad for Carmen. Last summer, she felt unwelcome in her dad's new family. This time, she feels unwelcome in the life of her mom, who is head over heels in love with her boyfriend. Carmen gets revenge by deleting voice mails from him. I think that Carmen will own up to her crimes when she sees what this does to her mother.

All four have something to gain this summer.