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Sisterhood #4.5
3 Willows: The Sisterhood Grows
summer is a time to grow
seeds
Polly has an idea that she can't stop thinking about, one that involves changing a few things about herself. She's setting her sights on a more glamorous life, but it's going to take all of her focus. At least that way she won't have to watch her friends moving so far ahead.
roots
Jo is spending the summer at her family's beach house, working as a busgirl and bonding with the older, cooler girls she'll see at high school come September. She didn't count on a brief fling with a cute boy changing her entire summer. Or feeling embarrassed by her middle school friends. And she didn't count on her family at all. . .
leaves
Ama is not an outdoorsy girl. She wanted to be at an academic camp, doing research in an air-conditioned library, earning A's. Instead her summer scholarship lands her on a wilderness trip full of flirting teenagers, blisters, impossible hiking trails, and a sad lack of hair products.
It is a new summer. And a new sisterhood. Come grow with them.
seeds
Polly has an idea that she can't stop thinking about, one that involves changing a few things about herself. She's setting her sights on a more glamorous life, but it's going to take all of her focus. At least that way she won't have to watch her friends moving so far ahead.
roots
Jo is spending the summer at her family's beach house, working as a busgirl and bonding with the older, cooler girls she'll see at high school come September. She didn't count on a brief fling with a cute boy changing her entire summer. Or feeling embarrassed by her middle school friends. And she didn't count on her family at all. . .
leaves
Ama is not an outdoorsy girl. She wanted to be at an academic camp, doing research in an air-conditioned library, earning A's. Instead her summer scholarship lands her on a wilderness trip full of flirting teenagers, blisters, impossible hiking trails, and a sad lack of hair products.
It is a new summer. And a new sisterhood. Come grow with them.
318 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
132 people are currently reading
5955 people want to read
About the author
Ann Brashares
74 books4,963 followersAnn Brashares is an American young adult novelist. She is best known as the author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 899 reviews
March 8, 2009
I always thought the idea of magical jeans that mysteriously grew or shrunk was an unnecessary element in the awesome Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books, maybe left over from the original sell of the series idea to an editor, kind of like Gene Rodenberry had to describe Star Trek as "Wagon Train in space" to get the network to sign off on it. In 3 Willows, Brashares proves that she doesn't need a gimmick. And in a very cool move, she actually addresses the question that lots of real-life girls could have asked after reading the sisterhood books: What if you're struggling to maintain your friendships and you don't have magical jeans to help you?
That's the case for friends Ama, Jo, and Polly as they end their 8th-grade year. They live in the same town as the Sisterhood, have heard rumors about the legendary pants, and feel their own friendship is doomed not to survive into high school with nothing magical to shore it up. The three girls are definitely brand-new characters, not reworkings of Carmen, Lena, Tibby, and Bee, and I cared about them just as much as I did about the originals. With their friendship more tenuous than in the other books, the stories feel darker, especially Polly's. But the endings (and, I imagine, the continuation into the next book) are triumphant as each girl manages to get back to being true to herself.
I can't wait for the next book!
That's the case for friends Ama, Jo, and Polly as they end their 8th-grade year. They live in the same town as the Sisterhood, have heard rumors about the legendary pants, and feel their own friendship is doomed not to survive into high school with nothing magical to shore it up. The three girls are definitely brand-new characters, not reworkings of Carmen, Lena, Tibby, and Bee, and I cared about them just as much as I did about the originals. With their friendship more tenuous than in the other books, the stories feel darker, especially Polly's. But the endings (and, I imagine, the continuation into the next book) are triumphant as each girl manages to get back to being true to herself.
I can't wait for the next book!
September 30, 2019
3.5/5 stars
This was a great summer read.
The story is good, but not nearly as engaging or emotional as the one from the "original girls". I was very annoyed with the characters at times, as they were beyond juvenile and most of their choices made me cringe with second hand embarrassment. But as the story progressed- so did the characters, each in their own way.
Overall, I don't feel like this book is necessary to the series, at all. This is just a side story. Something to stretch out the books. But I haven't read the final book yet, so maybe it all collides together in the last one? Although I highly doubt it.
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This was a great summer read.
The story is good, but not nearly as engaging or emotional as the one from the "original girls". I was very annoyed with the characters at times, as they were beyond juvenile and most of their choices made me cringe with second hand embarrassment. But as the story progressed- so did the characters, each in their own way.
Overall, I don't feel like this book is necessary to the series, at all. This is just a side story. Something to stretch out the books. But I haven't read the final book yet, so maybe it all collides together in the last one? Although I highly doubt it.
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March 2, 2009
3.5 stars. While I wouldn't call this part of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, this book is sort of a spin-off from the original series in that it revolves around three girls the summer before starting 9th grade who known of the Sisterhood girls and are in awe of their traveling pants. They don't get a pair of pants to share between them, however; the story just revolves around their friendship.
The girls were fairly likable, even though I grew frustrated at times because they acted, well, like 14 year olds act. Ama is off on a wilderness adventure and trying to enjoy the great outdoors while she'd rather be doing academic stuff inside; Jo is working as a bus-girl at a beach diner and trying to impress older girls; Polly decides she wants to be a model because she doesn't know what else to do with herself. The three aren't quite as close as they were years ago, but somehow everything keeps going back to their friendships. A little contrived, but whatever.
This book is well-written and fun to read, but it wasn't nearly as entertaining as the original 4 books, and I didn't like the new girls as much; their problems seemed a little less genuine as some of the Pants girls' problems (though, of course, there were weak moments in those books too). I liked Ama's and Jo's stories a lot more than Polly's - hers seemed the most forced, as if there wasn't another, better plot that could be thought up - and I think this book would definitely appeal to fans of the series, and to tweens and teens in general.
The girls were fairly likable, even though I grew frustrated at times because they acted, well, like 14 year olds act. Ama is off on a wilderness adventure and trying to enjoy the great outdoors while she'd rather be doing academic stuff inside; Jo is working as a bus-girl at a beach diner and trying to impress older girls; Polly decides she wants to be a model because she doesn't know what else to do with herself. The three aren't quite as close as they were years ago, but somehow everything keeps going back to their friendships. A little contrived, but whatever.
This book is well-written and fun to read, but it wasn't nearly as entertaining as the original 4 books, and I didn't like the new girls as much; their problems seemed a little less genuine as some of the Pants girls' problems (though, of course, there were weak moments in those books too). I liked Ama's and Jo's stories a lot more than Polly's - hers seemed the most forced, as if there wasn't another, better plot that could be thought up - and I think this book would definitely appeal to fans of the series, and to tweens and teens in general.
March 9, 2021
This is a fairly good story, tackling many of the thorny issues adolescent girls face in modern life in a kind and thoughtful way. I think the tangential connection to the original sisterhood is gimmicky, and this story would've been better off as a standalone. It's not related to the original books enough to be meaningful, and a reader is more likely to be disappointed with the tenuous connection Van anything else.
November 27, 2014
If there’s one thing that bothered me about the sisterhood of the traveling pants, Its this- their friendship is too perfect. I love those books, but things come so easily to them when they’ve been besties since birth.
Three Willows explores the foundations of friendship- and our girls don’t share a bond at all. They have fascinating personalities that are nothing like Tibby, Carmen, Lena and Bee.
Most of the book follows the girls’ individual summers and their trials. It isn’t picture perfect- it’s realistic. I was actually gratified to read some scenes. They were perfectly plausible. Authors don’t tend to delve in the ugly truths of relationships.
Jo is trying to please the popular crowd, Anna has to reluctantly spend time at a wilderness camp and Polly enters the modeling business.
In tight spots, the dialogue and actions weren’t meant to be completely hurtful. Jo’s treatment of Polly was particularly jarring. It was almost cruel, but it was it’s realistic nature that made me feel empathy.
It begs the question: deep down, wouldn’t we all act the same way?
The old crew make some cameos- there are some references to them and what they’re up to. These were nice to see but never got in the way of the main story!
Friendships are unstable. I know best friends seem close as sisters. Nothing seems to be able to separate them. But in real life, people change, grow, adapt. It’s so gradual that you don’t realize how far apart you are until you really need each other.
In Three Willows, Brashares’ writing has undergone change for the better. The ending was touching- (okay, so maybe I cried a little xD). It left hope for the future, for new beginnings. I hope this isn’t the last we’ll be seeing of Polly, Anna and Jo. They’ve still got a lot of growing to do!
Three Willows explores the foundations of friendship- and our girls don’t share a bond at all. They have fascinating personalities that are nothing like Tibby, Carmen, Lena and Bee.
Most of the book follows the girls’ individual summers and their trials. It isn’t picture perfect- it’s realistic. I was actually gratified to read some scenes. They were perfectly plausible. Authors don’t tend to delve in the ugly truths of relationships.
Jo is trying to please the popular crowd, Anna has to reluctantly spend time at a wilderness camp and Polly enters the modeling business.
In tight spots, the dialogue and actions weren’t meant to be completely hurtful. Jo’s treatment of Polly was particularly jarring. It was almost cruel, but it was it’s realistic nature that made me feel empathy.
It begs the question: deep down, wouldn’t we all act the same way?
The old crew make some cameos- there are some references to them and what they’re up to. These were nice to see but never got in the way of the main story!
Friendships are unstable. I know best friends seem close as sisters. Nothing seems to be able to separate them. But in real life, people change, grow, adapt. It’s so gradual that you don’t realize how far apart you are until you really need each other.
In Three Willows, Brashares’ writing has undergone change for the better. The ending was touching- (okay, so maybe I cried a little xD). It left hope for the future, for new beginnings. I hope this isn’t the last we’ll be seeing of Polly, Anna and Jo. They’ve still got a lot of growing to do!
January 23, 2009
Once again, Ann Brashares has written a breathtaking story that will blow readers away and have them begging for more of Ama, Jo, and Polly.
The main focus of 3 Willows is how three best friends have grown apart after four years of friendship and have fallen into different groups that don't involve the other two. Leaving them to wonder that even though they have been through so much together, do they really need each other again? As you can see, this is a big departure from Brashares The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants which focused on four girls who have been best friends since the womb. I really liked how 3 Willows was different in this aspect from the original Sisterhood because it was a interesting and cute storyline. Also, I felt that if it had been about a couple of best friends who have been with one another for forever I would have thought Ann was just trying to cash out the whole Sisterhood franchise and couldn't write anything else.
One of my favorites parts on 3 Willows were Ama, Jo, and Polly. Ann proved that she can write likable and three-dimensional characters that I personally think most girls can relate to in many ways. Also, they were fun to read about and kept the pages turning.
The only problem I had with 3 Willows was in the first 30 or so pages, the original Sisterhood was mentioned. It felt that Ann had kind of wanted to remind us that " I am still the author of the #1 bestselling Sisterhood series." Though, it was still kind of cool to hear how Lena, Bridget, Carmon, and Tibby were doing which overruled the annoying factor.
Overall, 3 Willows was an excellent book that I suggest to people who loved The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series or anyone looking for a great read.
Grade: a definite A+
The main focus of 3 Willows is how three best friends have grown apart after four years of friendship and have fallen into different groups that don't involve the other two. Leaving them to wonder that even though they have been through so much together, do they really need each other again? As you can see, this is a big departure from Brashares The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants which focused on four girls who have been best friends since the womb. I really liked how 3 Willows was different in this aspect from the original Sisterhood because it was a interesting and cute storyline. Also, I felt that if it had been about a couple of best friends who have been with one another for forever I would have thought Ann was just trying to cash out the whole Sisterhood franchise and couldn't write anything else.
One of my favorites parts on 3 Willows were Ama, Jo, and Polly. Ann proved that she can write likable and three-dimensional characters that I personally think most girls can relate to in many ways. Also, they were fun to read about and kept the pages turning.
The only problem I had with 3 Willows was in the first 30 or so pages, the original Sisterhood was mentioned. It felt that Ann had kind of wanted to remind us that " I am still the author of the #1 bestselling Sisterhood series." Though, it was still kind of cool to hear how Lena, Bridget, Carmon, and Tibby were doing which overruled the annoying factor.
Overall, 3 Willows was an excellent book that I suggest to people who loved The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series or anyone looking for a great read.
Grade: a definite A+
May 4, 2014
Not a fan. IF I would've been writing reviews this would've been an epic rant. I still might do it one of these days if I ever dig this one out of storage.
May 24, 2009
This was a sort-of companion to the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, but you didn't have to read them to get what was going on in this.
This was very different, though, because the girls' friendship is different. That is what I like about this book, that it proves that not all friendships are like that of Carmen, Lena, Tibby, and Bridget, even if the girls are very similar. Jo is a bit like Bridget: she's daring and reckless, and a significant family member of her's is dead; she must reconnect with her father. Polly would be like Tibby, because she wants to be something but it's not within her grasp (but Jo could be like Tibby in the second book, because she's posing for her summer friends) and she has to stumble around to get to it. Ama would be like Lena because she's beautiful and gets herself into idiotic situations, especially in love. And her parents are immigrants.
Et cetera, et cetera.
So it's actually better if you didn't read the Sisterhood books, because you won't see how it's the same characters in an AU fanfic.
I did read the entire thing, though, and that's saying something.
This was very different, though, because the girls' friendship is different. That is what I like about this book, that it proves that not all friendships are like that of Carmen, Lena, Tibby, and Bridget, even if the girls are very similar. Jo is a bit like Bridget: she's daring and reckless, and a significant family member of her's is dead; she must reconnect with her father. Polly would be like Tibby, because she wants to be something but it's not within her grasp (but Jo could be like Tibby in the second book, because she's posing for her summer friends) and she has to stumble around to get to it. Ama would be like Lena because she's beautiful and gets herself into idiotic situations, especially in love. And her parents are immigrants.
Et cetera, et cetera.
So it's actually better if you didn't read the Sisterhood books, because you won't see how it's the same characters in an AU fanfic.
I did read the entire thing, though, and that's saying something.
January 18, 2020
4.5 stars
It’s somehow at once more heartbreaking and more hopeful than Sisterhood, and I was full-on weeping by the end (bear in mind that it takes A LOT for me to shed tears over a book). I connected so deeply with aspects of all three girls, and I particularly loved the exploration of empathy and support networks and true friendship vs superficial relationships.
TW: grief, alcoholism, dieting/dramatic weight loss, cheating (slightly)
It’s somehow at once more heartbreaking and more hopeful than Sisterhood, and I was full-on weeping by the end (bear in mind that it takes A LOT for me to shed tears over a book). I connected so deeply with aspects of all three girls, and I particularly loved the exploration of empathy and support networks and true friendship vs superficial relationships.
TW: grief, alcoholism, dieting/dramatic weight loss, cheating (slightly)
June 11, 2017
I liked this story but not as much as the Sisterhood series. The characters were interesting and mostly likeable. Their problems and the outcomes were realistic, and I enjoyed the watching each character grow. It was nice that the MCs of the Sisterhood were mentioned, and one made a brief appearance.
November 6, 2012
Reviewed by Sarah Bean the Green Bean Teen Queen for TeensReadToo.com
The Sisterhood may be grown up, but their legend lives on.
Meet Polly, Jo, and Ama, three girls who are now entering the very same high school the legendary Sisterhood attended. The three have been friends since third grade, but now with high school approaching, they find themselves being drawn in separate ways and spending the summer apart.
Ama is all about academics, extra credit, and schoolwork. She's signed up to spend the summer at a camp that will give her school credit. She's hoping to be in the library all day, but instead finds herself signed up for the outdoor wilderness hike. Ama is not an outdoorsy girl and can't imagine herself spending the summer hiking and sleeping in a tent.
Jo is spending the summer at her family beach house and working as a bus girl at a local restaurant. She's hoping to make friends with the older girls from the "in" crowd so she can start high school in the right group. But a fling with a mysterious boy threatens to change all of Jo's plans.
Polly is stuck at home babysitting until she gets the idea that she could be a model. She throws herself into the world of modeling camp and starts to lose herself - and only her friends can help bring her back.
One of Ann Brashares strengths is that she puts so much into her characters that readers can always find someone like them. The experiences the girls have never seem over the top or unrealistic, and their friendship will resonate with readers making the transition from middle school to high school.
Although reminiscent of THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS series, Polly, Ama, and Jo each bring something new to the story - and their stories are original. Fans will enjoy the appearances made by characters from the previous series, as well.
3 WILLOWS is a great pick for readers looking for a wonderful, charming book about the challenges of friendship and growing up.
The Sisterhood may be grown up, but their legend lives on.
Meet Polly, Jo, and Ama, three girls who are now entering the very same high school the legendary Sisterhood attended. The three have been friends since third grade, but now with high school approaching, they find themselves being drawn in separate ways and spending the summer apart.
Ama is all about academics, extra credit, and schoolwork. She's signed up to spend the summer at a camp that will give her school credit. She's hoping to be in the library all day, but instead finds herself signed up for the outdoor wilderness hike. Ama is not an outdoorsy girl and can't imagine herself spending the summer hiking and sleeping in a tent.
Jo is spending the summer at her family beach house and working as a bus girl at a local restaurant. She's hoping to make friends with the older girls from the "in" crowd so she can start high school in the right group. But a fling with a mysterious boy threatens to change all of Jo's plans.
Polly is stuck at home babysitting until she gets the idea that she could be a model. She throws herself into the world of modeling camp and starts to lose herself - and only her friends can help bring her back.
One of Ann Brashares strengths is that she puts so much into her characters that readers can always find someone like them. The experiences the girls have never seem over the top or unrealistic, and their friendship will resonate with readers making the transition from middle school to high school.
Although reminiscent of THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS series, Polly, Ama, and Jo each bring something new to the story - and their stories are original. Fans will enjoy the appearances made by characters from the previous series, as well.
3 WILLOWS is a great pick for readers looking for a wonderful, charming book about the challenges of friendship and growing up.
September 29, 2010
uggh, where to start...Ok, is it fair to judge adolescent fiction the same way I would judge adult fiction? I think so, because I honestly found the first Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants enjoyable. As the original series progressed I found, as with most series, in an effort to maintain continuity (and sales, I'm sure), the books were published in such rapid succession that they were neither as well-edited or as original as the first(anybody who read the Twilight series should also know where I'm coming from).
3 Willows is a "continuation" of the Sisterhood series, which means some of the peripheral characters show up in passing. Polly babysits the little siblings of Tibby. Jo had previously gone to soccer camp coached by Bridget. It isn't until about 3/4 through when Lena's sister Effie makes an appearance, but I think the author only added her character to appease young readers who are still ticked off at her for losing the magical pants.
I was going to say the three main characters are different from the original foursome because they are selfish, petty, and sometimes even cruel to each other, but then I realized there was a lot of bickering between the sisterhood. However, the 3 girls in this novel lack charm, and their friendship is such a loose thread that if this were real life, their connection would never be maintained at their age. Bottom line, I don't like reading books about 3 people I wouldn't even want to be friends with if they really existed.
3 Willows is a "continuation" of the Sisterhood series, which means some of the peripheral characters show up in passing. Polly babysits the little siblings of Tibby. Jo had previously gone to soccer camp coached by Bridget. It isn't until about 3/4 through when Lena's sister Effie makes an appearance, but I think the author only added her character to appease young readers who are still ticked off at her for losing the magical pants.
I was going to say the three main characters are different from the original foursome because they are selfish, petty, and sometimes even cruel to each other, but then I realized there was a lot of bickering between the sisterhood. However, the 3 girls in this novel lack charm, and their friendship is such a loose thread that if this were real life, their connection would never be maintained at their age. Bottom line, I don't like reading books about 3 people I wouldn't even want to be friends with if they really existed.
August 12, 2009
The book 3 Willows by Ann Brashares about three girls named, Jo, Polly, and Ama. In the book the girls go their own separate ways for the summer. Polly is questioning herself and her looks and decides to try out for modeling. Jo, is at her family beach house for the summer and works as bus girl, and meets cute boy that changes her. Meanwhile Ama is an a outdoor sleep away camp, and is miserable and in tears. The internal conflict for Polly is that she worries that friends are growing up to fast for her. Her external conflict is that she is insecure about the way she looks. Jo doesn’t have an internal conflict but a external conflict. She is pretends to be someone she’s not in front of her other friends. Ama external conflict is about what her roommate thinks about her.
I would connect this book to myself. The reason is because just like Polly sometimes I feel like my friends sometimes move to fast for me. Just like Polly in the book she feels that her friends are maturing faster than she is.
I would give this book 5 stars. That is because the book was enjoyable and very touching. I would recommend this to readers who love heart felt and friend bonding stories.
I would connect this book to myself. The reason is because just like Polly sometimes I feel like my friends sometimes move to fast for me. Just like Polly in the book she feels that her friends are maturing faster than she is.
I would give this book 5 stars. That is because the book was enjoyable and very touching. I would recommend this to readers who love heart felt and friend bonding stories.
June 18, 2017
Review: 3 Willows by Ann Brashares
Here is a summary of what the book is about. summer is a time to grow
seeds
Polly has an idea that she can't stop thinking about, one that involves changing a few things about herself. She's setting her sights on a more glamorous life, but it's going to take all of her focus. At least that way she won't have to watch her friends moving so far ahead.
roots
Jo is spending the summer at her family's beach house, working as a busgirl and bonding with the older, cooler girls she'll see at high school come September. She didn't count on a brief fling with a cute boy changing her entire summer. Or feeling embarrassed by her middle school friends. And she didn't count on her family at all. . .
leaves
Ama is not an outdoorsy girl. She wanted to be at an academic camp, doing research in an air-conditioned library, earning A's. Instead her summer scholarship lands her on a wilderness trip full of flirting teenagers, blisters, impossible hiking trails, and a sad lack of hair products.
It is a new summer. And a new sisterhood. Come grow with them.
I found this book very interesting.
I thought it was apart of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series but it's not. It's a new sisterhood and new friendships.
What I got out of the storyline is that no matter what your friends are always there for you.
I only hope to have friendships as close as the characters did in this book.
I do plan on reading more books from this author.
Happy Reading Everyone!
Here is a summary of what the book is about. summer is a time to grow
seeds
Polly has an idea that she can't stop thinking about, one that involves changing a few things about herself. She's setting her sights on a more glamorous life, but it's going to take all of her focus. At least that way she won't have to watch her friends moving so far ahead.
roots
Jo is spending the summer at her family's beach house, working as a busgirl and bonding with the older, cooler girls she'll see at high school come September. She didn't count on a brief fling with a cute boy changing her entire summer. Or feeling embarrassed by her middle school friends. And she didn't count on her family at all. . .
leaves
Ama is not an outdoorsy girl. She wanted to be at an academic camp, doing research in an air-conditioned library, earning A's. Instead her summer scholarship lands her on a wilderness trip full of flirting teenagers, blisters, impossible hiking trails, and a sad lack of hair products.
It is a new summer. And a new sisterhood. Come grow with them.
I found this book very interesting.
I thought it was apart of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series but it's not. It's a new sisterhood and new friendships.
What I got out of the storyline is that no matter what your friends are always there for you.
I only hope to have friendships as close as the characters did in this book.
I do plan on reading more books from this author.
Happy Reading Everyone!
August 11, 2023
Kojarzycie takie książki z dzieciństwa co niby nie były niesamowite ale ma się do nich jakiś dziwny sentyment? Mam tak z tą książką. Nie mam pojęcia dlaczego, czytam ją po raz pierwszy. Możliwe że to dzięki temu stylowi pisania z lat '00 tego wieku i mówcie se co chcecie ale ja go uwielbiam. Dosłownie każdą książkę napisaną przed 2010 którą posiadam czytałam parę razy (to mój wyjątek ale jeszcze długa droga przede mną) i bardzo lubię. Moje problemu są niesłychanie bliższe do tych z książek starszej daty niż dzisiejsze wydania i może gadam jak jakiś zapyziały dziad ale szczerze mnie to nie obchodzi. Vibe tamtejszych nastolatków to coś za co zawsze będzie żałować, że nie urodziłam się wcześniej. Co do samej książki, uwielbiam bohaterki. Są tak ludzkie i próbują mierzyć się z problemami ,,nastolatek". Mam wrażenie że dzielę je z nimi i przez to łatwiej jest mi zrozumieć życie. Boże, pojebane. Jo zajebista, wywalone w Bryn. Ama cudowna, zachowała twarz i to z całą klasą. Polly piękna, nie ważne co tam gadają w tych agencjach. Cieszę się że ona tam pojechała dzięki czemu ja nie musiałam. Również bardzo jestem rada (wyjebane w te stare słowa, lubię się poczuć mądra) że finalnie się zeszły. Tak, to było oczywiście od początku. Ale czy kogokolwiek to obchodzi? NIE. Dlatego nie przejmujemy się hejterami i kochamy PAJ oraz wierzby. Wierzby fajnie drzewa. Bardzo miło. Thx.
Nawet jeśli już nigdy się do siebie nie odezwiemy, wiedz, że byłaś dla mnie lepszą przyjaciółką, już na to zasługiwałam.
Żyły.
Nawet jeśli już nigdy się do siebie nie odezwiemy, wiedz, że byłaś dla mnie lepszą przyjaciółką, już na to zasługiwałam.
Żyły.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2021
I liked this book but I kind of think it was a money grab tying it on to the Sisterhood series. This is about 3 girls who have always been beset friends but now they're spending the summer apart (sound familiar?).
Polly is wanting to be a model and has an alcoholic mother. She's curvy and struggles with an eating disorder.
Jo's parents are splitting up. She spends the summer with her mom at their beach house and gets in with a new group of kids and maybe finds her first boyfriend.
Ama's family is from Ghana and her sister is a major overachiever. She is sent to a wilderness camp and overcomes her fears and finds herself.
This was fun enough but kind of weak.
Polly is wanting to be a model and has an alcoholic mother. She's curvy and struggles with an eating disorder.
Jo's parents are splitting up. She spends the summer with her mom at their beach house and gets in with a new group of kids and maybe finds her first boyfriend.
Ama's family is from Ghana and her sister is a major overachiever. She is sent to a wilderness camp and overcomes her fears and finds herself.
This was fun enough but kind of weak.
September 15, 2017
I loved this book. I wasn't sure when I started it and realized the girls were just finishing up middle school but I'm really glad I pushed through my initial doubts. This was my book club book for September and I'm really excited to talk about it with my girls.
I found myself getting unexplainable chills while reading this book and the only way I can explain it is that I felt really connected to the story and the characters.
I found myself getting unexplainable chills while reading this book and the only way I can explain it is that I felt really connected to the story and the characters.
May 21, 2018
DNF I started the first chapter and was instantly bored. I feel like some authors tend to finish series too early when things are getting started or end it at the perfect satisfying moment. But this book was extremely unnecessary. I wish the author took a different route than trying to water down the original SOTP into a sad version. The characters resemble SOTP which is boring, because she is trying to reuse the same type of people. This book is extremely unnecessary and a watered down Sisterhood of Traveling Pants
February 24, 2021
I am just a little disappointed. As the story was good and I was able to relate to the girls on some level of when I was 14 it’s not what I wanted. I knew this wasn’t about the sisterhood. I knew it wouldn’t be the same story. It just didn’t give me the same feeling I was hoping to feel. A good read, especially if you love the sisterhood of the traveling pants. It just fell a little short for me.
September 15, 2017
Wel een aardig boek om te lezen. Grappig ook dat er verwijzingen zitten naar 4 vriendinnen 1 spijkerbroek. Ann Brashares schrijft op een erg herkenbare manier voor meiden in de puberteit.
April 1, 2018
Nessuno sa raccontare la crescita come la Brashares.
June 28, 2024
Good simple story of 3 girls and what they did one summer. Great for preteen and young adult readers.
January 5, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
August 18, 2019
Una historia muy bonita que demuestra que las raíces nunca se olvidan y que algunas amistades son mucho más fuertes que la distancia.
March 5, 2021
Muito giro. Um livro sobre a amizade e os problemas na adolescência. Tal como os salgueiros também Jo, Ama e Polly têm raízes profundas que não deixam abalar o que as une.
March 21, 2022
Hmm, not much there. I remember enjoying the original Sisterhood books.
May 22, 2009
When I saw the novel, 3 Willows: A Sisterhood Grows, on a shelf at the library I noticed that the author of this novel had written several other realistic fiction books that I had enjoyed. Ann Brashares, the amazing author of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, introduced her latest novel on January 2009. Because I had enjoyed her other novels so much, I was naturally curious to see how this new one would compare.
Ama, Polly, and Jo, the three main characters of this novel, are best friends trying to enjoy the freedom of summer before their first year of high school. This summer, however, wasn’t pure enjoyment; it actually turned out to be a critical period of time for the girls due their experiences that led them to great growth and development. Ama’s conflict of man vs nature challenged her to open her mind to concepts that didn’t involve school or grades .When she was only allowed entrance into the outdoors group instead of the one that involved school and homework , Ama was forced accept it, but in the end, her experience in the group proved beneficial in several aspects. Polly, on the other hand, is experiencing a man vs. himself conflict. She forces upon herself a crisis in which she becomes “unsure of her body,” and her entire summer becomes characterized by her extreme efforts to lose weight in order to look like the models in magazines. Lastly, Jo is amidst a man vs. man conflict. A boy she believed had become her boyfriend due to their various encounters begins to act completely different due to the pretty new girl who caught his eye. Her parents are going to separate and expect her to handle it on her own since neither of them is around too often. Her old friends aren’t mixing with her new friends, and whichever way she walks feels like a dead end. The diverse conflicts occurring in the lives of these teens not only connect several aspects of the novel but propel the story forward as well.
The theme demonstrated throughout this novel is shown by the teens’ journey from innocence to awareness. It is proven that everyone treads this passage along different paths. Ama is now expected to be more responsible and open minded due to her new surroundings and circumstances. However, sometimes the wrong path is taken on this journey, so people like Polly no longer feel comfortable with themselves. Jo is forced to open her eyes to reality and realize that not everyone she once counted on was dependable. The path to awareness is a tedious journey that will either leave one with a greater sense of confidence or a lack of one.
Ann Brashare’s writing style is rather unique for she takes the stories of three girls who are connected by friendship but are involved in completely different circumstances. She effectively narrates the stories of each individual by focusing an entire chapter on each character. This allows for a deeper connection with each character. It is often quite difficult for authors to effectively entwine the separate stories of characters in different situations to form a single complete novel, but she accomplished the task well. Her writing is also characterized by her simplistic voice and lack of excessive symbols and motifs.
The only complaint I have about this book is that it was too similar to her previous novels. I don’t recommend this novel to anyone who has read the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, because it seems very repetitive. Anyone who hasn’t read that series should definitely pick up this book.
Ama, Polly, and Jo, the three main characters of this novel, are best friends trying to enjoy the freedom of summer before their first year of high school. This summer, however, wasn’t pure enjoyment; it actually turned out to be a critical period of time for the girls due their experiences that led them to great growth and development. Ama’s conflict of man vs nature challenged her to open her mind to concepts that didn’t involve school or grades .When she was only allowed entrance into the outdoors group instead of the one that involved school and homework , Ama was forced accept it, but in the end, her experience in the group proved beneficial in several aspects. Polly, on the other hand, is experiencing a man vs. himself conflict. She forces upon herself a crisis in which she becomes “unsure of her body,” and her entire summer becomes characterized by her extreme efforts to lose weight in order to look like the models in magazines. Lastly, Jo is amidst a man vs. man conflict. A boy she believed had become her boyfriend due to their various encounters begins to act completely different due to the pretty new girl who caught his eye. Her parents are going to separate and expect her to handle it on her own since neither of them is around too often. Her old friends aren’t mixing with her new friends, and whichever way she walks feels like a dead end. The diverse conflicts occurring in the lives of these teens not only connect several aspects of the novel but propel the story forward as well.
The theme demonstrated throughout this novel is shown by the teens’ journey from innocence to awareness. It is proven that everyone treads this passage along different paths. Ama is now expected to be more responsible and open minded due to her new surroundings and circumstances. However, sometimes the wrong path is taken on this journey, so people like Polly no longer feel comfortable with themselves. Jo is forced to open her eyes to reality and realize that not everyone she once counted on was dependable. The path to awareness is a tedious journey that will either leave one with a greater sense of confidence or a lack of one.
Ann Brashare’s writing style is rather unique for she takes the stories of three girls who are connected by friendship but are involved in completely different circumstances. She effectively narrates the stories of each individual by focusing an entire chapter on each character. This allows for a deeper connection with each character. It is often quite difficult for authors to effectively entwine the separate stories of characters in different situations to form a single complete novel, but she accomplished the task well. Her writing is also characterized by her simplistic voice and lack of excessive symbols and motifs.
The only complaint I have about this book is that it was too similar to her previous novels. I don’t recommend this novel to anyone who has read the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, because it seems very repetitive. Anyone who hasn’t read that series should definitely pick up this book.
November 17, 2014
3 Willows is a book about three girls who have been friends since they were young. But ever since middle school they have drifted apart. I think that the author compared their friendship to a willow tree. One of the girls, Jo has begun to realize who her real friends are, and that you don't have to change to feel accepted. Ama thought that there was nothing worse than going to an outdoor camp and having no hair products. Yet she was wrong. Polly, thought she could change herself to fit a more glamorous life. But then again, why change to fit in when so long ago you were used to being accepted by your true friends. All of these girls learned that summer wasn't a time to grow apart but to grow together. Just like a quote from the back of the book says, "No matter how far back you cut a willow tree, it will never really die."
I recommend this book because it makes you realize just how valuable real friends are and that you shouldn't take them for granted. I also recommend this book because its entertaining and you don't want to put the book down because you want to see what happens next to the girls as they try out their separate ways but in the end, end up together again. Its action-packed and realistic in all the right ways. It is definitely a good book for adolescent girls who are learning who their true friends and who isn't.
Me: So, Jo where do you think you'll be if you went back at the beach house and stayed with Brynn and Zach?
Jo: Well, I would more then likely be more miserable than I have ever been. All Brynn has ever done was drag me down and change me for the worst. Im glad that I stayed at my dads in DC and have been with Ama and Polly. They are the best friends I have ever had. I can be myself and i'm happy with that.
Me: Ama, what would you do if you went home when you got lost from your group at camp? What made you stay?
Ama: Polly did. Once I got off the phone with my dad that day I wondered what Jo and Polly would say if I went home. What my sister Esi would say. Thats why I called Polly I guess. I knew she would listen to me. Jo would too. I blew Polly off thinking that Polly was no help to me if she was saying that it would be a beautiful once in a lifetime chance. I ended up listening, and Polly was right. The view was lifechanging. But you know what else is lifechanging? A friendship that will last a lifetime.
Me: Polly, why did you go out of your way to help out Jo and Ama this past summer when you could have gone your own way also?
Polly: I believed. I believed that what we had was worth fighting for. Even if they didn't need me or want me I was there for them and in the end they were there for me too. Thats what I like about them. Its not a balanced friendship. We all have each others back. Even if we can't pay them back they're there.
I recommend this book because it makes you realize just how valuable real friends are and that you shouldn't take them for granted. I also recommend this book because its entertaining and you don't want to put the book down because you want to see what happens next to the girls as they try out their separate ways but in the end, end up together again. Its action-packed and realistic in all the right ways. It is definitely a good book for adolescent girls who are learning who their true friends and who isn't.
Me: So, Jo where do you think you'll be if you went back at the beach house and stayed with Brynn and Zach?
Jo: Well, I would more then likely be more miserable than I have ever been. All Brynn has ever done was drag me down and change me for the worst. Im glad that I stayed at my dads in DC and have been with Ama and Polly. They are the best friends I have ever had. I can be myself and i'm happy with that.
Me: Ama, what would you do if you went home when you got lost from your group at camp? What made you stay?
Ama: Polly did. Once I got off the phone with my dad that day I wondered what Jo and Polly would say if I went home. What my sister Esi would say. Thats why I called Polly I guess. I knew she would listen to me. Jo would too. I blew Polly off thinking that Polly was no help to me if she was saying that it would be a beautiful once in a lifetime chance. I ended up listening, and Polly was right. The view was lifechanging. But you know what else is lifechanging? A friendship that will last a lifetime.
Me: Polly, why did you go out of your way to help out Jo and Ama this past summer when you could have gone your own way also?
Polly: I believed. I believed that what we had was worth fighting for. Even if they didn't need me or want me I was there for them and in the end they were there for me too. Thats what I like about them. Its not a balanced friendship. We all have each others back. Even if we can't pay them back they're there.
February 5, 2009
Friends grow apart but are always there. Get ready for a whole new sisterhood of friends and a great story about another interesting summer and the strength of friendship in Ann Brashare's new series.
Jo starts to feel embaressed by her middle school friends and while at her beach house starts to try harder to blend in with the older cooler girls that she will be going to high school with the next year. Little does she know that the unexpected fling she has with a boy on a bus after some bad news will help her rocket to the top of the social status ladder. When she gets to the top her attitude takes a turn for the worse, and she finds out that sometimes parents are not the best example of how to solve a fight.
Polly learns some interesting facts about her grandmother and decides that maybe not following her mom in being a feminist could be fun. So while her friends are away she stays home in DC and breaks away from her usally shy self and goes to a modeling camp. Soon she becomes obsessed with how she looks and trying to change herself to fit in and become a model. Polly's little obsesion quickly becomes a big problem and her mom isn't in good condition too help her. Will her new dream of becoming a supermodel come true or will some other girl snatch it away from her very skinny arms?
Ama is looking forward to her summer because she has got a summer scholarship to go to a very prestigious summer camp for kids that are really smart and work hard in school. She and her proud parents are really excited when she gets the envelope in the mail, but when she opens the envelope she gets a very unpleasent surprise. She won't be studying in a air-conditined science lab like the non outdoorsy girl hoped. She is going to Wilderness Camp. Ama goes into the camp with a bad attitude right from the start when one of the counselors take her hair products away. It gets even worse when she has to endure the terrifing hiking trails, terrible blisters, and flirting teenagers. She just hopes she can make it out alive, let alone get an A.
Ann Brashers new Sisterhood is a great book and definitely worth reading. If you like realistic fiction books and you read the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series and enjoyed it you will fall in love with 3 Willows! Brashares does a great job of showing that somtimes a unexpected friend gives the best advice when you're in a jam.
Watch the friends grow in 3Willows.
Jo starts to feel embaressed by her middle school friends and while at her beach house starts to try harder to blend in with the older cooler girls that she will be going to high school with the next year. Little does she know that the unexpected fling she has with a boy on a bus after some bad news will help her rocket to the top of the social status ladder. When she gets to the top her attitude takes a turn for the worse, and she finds out that sometimes parents are not the best example of how to solve a fight.
Polly learns some interesting facts about her grandmother and decides that maybe not following her mom in being a feminist could be fun. So while her friends are away she stays home in DC and breaks away from her usally shy self and goes to a modeling camp. Soon she becomes obsessed with how she looks and trying to change herself to fit in and become a model. Polly's little obsesion quickly becomes a big problem and her mom isn't in good condition too help her. Will her new dream of becoming a supermodel come true or will some other girl snatch it away from her very skinny arms?
Ama is looking forward to her summer because she has got a summer scholarship to go to a very prestigious summer camp for kids that are really smart and work hard in school. She and her proud parents are really excited when she gets the envelope in the mail, but when she opens the envelope she gets a very unpleasent surprise. She won't be studying in a air-conditined science lab like the non outdoorsy girl hoped. She is going to Wilderness Camp. Ama goes into the camp with a bad attitude right from the start when one of the counselors take her hair products away. It gets even worse when she has to endure the terrifing hiking trails, terrible blisters, and flirting teenagers. She just hopes she can make it out alive, let alone get an A.
Ann Brashers new Sisterhood is a great book and definitely worth reading. If you like realistic fiction books and you read the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series and enjoyed it you will fall in love with 3 Willows! Brashares does a great job of showing that somtimes a unexpected friend gives the best advice when you're in a jam.
Watch the friends grow in 3Willows.
March 18, 2010
The Summer That Changed Everything is a beautiful summer tale of friendship, love and loss.
The four girls from The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants were mentioned throughout the novel and one even had a cameo. In the eyes of Ama, Polly and Jo, those girls and their story are legendary. But I haven’t read the books about the Sisterhood. I know, I know, I’m very ashamed of myself. It seems like the stories of the Sisterhood are teenage rites of passage and The Summer That Changed Everything seemed to bring this to a younger generation, like passing those beloved teen classics down to your little sister.
It’s been a while since I’ve read a book like this; it was completely refreshing. I tend to read a lot of intense paranormal romances so it was nice to return to the kind of book that I would have read before I started blogging. The Summer That Changed Everything is full of a different kind of life and energy to my usual reads. It reads like the soft, warm fulfilment of a day spent out in the sun enjoying life. And while The Summer That Changed Everything is a subtle, summer read, it also deals with bigger issues that you face growing up, such as, divorce, alcoholism, kissing another girl’s boyfriend and drifting away from your friends. But they weren’t forced down your throat at all, they sat in the background having a silent effect on the lives of the girls just as they really would.
One of my favourite things about The Summer That Changed Everything is it’s format. If you’re a regular reader of my reviews you’ll know that I love split narration as I love to hear all sides of a story! Polly, Jo and Ama are three very different girls that live very different summers and their story probably would have been impossible to tell in any other way. I also really loved the facts about willow trees that were scattered between the chapters. They held the novel on an underlying string that really pulled everything together. I love them!
I really enjoyed The Summer That Changed Everything and I definitely hope to read more of Ann Brashares’ books in the future. Especially The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants series!
The four girls from The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants were mentioned throughout the novel and one even had a cameo. In the eyes of Ama, Polly and Jo, those girls and their story are legendary. But I haven’t read the books about the Sisterhood. I know, I know, I’m very ashamed of myself. It seems like the stories of the Sisterhood are teenage rites of passage and The Summer That Changed Everything seemed to bring this to a younger generation, like passing those beloved teen classics down to your little sister.
It’s been a while since I’ve read a book like this; it was completely refreshing. I tend to read a lot of intense paranormal romances so it was nice to return to the kind of book that I would have read before I started blogging. The Summer That Changed Everything is full of a different kind of life and energy to my usual reads. It reads like the soft, warm fulfilment of a day spent out in the sun enjoying life. And while The Summer That Changed Everything is a subtle, summer read, it also deals with bigger issues that you face growing up, such as, divorce, alcoholism, kissing another girl’s boyfriend and drifting away from your friends. But they weren’t forced down your throat at all, they sat in the background having a silent effect on the lives of the girls just as they really would.
One of my favourite things about The Summer That Changed Everything is it’s format. If you’re a regular reader of my reviews you’ll know that I love split narration as I love to hear all sides of a story! Polly, Jo and Ama are three very different girls that live very different summers and their story probably would have been impossible to tell in any other way. I also really loved the facts about willow trees that were scattered between the chapters. They held the novel on an underlying string that really pulled everything together. I love them!
I really enjoyed The Summer That Changed Everything and I definitely hope to read more of Ann Brashares’ books in the future. Especially The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants series!
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