In the fourth, and apparently final, installment in the series, Lena, Carmen, Bridget and Tibby again go their separate ways, held together in friendship by their wise and magical Pants. Each wears the Pants for a while and sends them on, the Pants always fitting perfectly. The fairytale spirit of the narrative develops as the young women come to realize the Pants have taught them how to be together as friends, and how to be apart, too. Like the Pants, the third-person voice unites the individual stories, providing a consistent tone. Lively prose, snappy dialogue and a complex intertwining of four stories mark this outstanding series. First-time sex, fear of pregnancy and breaking up are presented delicately, with humor and poignancy. An ode to love and friendship to delight Brashares’s legions of fans, who have spent a good deal of their young lives sharing the Pants along with the sisterhood. (Fiction. 12+)
