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Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'
3 Willows: The Sisterhood Grows (Sisterhood, #4.5) by Ann Brashares
1 review
itsmeyseniab's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
As a fan of the original Sisterhood series, I was a little surprised (but intrigued!) that there was a seemingly "forgotten" novel within the series. That being said, I don't believe this is a necessary read within the story, and didn't find it nearly as engaging or heartfelt as the original series.
One big difference between this new group of girls and their predecessors was their age: Polly, Jo and Ama were in the summer before their 9th grade year while Carmen, Tibby, Lena and Bridget were well into their teenage-hood at the start of the series. This difference in age made 3 Willows seem... juvenile. Another aspect of this novel that I wasn't expecting was the fact that we enter the story and Polly, Jo and Ama are not as close of friends as they once were in elementary school (this is supposed to be a book centered around friendship and sisterhood and I just... didn't get that? One could argue that it added a bit of dimension to the story but I really wish they were supporting each other through their ups and downs of their respective summers). As far as the girls themselves go, I felt that they were pretty one-dimensional and I wasn't invested in any of their stories. I did appreciate Ama's character the most though, and felt as though she showed the most development by the end of the novel (and by the end of her wildnerness camp. Butif I sent my kid off to a camp and they were LEFT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WOODS BY THEMSELVES I would literally lose my mind - the lack of action by her parents and the mediocre "apology"/justification by her counselor was appalling to me lol). I also wasn't expecting Lena's little sister Effie to be the villain in Jo's story, and felt as though this storyline was the most realistic (the young girl wanting to impress the popular high schoolers and boys). Polly's story of wanting to be a model but not "looking the part" didn't really do anything for me if I'm being honest, and was a lackluster attempt at the lesson of loving yourself (but the conflict with her mother definitely pulled at my heartstrings and gave her more depth as a character).
This isn't a terrible novel by any means, but if you are a big fan of the original series I wouldn't recommend going into this with high expectations. :/
One big difference between this new group of girls and their predecessors was their age: Polly, Jo and Ama were in the summer before their 9th grade year while Carmen, Tibby, Lena and Bridget were well into their teenage-hood at the start of the series. This difference in age made 3 Willows seem... juvenile. Another aspect of this novel that I wasn't expecting was the fact that we enter the story and Polly, Jo and Ama are not as close of friends as they once were in elementary school (this is supposed to be a book centered around friendship and sisterhood and I just... didn't get that? One could argue that it added a bit of dimension to the story but I really wish they were supporting each other through their ups and downs of their respective summers). As far as the girls themselves go, I felt that they were pretty one-dimensional and I wasn't invested in any of their stories. I did appreciate Ama's character the most though, and felt as though she showed the most development by the end of the novel (and by the end of her wildnerness camp. But
This isn't a terrible novel by any means, but if you are a big fan of the original series I wouldn't recommend going into this with high expectations. :/
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder, Infidelity, Alcoholism, and Bullying
Minor: Child death
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