3 Willows: The Sisterhood Grows by Ann Brashares

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Publication date: 2009
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 318
My rating: 3 stars
Ages: 12+

Ama, Jo, and Polly have been friends since the first day of third grade, but by the last day of middle school they had drifted apart. Jo wants to be popular and thinks Polly needs to grow up. Ama spends all of her time either doing homework or in the library--doing homework. But during the summer before high school all three learn what friendship is and grow closer together.

This book takes place at the same time as the fourth Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants book. There are a few appearances of the original sisterhood, but they are not the focus.

While the individual stories were interesting, I just didn't feel that 3 Willows held the same kind of emotional impact as the original series did. There wasn't the same heart, nor did I care as much about Ama, Jo, and Polly as I did about the previous sisterhood. But, as a standalone, this is a fun read, especially good for younger teens.

There was one thing at the beginning that threw me off. There is a time when the three girls all share how they became friends, but at first I thought that they were letters written to the other girls, then I realized that it was a first person perspective. But it only happened at the beginning and not more than two or three times. Other than that, the writing was well executed and the pacing of the three plots was good.

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