Did you know there’s another “Traveling Pants” book? Only it’s more “Sisterhood” than pants, because apparently somewhere in the four-book “Pants” series, [spoilers!] the pants went missing. I think I read the first book, but I’m pretty sure I didn’t read any of the others. So perhaps I’m unqualified to be discussing this. Will that stop me? No it will not.

Anyway.

In Ann Brashares’ “Sisterhood Everlasting,” the loyal quartet has grown up. And they’ve grown apart. What kind of sisterhood is that? Well, kids, that’s just the kind of thing that happens to childhood friends sometimes. You go your separate ways, and even magical pants aren’t enough to make that last “F” in BFF stand the test of time. Unless you’re a fictional character, in which case there’s always the chance that there will be a bittersweet and unlikely happily ever after for you and your pals.

You might have already guessed that I didn’t love this book. It took me awhile to get into it, and even then I didn’t really feel for the characters. Maybe it would be different if I’d been attached to them already, through the rest of the series. But — and this seems like a silly thing to say about a series that built its foundation on a pair of pants — I just didn’t buy a lot of the storyline’s twists and turns. I’d be interested to hear from people who’ve read the whole series, whether they’re satisfied with where the characters ended up.