I started the third Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants book yesterday. So far, Carmen has found out that she is going to have a baby sibling. She has always wanted one, but thinks that the baby will replace her since it will be born the month she does off to college. Besides this, Lena's parents have decided not to pay for her to go to RISD (my parents went here). Also, Tibby's sister Katherine jumed out of a windowto get an apple fracturin her skull. The final friend, Bee has gone to a soccer camp as a coach, just to meet up with her old boyfriend Eric, who has a new girlfriend.

Although I liked the first two books in this series, I think that this one is overdramatic, and portrays the girls as helpless. I mean, not only do most of the characters fall for almost every guy they meet, someone's sister had to jump out of a window. It's like a sopa opera. In the first two books, the charaters fend for themselves and adapt, but now, they just give up and cry. I really did like the other two stories, so I might try to finish the series to see if it gets better, put so far, I just don't like the way this book was written.

I just started the second book in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. So far, Bridget has decided to go meet her grandmother. She hasn't seen her since eight years before due to her mother's depression and death. Also, Lena has broken up with Kostos, a guy who she met in Greece. She seem to have forgotten him though. Another character, name Carman, has gone on a date with a boy named Porter as well. He wasn't in the first book, so I don't know much about him yet. The last friend, Tibby, has left for the summer. She is at a film pre-college.

I think that this book is actually pretty good. The idea of "magic pants" seems silly, but it was carried through well. Also, I believe that Lena will end up in Greece again with Kostos before the end of the book. Besides this, I think that Carman's step family will end up in D.C. at some point as well. In the first book she went to visit them, but they have never actually visited her before. Overall, it is written in a realistic way.

I started a book called Wicked this week. The main character is named Elphaba, and was born in Munchkinland. Her "father" Frex is a minister, and her mother is the beautiful Melena (once a rich Gillikin courtier). Her mother tends to sleep around, so no one really knows if Elphaba's green skin is hereditary. By the end of the first section of the book, you find out that Melena is going to have another girl.

I think that the perspective of this story is pretty cool. It takes the plot of the Wizard of Oz, and makes it more realistic. Instead of the flat characters in the Wizard of Oz, both the villain (Elphaba) and Dorothea are shown on an even playing field. The book shows the Wicked Witch of the West as a persecuted child, who has grown up in poverty. Galinda is still show as just a pretty face. I think that she will develop more character throughout the rest of the story though.

I finished Graceling this weekend. Since my last blog, we found out that the other graced fighter is really named Po. His Grace really isn't fighting, but he can sense the people around him, and knows what they think of him. Po's grandfather was the old Lienid. When Po figures out that the Monsean king (Leck) was the one who kidnapped him, he travels there with Katsa. Leck's wife is Po's aunt. She has been trying to protect her daughter Bitterblue from King Leck for a while. The King is graced with the ability to convince people of anything. He is cruel, and likes to hurt animals and people. Po watches the king kill his Aunt, and tries to help his cousin (king's daughter) escape. Although Bitterblue, Po, and Katsa do get away, Po is blinded in the process. The book ends with Katsa deciding to return to court to face King Randa of Sunder (she had went into exile when she refused to torture a father who protected his daughters).

I did like this book. I think that it was a fast read. Although it didn't make you think much, it still kept you entertained. At the end, I think that Po is wimpy. He hides out in a cabin in the woods for a while after he goes blind. His character's grace lets him sense his surroundings, so he still knows what's around him. The writer's style reminds me of Tamora Pierce, whom I also like. Both writers create a main character who is a strong girl who can take care of herself. I think I will probably read this book again sometime.