LitPick Review
Alice, Summer and Tiernan were best friends in middle school, but their friendship ended badly freshman year. Now high school is over, and the three girls have completely different lives, with completely different priorities. Alice is waiting to be accepted to Brown. Summer is excited for a vacation with her boyfriend. Tiernan is grounded, as usual. However, when their summer plans don't go as expected, the girls find themselves on a road trip to see the reunion show of their favorite band, Level3. They travel from Massachusetts to Texas in the green VW camper known as "The Pea Pod." Along the journey, they encounter boy problems, car problems, and the biggest question of all- can Alice, Summer and Tiernan be friends again?
Opinion:
The first thing that struck me about Reunited was how easy it was to relate to at least one of the three main characters. Alice is smart and motivated. She plans on attending a prestigious college, and is always on top of things. Summer is into boys, writing poetry and hanging out with her friends. Tiernan is rebellious and hurt by her parents' divorce. With this range of personalities, it was easy to identify with the thoughts and feelings of the characters. This made it easier to care about the girls and their journey.
The obstacles placed in the girls' way kept the road trip interesting and exciting to read about. The three girls ran over a squirrel, tore kudzu off of a shed, and performed a synchronized dance routine onstage- all while getting to know each other again. Exciting twists and turns prevented the plot from feeling cliche.
The girls' hesitant friendship, which develops throughout the story, is completely believable and well described. From their arguments to their silences, every interaction between the girls feels real, justified, and meaningful.
Overall, Reunited is a funny, lighthearted and entertaining road trip book that will delight fans of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I would recommend it to preteen and teenage girls who enjoy realistic fiction and humor.
