Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt

Summary:
There are two sides to every breakup.

This is Jordan and Courtney, totally in love. Sure, they were an unlikely high school couple. But they clicked; it worked. They're even going to the same college, and driving cross-country together for orientation.

Then Jordan dumps Courtney -- for a girl he met on the Internet.

It's too late to change plans, so the road trip is on. Courtney's heartbroken, but figures she can tough it out for a few days. La la la -- this is Courtney pretending not to care.

But in a strange twist, Jordan cares. A lot.


Turns out, he's got a secret or two that he's not telling Courtney. And it has everything to do with why they broke up, why they can't get back together, and how, in spite of it all, this couple is destined for each other. (From GoodReads)

Review:
I kind of stumbled upon this book by accident. I am a member of PulseIt and decided to look at what free books they were offering. I really enjoyed Lauren Barnholdt's Sometimes It Happens so I decided to read Two Way Street. I'm so glad I did because I seriously read it in one sitting, it was that good!

Two Way Street switches POV a lot: between Jordan and Courtney and then past and present between the both of them. I actually really liked that because we got to see what was going on during the road trip and what happened in the past when they were in a relationship. The story comes together very nicely and isn't jumpy at all.

I also thought that Two Way Street was hilarious, especially Jordan's thoughts and commentary on certain things. I think I laughed out loud a few times. Lauren Barnholdt really captured the teenage voice in this book.

The secret that Jordan is keeping is very interesting and you kind of figure it out pretty early on. I don't know how likely it would happen in real life but it still made for a good story!

The only negative I can say about Two Way Street is that it really dates itself by talking about MySpace a lot. I didn't realize that this book was published in 2007, when MySpace was really big. The old social networking site is discussed a lot because the characters are posting comments and whatnot on each other's pages. If MySpace had been replaced by Facebook this would have been totally modern (barring the talk of Instant Messenger and mp3s). I couldn't help but cringe every time MySpace was mentioned because it's so obsolete now.

Other than that, I really enjoyed Two Way Street and thought it was a fantastic contemporary novel. I can't wait to read more by Lauren Barnholdt!

Rating: 9 out of 10.
FTC: read on Pulse It

2007/Simon Pulse/288 pages.

Sometimes It Happens by Lauren Barnholdt

Summary:
On the last day of her junior year, Hannah's boyfriend Sebastian dumped her. Facing a summer of loneliness, Hannah turns to her best friend Ava for comfort. Ava does what BFFs do: she stays by Hannah's side...until it's time for Ava to head up to Maine for the summer. Also left behind is Ava's boyfriend, Noah, who's such a great guy he gets Hannah a job at the diner he waits tables at. Slowly, Hannah comes out of her funk thanks to Noah's good conversation and their fun times at the diner. But things get complicated when their friendship turns into attraction--and one night, into a passionate kiss.

The novel opens on the first day of senior year; the day Hannah is going to see Ava, Sebastian, and Noah all in one place. Over the course of the day secrets and betrayals are revealed, and alliances are broken and reformed. In the end, everyone is paired up once again, but not the way you might think... (from GoodReads)

Review:
Sometimes It Happens was one of the best contemporary books I've read in a long time. I feel like it has been the summer of classics for me, and it was really great to read something lighter and something in the 21st century. Though it's not very literary, Sometimes It Happens was fun and enjoyable for readers who like relationships and the problems that come along with them.

I instantly connected with the protagonist, Hannah. She's kinda the standard YA girl: smart, medium popularity, pretty but not beautiful. But I was okay with all that because I really liked Hannah. I felt like the things she did/said were similar to the things that I would do/say (except she moped around more than I would after she broke up with Sebastian).

I loved Hannah's relationship with all the characters, including Ava, Noah and Lacey. Ava was pretty stuck up for most the book, even though she was far away in Maine, but I still enjoyed her and Hannah's interactions. Noah, Ava's boyfriend, is pretty awesome even though he does cheat on his girlfriend. I don't like cheating in any circumstance, so I liked to see the characters regret their actions and kinda have a guilty conscience. Note: it's also hard to be mad at characters who belong together. Lacey was another awesome character. She was a bit of a hypochondriac but I honestly thought it made her more interesting. Lacey was a way better friend to Lacey than Ava, so the reader gets to see the contrast there.

The book was set up in a very interesting way. The chapters alternated between present day (i.e: the first day of senior year) and the summer where Noah and Hannah fall in love. I liked going back and forth to see how past actions led to future consequences. Another note about the plot: I was kinda annoyed that the readers were left in the dark during the cheating aspect. You get to see the characters kiss and then you find out they slept together. I'm not looking for specific details, but I was confused how they got to that part so fast. Whoa! But that's pretty minor thing.

All in all, I really enjoyed Sometimes It Happens. It was nice to read something lighter and more fun. It was hard to put down because I kept wanting to see what happened next. I love when that happens with a book.

Rating: 9 out of 10.
FTC: Simon & Schuster GalleyGrab
Release Date: July 12, 2011

2011/Simon Pulse/320 pages.