Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt

Book review #49
Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt
Rating: Four and a half stars 

Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

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. 

Two Way Street is one sweet entertaining read. It's one of those books that have just the right ingredients that make it pretty close to perfect. Emotion, laughter, and plain cuteness filled each and every page. I was really surprised at how laugh out loud funny this book was! Almost every character, even the minor ones were hilarious. I had a wonderful time on Jordan and Courtney's crazy road trip adventure.

Jordan and Courtney are two people that normally wouldn't be together. To both their surprise together that had something special with each other. Everything was going great, until Courtney finds herself dumped for some girl Jordan met online. Courtney is completely broken and horrified that she is being forced on the pre-planned road trip she has to go on. It's going to be every bit as painful to go through with the trip, but for completely other reasons. Together you discover the truth behind the breakup...

It love the setup of this book. I got to see both sides of the breakup/couple-alternating between Courtney and Jordan's point of view. You also got to see flashbacks of the past, including how they met. They were just too cure. It was funny how much they thought alike. Courtney and Jordan are one those couples who are just meant to be, no matter what happens. Jordan was a great representation of a male teenager, Lauren Barnholdt really got it spot on. And once you find out his side of the story, you start to love him even more. Even the minor characters were well developed. Both of their best friends went out with each other as well. Joyce and B.J. were so crazy together, but so fun to read about.

I literally flew through this book. I was sad when it was over, I could have read a lot more without ever getting board. Delicious would be a great word to describe this one. Two Way Street is light, lovable, and hilarious! I can't wait to read Lauren Barnholdt's upcoming releases. It's hard to think how somehow wouldn't enjoy Two Way Street. I most definitely recommend you to check this one out :D

What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones

Book Review #20
What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
Rating: Four stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

My name is Sophie.
This book is about me.
It tells
the heart-stoppingly riveting story
of my first love.
And also of my second.
And, okay, my third love too. It's not that I'm boy crazy.
It's just that even though
I'm almost fifteen
it's like
my mind
and my body
and my heart
just don't seem to be able to agree
on anything.

Over the course of about forty-five minutes I have laughed, smiled, and ached along with Sophie. What My Mother Doesn't Know contained a lot of firsts for me. It was the first book I read in verse and who knew reading in verse was so awesome. I became so engaged in the book after I point I forgot I was reading. I literally couldn't put the book down. What My Mother Doesn't Know was also the first time I have laughed that hard while reading book. It was written beautifully through poems, deep inner thoughts, journal entries, and short stories.

Sophie is an almost 15-year old girl that is officially boy crazy, as in one of the most boy crazy characters I've ever read about. Sophie has great friends, is funny, artistic, and pretty likable. The novel takes us along her love life and relationships. Sophie finally gets asked out by Dylan, the boy of her dreams, and totally knows it's true love. At first everything's perfect, she couldn't be happier, but then then she starts noticing weirdness. Sophie doesn't feel right about Dylan, but she isn't sure what to do. On the side, Sophie begins an online romance, and you'll just have to see how that turns out. Sophie is finally ready to move on. She meets Murph, the class dork, unattractive to say the least, and just not cool. She finds herself falling for Murph and having feelings unlike any she's ever had. But how is she going tell her friends that she likes the biggest loser in school? On top of that her parents aren't getting along and her relationship with her mother is getting more complicated everyday.

Sophie and most of the characters in the book were so realistic, it was almost scary. Sophie had those crazy, almost stalkerish moments and thoughts that most teenagers have. Her dreams and fantasies were hilarious, at times a bit too much, but don't we all experience some of those? To say the least the book was very honest. The author doesn't hold back on describing real teenage life, even if weird at times. She was extremely infatuated, to the point where she once said- "I wish I could drink a magic potion and shrink way down until I was small enough to fit into his shirt pocket and live there tucked near to his heart listening to it beating in rhythm with mine every minute of every day."

Along with her love life, Sophie has a complicated relationship with her mother. Her mom doesn't know her daughter as much as she thinks she does. Sophie does the kind of things that her mother would never expect her to do. She is a different person at school and at home. A lot of the situations Sophie experienced with her family were so realistic, you could probably picture yourself going through the same things. Sophie always compares her mom and family to her two best friends' family, longing for what they have. Even though Sophie and her mom get into plenty of fights, Sophie comes to realize that even though she hates her mother at the time, she hates hating her even more.

Most importantly, together with Sophie we learn that there us a huge difference between love and lust and that real love can hide itself behind the most unexpected things. Sophie realized loving someone, really loving someone not just their looks, brings out their beauty and amazing features even more. Sones really captures the feelings you get when falling in love with a guy, trusting yourself,and finding the strength to put your heart above everything else. What My Mother Doesn't Know is a quirky, fun, touching, and fast read that everyone should pick up. Oh and I just found out there is a sequel (What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know), which is already waiting for me on the hold shelf. :)