One Night That Changes Everything by Lauren Barnholdt

Book review #54
One Night That Changes Everything by Lauren Barnholdt
Rating: Four and half stars

Summary: (taken from Goodreads)
Eliza is in a full-blown panic. Her notebook has been stolen—the one that lists everything she wants but is afraid to go after. And the absolute worst person in the world has it: her ex-boyfriend, Cooper.


Like it’s not enough Cooper was lying to Eliza for their entire relationship, now he and his friends are blackmailing her. They’re giving her just one night to complete the most humiliating tasks on her list or they’ll post her secrets online—including the ones that aren’t just about her.

One Night That Changes Everything is fresh, spunky, and super fun. It was spread out over the course of one night and what a night it was! It had everything from parties, breaking in, the police, and even karaoke.  Together we got to witness Eliza face her biggest fears and just hope she can survive.

Eliza is barely recovering from her horrible breakup with Copper. She still can't get over how things ended. One of the only places she can write how she really feels is in her purple notebook. Written along with that are some of her biggest and smallest fears that she wants to conquer, but just can't. She thinks her life is over when the notebook becomes missing. Things get worse when she discovers Cooper and his gang have it and are forcing her to do some of the events in it all in the course of one night. It really is one night that changes everything...

I really loved everything about this book. The characters really topped it all off. Even though I only had one night with Eliza, I felt like I've known her for years. She was extremely relatable and reminded me of myself sometimes and I'm sure plenty of other teenagers out there. Eliza is just a normal girl who secretly has those fears that hold her back. Her two best fiends( Marissa and Clarice) were kind of crazy, but I still loved them. I like how they didn't get along with each other all the time, giving the story a little twist. Cooper was so sweet! Yeah he has faults, but I rooted for him the whole time. Comparing this to Lauren's other book Two Way Street, I can confirm that she was a real talent for creating real, down to earth, and memorable characters.

Along with great characters, One Night That Changes Everything is a very fun and entertaining read. But not only was it fun, but it was pretty inspiring at the same time. It made me want to go out there and accomplish some of the things I'm scared to do. The plot also had some laugh out loud moments built in. And overall there were even some twists and turns keeping it from being predictable.

Lauren Barnholdt officially made on my favorite authors list. With entertainment, life lessons, lovable characters, and even humor, what more could you ask for. It's hard to imagine not really liking this one. I guarantee you'll find yourself smiling by the end of the journey. I'm off to buy myself my own copy, as I suggest you do the same :)

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Book review #53
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
Rating: Five stars!

Summary: (taken from Goodreads)
Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn't seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she's coming to terms with her father's death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself. 

Honestly I don't even know where to begin. Without a doubt Amy & Roger's Epic Detour is one of my favorite books of the year. I don't want to gush, but I think I have to!  I loved everything about this book. It's almost like this book was written for me, it's made of pure awesomeness. I can say that I took an amazing tour throughout the United States. Even though I live here, I haven't gotten a chance to experiences life in states other than my own. It's hard to not want to jump in the car and take a spontaneous road trip after reading this. 

Amy's life is really falling apart. Nothing has been the same since her dad died. Living in the house alone for the month while school finishes up, she feels lonelier than ever. To top it all off she's being forced to move all the way out to Connecticut. Since Amy isn't ready to drive yet, her mom set up a road trip with her Roger-who is practically a stranger. The two set off on the pre-planned road trip to Colorado, but then decide to make a detour of their own. Not only do you get to enjoy the trip through America, but you get to watch Amy and Roger get to know each other and more importantly get to know themselves.

The cast of characters were just plain wonderful. Every single character, small or big, made a big impression on made. Amy and Roger met quite of few people on their journey. There was Lucien from Kentucky who was just a very sincere lovable person. Then there was crazy Browolyn who was super nice. Amy was such a piece of work. She's been through so much pain and I was really proud of how she handled everything. Roger oh Roger. I loved him of course. He was like the coolest person ever, not to mention a sweetie. Together they really shared something special. It was too cute witnessing them getting used to each other.

The setup of the book was one of my favorite things about it. Each chapter began with a quote relating to the state of moment they were in. Then after the two visited each state there was a scrapbook section consisting of actual receipts, tickets, postcards, and pictures. Oh and there were even play lists spread throughout the book, that related to that period. And I have to say there were some really good songs listed. I just loved all of this, it made the book even better.

Personally the coolest part for me was that Amy and Roger got to visit Kentucky! I live in Kentucky and it's very rare to see Kentucky pop up in a book. It was hilarious to see them fight over how to pronounce Louisville (we do that too) and their amazement to sweet tea and waffle house. Aside from that, the adventures they went through were fun and memorable. From sleeping in the car in the parking lot, sliding around in socks around Walmart in the middle of the night, to even sneaking into a strict facility.

Even thinking about this book makes me smile! I'm so happy that I own a copy because I'll definitely be picking it up again. Amy & Roger's Epic Detour is one of the most touching, entertaining, and fun books I've read in awhile. After I turned the last page, I just wasn't ready to part with them. I would recommend this book to just about everyone, but especially fans of Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler.

*This is probably the longest review I've ever written. Sorry about that! I couldn't help it :)