Review of Two Way Street

My review of Two-Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt is based on a paperback copy of the book that I borrowed from my local library. The following review is my honest opinion of the work.

Goodreads 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.

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."

I think I may have mentioned before that I'm a sucker for a book about a road-trip; having always wanted to go on one, even made this amazingly detailed plan for one with my best friend from high school that included a list of rules, stops and everything else we felt was required to make ours the most epic road trip ever taken. Unfortunately we never got to go. So instead I happily devour books about road trips, far less expensive!

What I thought I would get from this book was a fun, light contemporary read; something to pass the time with and leave me with a smile. I got so much more out of this book than expected. I was impressed by the depth of this book. It was so much more than a simple story of a now broken up couple who were forced to go on an already planned road trip which is what I had expected it to be. The secrets that they have are not simple ones, there's a lot more going on than meets the eye and as in real life it's all intertwined. If one secret comes out there will be a domino effect. Dun, dun, dun.

Originally I thought the way this book was written, mind you I had only flipped through it at this point, would have me completely confused. Amazingly enough it turned out to be one of my favorite aspects of this book. Not only was it told in alternating chapters between the two main characters but it was also alternating between the past and the present; you literally got the full story bit by bit.

I really enjoyed Jordan and Courtney, as well as their friends, and found myself rooting for my favorite characters throughout the course of the book. They felt real to me. I wanted them to all be happy. For me being this invested is the sign of a good book. I'm giving Two-Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt a four out of five stars review. One day I will learn that if Alli recommends it to me that probably means I should be going out and buying it, not just borrowing it from the library. One day.