Lauren Barnholdt

My Summary: Courtney has always been your basic straight-cut, goodie-two-shoes kinda girl: she gets good grades, never stays out late, and never associates with people she shouldn't be around (well, except for Blake in the tenth grade...). Jordan, on the other hand, is your typical party-all-night teenage guy. The only thing Courtney and Jordan have in common is a math class, a college acceptance ... and a future.

But when Jordan discovers a secret, things take a turn for the worst. Torn show more between protecting the only girl he's ever loved and telling her the truth, Jordan does the only thing he can think of: he breaks up with Courtney, telling her he met someone else online.

Which would have been a great way to end a relationship - except Court and Jordan made the mistake of planning to drive to college together before their break-up, and it's too late to change plans. Now, with nothing to do but talk for the next 3 days, Jordan's resigned to get back together with Court no matter what it takes... but will she be able to forgive him for what he's done?

My Thoughts: This novel was just what I needed to get out of my reading funk. It was funny, witty, and the characters were extremely genuine. More than once, I found myself laughing out loud at passages, and the way the author portrayed the way girls and guys plan mind games with one another is embarrassingly accurate. I loved Courtney and Jordan's interactions, and the way the author started the story from both ends - the beginning and right before the conclusion, having them meet in the middle - pulled me into the story and didn't let me go without finishing it. I also really liked the changes in point of view, because we got to see every part of the story from each character's eyes.

And I really, really hate Court's dad... just had to get that out there.

Final Thoughts: I definitely recommend this novel to anyone looking for a great summer read, and to fans of the book Amy and Roger's Epic Detour. show less

Okay, I’m not gonna lie: I read this book in about two hours. I literally didn’t put it down until I read it all.
I found the premise of the story terrifying: someone finding your notebook filled with pretty much every secret desire and all the fears you’ve had over the past few years. This kinda sorta happened to me the summer before I started high school, though not in quite the same way, when some classmates moved into my house uninvited while my family was on vacation and found my show more journal. So I can relate to Eliza in that sense of feeling violated. But knowing that someone has read your thoughts and is now demanding that you act out your fears? That’s a nightmare.
Although the story is a little predictable, watching Eliza work her way through all the tasks she was given was entertaining. I’m going to say this was probably due to the fact that Cooper, who’s mostly to blame for her being in the situation in the first place, is constantly there, monitoring her progress and trying to convince her that he’s not the jerk she thinks he is. Of course, Eliza isn’t hearing any of that, seeing as he’s monitoring her progress. Because this group of boys who’s forcing her to do all these things, the 318s, Cooper’s one of them. By choice.
This is a quick and easy read. But, there’s also all this stuff about high school politics packed into it. The 318s is this – how should I describe it? – douchey (really, there’s not another word that adequately describes it) group of boys who basically want power but don’t have any, so they create ways to feel like they have power. Then, to counter that, the girls (Eliza’s older sister, in fact) created Lanesboro Losers, a website where the girls can rant and rank the boys of the school. I kind of love this, because I think one of the hardest parts of being young is feeling powerless, and this is the kind of stuff that happens as a result of that. Everyone is vying for power, disregarding who gets hurt in the process.
This book works on many levels. There’s kind of an a-ha! moment in there that’s important for Eliza. It deals with the fact that communication (or lack thereof) can destroy relationships. But mostly, it’s light and fast-paced and I had fun reading it. show less

On one level this book was offensive - terrible language, such a casual and disrespectful attitude towards sex and women. Yet on another level there was something both sad and redeeming about the story line. Jordan finds himself falling in love and forced to keep a secret that he should never have had to carry around. He is failed by the adults that should have protected him and in coping with this knowledge and his growing feelings for Courtney he does the only thing he can think of. The show more ending provides some resolution, but the tension of truth and betrayal, of love in the hands of teens who have only a vague understanding left me feeling unsettled and a bit outraged on behalf of these kids who deserved to have better parents. show less

Sometimes It Happens is the very first book I’ve read from author Lauren Barnholdt. And let me tell you, I am officially a fangirl. Her realistic teenage characters and voices make the story so authentic and entertaining. Pair that with dizzying romance drama and you’ve got one hell of a summer read.

There are quite a few books out there with the “girl falls for best friend’s boyfriend” plot. I tend to avoid them because I know I‘ll end up rolling my eyes and putting it down show more halfway through. I went into this book with the firm idea that I’d end up hating Hannah because I knew she was going to hurt Ava by messing with Noah. (Admittedly, I’ve been on the “best friend” side of this kind of drama before and I know how much it sucks) But surprisingly, I didn’t want to punch Hannah in the face. Ava wasn’t written to be evil, but she was definitely irritating. And the relationship between her and Hannah was flawed. Of course, that’s no excuse. But the title for this book is spot on: Sometimes It Happens. Hannah and Noah don’t just decide they went to mess around behind Ava’s back. Their feelings develop over the summer, slowly, and even that relationship is flawed. It just seemed really believable without all of the sugarcoating.

Overall, I loved this book. And if I was able to set aside my preconceived notions and judgments and actually love the book, it was a successful reading experience. Told in alternating chapters between the summer and the first day of school, Sometimes It Happens is romantic and emotional and authentic and gah! I just have way too many good things to say. show less