Two-Way Street

by Lauren Barnholdt

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.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Road Trip, Chick Lit, Realistic Fiction, Teen

288 pages, Paperback

First published June 26, 2007

Reviews

[Cara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok so let's list the pros and cons shall we:

Pros
-Keep me interested enough to read the whole book
-Voices and thoughts of the characters were distinctly different and portrayed real teenagers
-The changing of time frames and narrators was done well
-Main guy Jordan had his sweet moments
-Funny at times

Now for the Cons
-way too much cussing (I know teenagers cuss but this came off as trying too hard)
-Jordan was basically your typical horny teenage guy that the author tried to make look sweet (worked only some of the time) basically he still came off to me as a player
-Can't say I liked the main girl Courtney at all
-the whole MySpace thing got annoying
-portrayed real teenagers which frankly sometimes can be overdone and this case it was
-and finally what was I suppose to learn from this?

I guess I'm tired of reading teenage aimed literature, or maybe I'm growing out of it. I don't know, but what I really think the problem is that it wasn't anything really insightful that I could take into my own life. That's what good books do and this book didn't do it for me.

[Alyssa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Proceed with the caution of spoilers, although I truly don't think you'll be missing anything with this book.



I’m probably about to be taking what’s supposed to be a light, entertaining read way too seriously. Still – melodrama suits the cover, the story, the characters and the writing of Two-Way Street, and if the shoe fits…

This is the summary I imagine Barnholdt sent to publishers. Keep in mind that I made this up all by my Little Self: Courtney and Jordan were doing fine, fine, fine. La-la-la, this is Courtney and Jordan doing fine. They got along great, they never argued, they had perfect chemistry, were both going to the same college and were absolutely, positively head over heels with one another. *Cue dramatic music.* That is - *cue dramatic music* - until Jordan breaks up with Courtney for some random slut he met on MySpace. Unfortunately, their plan for travelling cross-country for their college orientation is still on. (Why the fuck…?) How will Courtney stand hanging around the ex she still loves for three days? How will Jordan hide the secrets he’s keeping from Courtney? How will they be able to stand the heat festering between them?



If you’re an avid reader, you know what happens in the end before you even begin. You know that Jordan still loves Courtney and that their break-up was made of misunderstandings. Now clap for me – someone, anyone, whether you’re reading this in your car, in a bar or up high in the stars (I’m a poet now) – because I AM AN AVID READER THAT’S SEEN ALMOST EVERYTHING POSSIBLE IN YA LIT AND I. STILL. FINISHED. THE. BOOK. No, I’m not quite sure why I was so interested in TWS, aside from my foolish hopes that it would provide some insightful thoughts, but simply focus, please, on the miracle in which I FINISHED IT.

*cutesy smile * Thanks.

Let me begin with the good things about TWS: it wasn’t heavy and it actually became entertaining – in the Point-and-Laugh kind of way – when the novel truly hit High on the Stupidity Chart. The road-trip Courtney and Jordan were on was also much easier to read than the long-winded, way-too-detailed Amy and Roger’s “Epic Detour,” not because this book was more interesting or anything important like that, but because I actually saw the characters in TWS interacting and bringing back their fucked-up, pathetic relationship, which is something that I didn’t see in A&R. So. Bravo to Barnholdt for achieving the expected!

That’s about it for my positives.

LET THE review RANT BEGIN.

The cover, which I know isn’t in Barnholdt’s realm of creating, bothered the fuck out of me. I know I’m about to enter Bad Reviewer Territory because I’m judging the book (partially) by its cover, but some things need to be said. Dudes, their car didn’t break down, not that they drove a convertible anyway. And there aren’t “two sides to every breakup” when the person ending the relationship is lying and the other didn’t want the relationship to end, which is sort of what the phrase implies. OH, and Jordan is only labeled “cute enough,” and isn't someone who appears to be a Hercules-doppelganger figure from out of Megan Meade’s. This cover totally misled me from what the book really is – a reflection of lies, hypocritical characters, and stupid and unrealistic situations.

And the whole “slut” tag. FOR GOD'S SAKE. REALLY.

This story was so, so stupid. The big “secret” Jordan was keeping from Courtney was trés over-dramatic and could really only be found on an old episode of the Bold and the Beautiful. Why would Jordan, (and this is a huge spoiler) first of all, go out with a girl who’s the “daughter” of the man he caught fucking his mother? Why would Courtney, at the end, call up her dad – NOT HER ACTUAL FATHER, KIDS – and try to start things up again, when everything he did, every nice thing he did for her, was only to save his ass and not because he loved her? Why would Courtney’s parents – ESPECIALLY her father because I mean, what, is he begging for his secret to come out? – let her go on a roadtrip with her ex-boyfriend across the country, and why would Jordan still go with her, anyhow? None of this makes any logical sense. I have a huge issue with the characters. I’d like to start with the minor ones. Jocelyn is a creepy stalker who doesn’t trust her boyfriend and gives terrible advice. Enough said. B.J, noted boyfriend, would have actually been somewhat likable had he not been such a male-BFF stereotype. Seriously. All love-interest best friends are drunks or addicts, thus trying to show how superior the LI is, but also underlining how mindless that LI is because they chose an idiot to be their best friend. Now, I’m not saying that drunks or addicts are idiots, but I am saying that most fictional male-BFFs are created stupid and addicted to something, be it drink, narcotics or sex, to show how ah-may-zing the romantic interest is. Although I’m glad Barnholdt decided to give her secondary characters page-time, I am seriously disappointed in what she made of them.

Onto Jordan, who is one of the worst boyfriends I think I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading about. This boy was complete with outrageous lies, horrid decision-making skills, and no brains whatsoever. Again: worst boyfriend. This boy, this disgusting boy, uses girls like their toys – I think his mentality was ‘use ‘em once and drop ‘em’ – and lets his testosterone run the show. Not only that, but he was a lying jerk who made terrible decisions, and also a typical playboy stereotype. Impressionable YA readers: do not be fooled by his good looks. This is a boy in the shape of a man who needs a few lessons on how to properly treat a human being.

And I get to Courtney, and I want to gag. I do. This excuse for a main character is even worse than Jordan. For a supposedly intelligent person, Courtney was incredibly close-minded and judgmental. On page one, she assumes that the girl her ex hooked up with was a slut who was scamming guys on MySpace. Uh, darling, how is she a slut when it was your boyfriend who left you for her? And is she a slut because she went for what she wanted? Do you know the specifics on how they got together? On page twenty-nine, she slams Katie Shaw, who was hurt by Jordan, saying she doesn’t feel bad because this girl “gets around.” And then she says that, of course Jordan was friends with Madison, the girl he was trying to get in bed that night, because she was disgusting and did things with Kool-Aid and oral. AND THEN, she goes and, according to Jordan in the next chapter, grinds into him, this guy who evokes “disgusting” behavior, a guy who’s type she just claimed the “disgusting” girls. Uh, Courtney? What the fuck? If you’re so smart, wouldn’t you realize that you’re doing the exact same thing you just claimed was gross? Wouldn’t you realize that you yourself are being what you consider a “slut?” Wouldn't you come up with a synonym to "disgusting?" Wouldn't you realize the very big, very serious problem, with slut-shaming? HELLO!? COURTNEY? YOU’RE A HYPOCRITICAL BITCH. Yuck. She left a terrible taste in my mouth. And not only was she totally hypocritical, but she was also mindless, unable to think for herself, unrealistic, and stupid.

And now THE PARENTS. Jesus, the parents. Why would Courtney’s dad let Courtney go on a road trip with Jordan, even after they’d broken up, when his big secret could have been told? Why would Courtney’s mom let her go on the trip if, obviously, her boyfriend just dumped her – why wouldn’t she drive her herself if tickets for a flight were already sold? No parent would actually force their kid to “learn that lesson,” especially in Courtney’s father’s position. Completely unbelievable. Barnholdt’s writing was appalling. She wrote her characters with absolutely no intelligent brains and wrote what, four years after this novel’s release, is totally outdated. Outdated. This book was SO outdated. Who uses MySpace anymore? Destiny’s Child BROKE UP and was old when this book came out, and yet Courtney thinks it’s cool to dance to it when she judges Jordan for listening to Sir Mix-A-Lot. (Again, I point out her stupidity and hypocrisy. What kind of person like this is LIKABLE?)

I also didn’t appreciate Barnholdt letting her characters off the hook with everything and also making up implausible situations to get them together. Jordan was afraid that he wouldn’t be accepted to BU with his unimpressive grades and poor attendance record – he wouldn’t and yet Barnholdt let him off the hook in order to get him in a car with Courtney. Courtney’s parents send her on the road-trip with Jordan even after he broke her heart; why would Courtney’s father logically do that, or any understanding parent – as Courtney’s parents pleaded they were – for that matter? Another fish let off the hook.

Two-Way Street is a waste of your time. It’s an embarrassing addition to YA contemporary books, it’s filled with ludicrous characters and situations, and is truly ridiculous by the end. This is not recommended, and I will not be reading anything more of Barnholdt’s. Ever. La-la-la, this is me forgetting Two-Way Street.

[Aj the Ravenous Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This may be the first road trip anti-romance novel I have read and although the entire thing was very juvenile, I enjoyed it. Jordan and Courtney, fresh high school graduates have just recently broken up but their road trip to Boston University can no longer be cancelled. You could just imagine the disaster to happen when you have to spend so many hours alone in a car with your ex. I’ll never be able to handle it. Lol.

Although I wasn’t the biggest fan of the writing, I thought the entire thing was funny, entertaining and silly, sometimes sweet. The narrations (alternating POVs of Jordan and Courtney) and dialogues are engaging, the main characters seem real and the confidantes are hilarious. Recommended if you’re looking for a fun, light read.^^

P.S. Happy birthday to one of my dearest, most awesome GR friends, Alafiya!. I’m sure you already know what I feel about you. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, sweetie! <3

[Roohdaar · Rating 1 out of 5]

What this book was filled with:

- Annoying narrators
- Annoying best friends
- Annoying style of writing
- Annoying cliches
- Annoying parents
- Annoying stereotypes

[~Tina~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is just awesome!

I don't know why exactly but there is something so cute and angsty about Jordan and Courtney's story. I couldn't stop grinning, laughing and had to finish this in one sitting.
I loved the way the story was told, both from Jordan and Courtney point of view, we get the whole situation and what exactly the dilemma is here, and I totally feel for Jordan, cause that was quite the dilemma. To be honest, it didn't have to be that big of a deal, but I guess looking at it from that age, it would have been, so I found it to be very realistic.

I thought all the jealousy bits were super cute and the love story is very touching and sweet. Lots of crude language from Jordan which I found hilarious, but I think what I liked the most was this was a believable romance with likable characters, with a great story to tell.

I'm pleased to say that I am now more of a chicklet reader and while it may not be my first love, I can say that Lauren Barnholdt work makes it easy to love it that much more. I can't wait to read her other books!

Fun, funny and fantastic! Two-Way Street was a total blast to read!

[Maureen]

I got exactly two pages into this before I decided to DNF it and that's about all you need to know.

[Reynje · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Maybe it’s the onset of summer, or maybe it’s just my perpetually itchy feet, but I find myself drawn to road trip books recently. Having just finished and enjoyed Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour, I went looking for another road-romance read and came up with Two Way Street. However, while there’s certainly a road in it, I’m not sure I’d classify this as a roadtrip book. I’d probably classify it under “Books That Really Irritated Me And Yet I Couldn’t Put Down.” Hmm. It seems I don’t have a shelf for that. Perhaps I should make one.

The “forced into a confined space with another person” device has been used to various, though similar, effects in both fiction and film: a truth-serum/confessional scenario, a set up for, er, “resolving” some unresolved sexual tension, or just giving a faltering relationship a final shove in one direction or the other.

In this case, recently broken up Courtney and Jordan are obliged to spend three days in each other’s company travelling to college, through complicated circumstances which are gradually revealed. Though we meet Courtney masking her raw hurt with snarky bravado, and Jordan being insensitive and apparently deliberately provoking, you just know all is not as it initially seems. Compelled into close proximity, the truth is going to come out, one way or another.

I’ll start with the good.

The structure of Two Way Street was really effective and well orchestrated. Barnholdt uses dual narratives, the story passing between Courtney and Jordan’s viewpoints. In addition, they recount not only the events of the trip as it happens, but also flashbacks of their relationship as it commences, then ultimately breaks up. In a sense, the story is moving both horizontally (between the narrators) and vertically (up and down along the timeline of their relationship) which pulls the story together into a tight weave of their perceptions and the underlying truth. I’ve probably made that sound a lot more complicated than it actually is – what I mean to say is that this is case where dual perspectives work really well, especially in terms of characterisation.

Jordan, who initially comes across as a posturing player with a distinctly cavalier attitude towards his hook-ups and a distasteful habit of playing girls off one another in order to score, is eventually revealed to be a fairly decent guy who genuinely cares about his girlfriend. Courtney, riding high on her righteous anger at allegedly being dumped for a nameless MySpace girl MySpace, haha!, eventually comes to understand that she needs to address her true feelings instead of ignoring them.

Additionally, I think that Two Way Street does tension well. The style in which the story is told means that the full picture of Courtney and Jordan’s relationship becomes steadily clearer, and as more information is revealed, the pressure between them mounts. It’s a fast moving story, helped along by Barnholdt’s measured hand with disclosing and withholding aspects of the full story.

And the bad?

Two Way Street just kept serving up a stream of stereotypes and high school clichés that I found hard to stomach. I’m not saying I don’t believe that there really are people who speak and treat each other like this. It was a while ago, but I was at high school once, so yeah, I get it. But sometimes it feels like lazy characterisation, and I’m left questioning whether it’s really necessary to keep perpetuating things like the token “slutty cheerleader” trope.

Also, this:



Preach, Tina Fey Ms Norbury!

I liked Barnholdt’s writing and the style in which the story pulled together from different angles. I’ll definitely read more of her work, because while I didn’t particularly enjoy these characters, I did enjoy the way the author crafted their conflict. Similarly, though the drama seemed a little too over the top every now and then, there were some moments that felt genuinely (and familiarly) teenager-ish and were well articulated.

Not totally won over by this one, but I’m optimistic that I’ll find another Barnholdt book I’ll connect to better.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Impulse buy from BookOutlet, and I didn't hate it, but I also didn't love it? I was expecting a swoony second-chance romance but that didn't really happen. Also, the ending was nowhere near as resolved as I would have liked. Full thoughts to come!



***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Two-Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: June 26, 2007
Rating: 3 stars
Source: Purchased copy

Summary (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.

What I Liked:

This was an impulse buy from BookOutlet - the book was $0.59 so how could I not? I absolutely adored Barnholdt's Through to You, and I figured it couldn't hurt to give this book a chance. Plus one of my blogging friends absolutely loves this book. Believe it or not, I actually really enjoyed this book. I know my rating does not quite show this, but I found this book to be really well-written. What I found myself disappointed in was the ending, in that it didn't feel like an ending. There needed to have been an epilogue. But I'll talk about this more later on!

Jordan and Courtney had been together for four months, when Jordan breaks up with Courtney. He tells her that he doesn't want to be in a relationship anymore, and that there is this new girl he met on Myspace (I know, right?!). Courtney is devastated. To make matters worse, Jordan and Courtney were going to move in to college together, and they had a three-day roadtrip planned. They're still going to go on the roadtrip, but Courtney is pissed, and Jordan, well, Jordan isn't telling her everything. Some people aren't meant to be together - but some people really are, that's what this story is all about.

This story is written in dual POV and dual timeline, which I thought was neat. Usually I don't really care for the whole flashbacks thing but it really worked in this story. So we get to see chapters from Courtney's POV, and chapters from Jordan's POV, and each of them have chapters that are in the "before", "the trip", and "after". The "before" starts with Jordan and Courtney meeting at a party and takes us all the way up to Jordan breaking up with her. "The trip" is exactly what you'd expect - present time, in which Courtney is angry about having to still go on the roadtrip with Jordan, but she still goes, and it doesn't quite go as planned. The "after" is pretty much when they get to the college, and she finds out about ~things~ around that time. Like I said, usually I don't like dual timelines, flipping between past and present, but it worked in this story.

Courtney is someone I really related to and understood. She is very analytical and Type A, a planner and an overthinker to the max. She likes things planned to the finest detail, and when she has a plan and a schedule, she likes to stick to it exactly. She likes to know exactly what is going on with no grey areas. I am very much like this so I understood her and I liked her. For much of this book, she is not happy with Jordan, and rightfully so. But she also misses him, and rightfully so.

Jordan is the golden boy player type, the good-looking one that all the girls love, the one that is confident and charming, but also sweet and sensitive when he wants to be. He runs from his problems, which is part of the reason why he and Courtney started hanging out (it's complicated), and he ended up realizing that he genuinely liked her and wanted to be with her. Jordan is a more complex guy than meets the eye, and I liked him a lot. He isn't sleazy and a d-bag like you'd think. He's a decent guy; I know his type and I like him.

I expected more drama in the story, what with Jordan having a new girl he met on Myspace and all that. But surprisingly, the drama wasn't that bad? I hate drama and I expected a ton of it, but the drama was really all between Jordan and Courtney and not really including other people. Jordan misses Courtney but can't talk to her about ~things~. Courtney misses Jordan but she is furious about the breakup. Things are complicated between them.

Nevertheless, I could really feel the bond between them, and their feelings for each other. The romance in this book is messy because they're broken up, but it's still a really sweet romance. I loved seeing them pretend like they were okay, like they both weren't hurting, like they both didn't want to grab the other and kiss. It was good angst!

This book was published in 2007, and I was twelve years old at the time... apparently Myspace was still a thing back then? This book centers a lot around Myspace - Jordan's mysterious "Myspace girl". I actually learned a lot about Myspace from this book. But honestly, even though this book dates itself, you could replace "Myspace" with "Snapchat" or "Instagram" or something, and replace mentions of CDs with Pandora or playlists or something, and this book would be entirely applicable to teens today. In fact, all of Jordan's and Courtney's mannerisms, speech, etc. are all totally applicable to teen culture today. I mean, it was only ten years ago, but still. *I* never had a Myspace profile, so this book is a little on the old side! But still very much relatable.

I'll wrap this up. While I did not love the ending (see below), I liked it for the reason that it was a HEA. I love HEAs, and this ending wasn't a disappointing or heartbreaking ending. I'm glad Courtney finally learned the truth and she and Jordan had a conversation about everything. Drama sorts itself out. Barnholdt wrote a pretty great roadtrip romance. But I wasn't totally satisfied.

What I Did Not Like:

There really needed to be an epilogue to this book. The ending is so abrupt and left so many loose ends. With Courtney being such a meticulous planner and organizer, I expected her to be fixing things left and right. I'm trying to be vague on purpose. I just felt like there was a conversation, and that was it - the book ended. Can we see a cute scene with Jordan and Courtney, four months later during Christmas vacation? Or something? I just wanted more assurance that things are working out. This is my biggest complaint and it's pretty much the reason why this book isn't getting four or more stars from me.

Also, I wanted more kissing! There is some kissing in the "before" chapters, but I wanted present-day kissing. Second-chance angsty romances make for some serious chemistry and passion, y'all. There should have been some intense makeout sessions! *complains*

Would I Recommend It:

As far as YA contemporary romance novels go, this isn't a bad one. I liked it (minus the really open ending), but it won't be for everyone. It's a second-chance romance with some angst between the two main characters, which I actually enjoyed (surprisingly). I do recommend Barnholdt's Through to You which is unrelated to this novel, but a really good YA contemporary romance standalone. I think Barnholdt writes good contemporary, but each of her books are different and may not be for every YA contemporary romance reader.

Rating:

3 stars. I liked this book but really wanted an epilogue or more chapters in the story. However, I hear that Right of Way is a companion novel that includes some Jordan/Courtney cameos... so I guess I have to read that book now. I hope I won't be disappointed!

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Because let's face it -- no matter how much you tell yourself you're over someone, your heart knows the truth."

When I first saw the synopsis of Two-Way Street, I decided to read it right away as soon as I finished The Woman in Black. A road trip with your ex? That's sounds intriguing and fun to read! I was giggling and excited when I saw this because I like love-hate relationships, you know? Anyway, I loved the book, and at first, I thought it will be a next favorite material for me. But it wasn't, and that's why I gave this 3.5 stars.

So the story starts when Courtney is headed off to college. She ends up having to take the trip from Florida to a college in Boston with her ex-boyfriend, Jordan. They had a bad breakup (he dumped her for a girl on Myspace) and she is absolutely dreading it. She is still in love with him, but tries to do everything in her power not to let him know that she still cares. This proves to be quite difficult and they butt heads through out the trip.

Jordan, on the other hand, still loves Courtney too. He can't tell her though because of a stupid secret he has been keeping from her. He wants to be with her, but if he thinks that if he tells her that she is going to hate him even more.

Anyway, I found Jordan sexy and charming. At first, his genes were exuding über manwhore-ness but that was until he met Courtney and he just totally flipped for her. He found Courtney a girlfriend material not just some one-night thing. The book was a dual points of view so it hops back and forth from past to present so we can see how their relationship began and ended and everything in between. Throughout the story, I saw a character development on Jordan, and that's a plus for me. He was gentleman enough to be caring and sweet towards Courtney when Courtney's actually dodging him off.

On the other hand, I found Courtney annoying and a bit shallow. Yeah, we get that she's trying so hard not to let Jordan see that she still has feelings for him, but there are some points when I just couldn't stand her. I didn't see the point of her pretending so hard that she's all in love with her guy bestfriend, and acting very bitchy towards Jordan, when truly he was in her head and she's screaming inside that they want to get back together.

The background friends were Jocelyn and B.J. and I didn't really like them. B.J. was always drunk, and Jocelyn wasn't in the book enough for me to tell much about her, but she is loyal and that is always a good trait.

Overall, I really loved the story and the whole concept of the book. The only thing that I really didn't like was the ending. It was a disappointment. It basically left everything unanswered for me. Seems like Barnholdt just didn't know how to end it right so she just settled for something rushed. I am still going to give the book 3.5 stars because I loved all the other content. Just not the ending so much. I don't know if there is a sequel out there now or if there will be, but I sure hope so. Everything was left too unresolved for me. I loved the characters and I really want to know exactly how things ended up for them!

[Alaina · Rating 3 out of 5]

“When people start liking people, that’s when someone has the ability to get hurt.”

I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either.



Two-Way Street is about Jordan and Courtney. It's a cute little are they or aren't they together romance novel. Their relationship starts off while they are in high school but it doesn't last long at all. Then things get really awkward because they had this plan to drive together to Boston University because that's where they are both going for college. Anyways it kind of becomes predictable - other than Courtney finding out the real reason why Jordan broke up with her - and they end up happily dating each other in the end.

You know what my one problem with this whole story was. It took 3 days for them to magically fall back in love. 3 days for Jordan to admit that he was in love with her in the beginning and just wasn't man enough to tell her. So, of course breaking up with her was the best thing he could come up with?!!? I don't even remember, know, or care how long they were broken up for but really 3 days?!? Besides all of that nonsense, their families are both weird and kind of messed up - except for Courtney's mom. Also, their friends, who were hooking up with each other, are beyond weird too.

Other than that it was a quick and easy read.

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

"“People come and go, in and out of each other’s lives like it’s nothing. So I don’t know how/why this should be a big deal.”

This book is the companion novel to Right of Way. I didn't enjoy Right of Way, but I had this book lying around on my shelf and I thought, maybe I should try this out. I am so glad I did because it was really good, much better than Right of Way. The characters were awesome, the plot was okay and the pace was great. I couldn't stop reading, I finished this book on Wednesday. But I didn't update my status because I wanted to write a review but there was so much homework, so I am writing this review now. :)

“In my mind, I still think of him as being a cheater. Otherwise he just met some girl he liked better, and it's not as dramatic.”

This book is about a girl named Courtney who is going to go to college. Her boyfriend Jordan dumped her a few weeks ago for a girl he met online. Back when Jordan and Courtney were dating, they made plans to go on a road trip together to college. Courtney thought that since they broke up, they won't go together, it's too late to make any changes. On the road trip, it's obviously awkward but Courtney feels as if Jordan is hiding something. Told in both Jordan and Courtney's point of view, this book will have you laughing til the very end.

“I’m too quiet. But I’m really not quiet. I just tend to come across that way to new people because I don’t like to talk first.”

In my opinion, I believe you should read this book before you read Right of Way because Right of Way has spoilers. I knew some of the things that would happen and it was really annoying. But other then that, I think this book was really good. The plot was a little weak though and I wasn't a huge fan of it. But the characters were much better than the characters from Right of Way.

“You should never start thinking about 'what might have been,' and you should also never start thinking about another boy when you're heartbroken over someone else.”

Although I wasn't a huge fan of Jordan, he was much better compared to Jace in Right of Way. Courtney was waaay better than Peyton from Right of Way though. Their relationship made sense and I found both characters really funny. B.J is the best, even though he could be a little awkward at times. It was really annoying when Courtney and Jordan would catfight about everything.



But at the same time, I did find it really funny. I wish I could love this book more, but I didn't love every aspect of it. Sometimes, Courtney was a bit over dramatic and I felt that Jordan could've been a little more logical. But other than that, they were great and I enjoyed the whole road trip.

I was happy with the ending of this book and I recommend you read this. I don't recommend Right of Way, I was so hyped up to read it and then I was so upset because it was not what I expected. But overall, this book passed and I did enjoy it. But if you want a really good road-trip, summer read, READ AMY AND ROGER'S EPIC DETOUR!!!!!!

[Nicki White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jordan, Courtney, Britney James (BJ) and Lloyd are all on a road trip to college. But Courtney is Jordan’s ex, so their road trip gets a little weird. On the way having to stop at the beach, hotels and going to parties and getting drunk. Of course, not all goes as planned and Jordan’s car decided it doesn’t want to start after an evening of fun.

Throughout the road trip Jordan discovers his feelings have not changed towards Courtney making the road trip even more tongue-tied since Courtney made a pass at Lloyd during one of their earlier party stops. Talk about an awkward situation that is made even more gawky by the fact the Lloyd is dating BJ who just happens to be Courtney’s friend. (I didn’t realize this until I found out about the sleeping arrangements when they stopped at their first hotel.)

I think you should read this book if you are a person who likes genres such as adventure and romance. If you do like those genres you should read the book to find out more I thought that the end of the book was miraculously written it answered almost all my questions in the last 20 pages.

To read more reviews check out https://shealwaysreads.com/

[sandeep · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 Stars

I didn’t really like this book nor did I really dislike it.

I didn’t feel a connection towards the characters and didn’t care much about them. They were annoying at times and pretty average.

The ending wasn’t satisfying and honestly was disappointing.

Even though the book wasn’t enjoyable as I hoped, I was interested enough to finish the story.

[Ariana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it when I find a book that surprises me as much as “Two-way Street”. It’s one of those books that you can’t let go until you finish reading it, and then you want to read it all over again. In one word, it’s amazing!
I enjoyed every page of it, and I kept laughing because is so funny, easy to read, spontaneous and likeable. The characters are great, the dialog is full of humor and sarcasm, the story is sweet, dynamic and sometimes unpredictable, it’s one of my favorite books so far and I can’t put into words just how much I enjoyed reading it.
I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to read some young-romantic-comedy book.. and needs a good reason to laugh and be joyful.

This review can be found at ReadingAfterMidnight.com
____________________________________________

Blog (EN) | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Bloglovin' | Blog (RO)
____________________________________________

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read!
I found the start was great, it was quite amusing and captured the awkwardness of the situation perfectly. I mean a 3 day road trip with your ex.. Quite awkward no?

Courtney's was so likeable and down to earth she was normal.. And therefore very relatable.
Everyone must have run into their ex('s) once in a while and if that's not awkward enough, imagine having to be alone with them for 3 days. It's easy to imagine yourself in that position and it would turn it exactly like it turned out in this book. Even worse if they cheated on you for a girl on the Internet no less.

But are things that simple? Is there more?

Jordan's cute, gorgeous and straightforward.. Well most of the time.. Always looking to do the right thing with mostly good intentions however it never works out for him.

At the start here were some of my favourite lines;

(Courtney about Jordan)

'I'm so over him. This is me, being over him. La, la, la.'


“Jordan,” my dad says, nodding. Jordan nods back but doesn’t say anything. I hope he’s scared of my dad. If he isn’t, he should be. My dad’s kind of a big guy. Not that Jordan’s scrawny or anything. In fact, just the opposite. He has these really amazing arms that—Ugh. I will not think about any part of Jordan’s lying, cheating, never-on-time body, arms or otherwise.

(Courtney talking about her mom)

'When Jordan and I were together, she was always supernice to him. She might be making me go on this trip, but it’s obvious where her loyalties lie. I hope Jordan is uncomfortable. I hope he’s squirming. I hope he’s—'

(Courtney and Jordan)

“Ow!” I say, jumping back. “Watch it. I’m wearing sandals.” He smiles. “Sorry, honey.” He turns and heads out to the car before I can reply.

(Jordan about Courtney)

I can’t figure out why Courtney is wearing such tight clothing. Do girls normally wear short pink cotton skirts and tight tank tops while going on a road trip? I’ve seen that ridiculous Britney Spears movie Crossroads , and I definitely don’t remember the girls in that movie wearing such slutty clothes. T-shirts and track pants is what they wore. Is she doing it in an effort to drive me insane? And is she going to act like a bitch the whole time? It’s not my fault I was late. I had to pack my stuff, which you would think would be easy—just throw your clothes, computer, and CDs into a suitcase, right? Wrong. It took fucking forever. But I was trying to hurry—I didn’t even gell my hair, which was a pretty big sacrifice.

When it finally dries I’m going to look like Seth Cohen or some shit.

And at the end- this was by far my favourite scene;

(Courtney and Jordan)

"You don't always protect me from everything. I can be strong, too, you know.”

“I know that now,” he says. “And isn’t that what matters?” He looks at me then, and we’re kissing and his hands are on my body. We fall onto his bed, and he pulls away for a second to look at me. “I love you, Court,” he says.

“I love you, too.”

And then he holds me until I fall asleep.

At times the whole plot got a little annoying but it was a lovely and romantic read that I find most people can relate to and if not you can even use your imagination and put yourself in those charachters.
I would act exactly like Courtney in this book if i was her. This book questions and makes you wonder how far is far enough when you wish to only protect those you love.
Is there no limit?
I really want to give it 5 stars but as much as I loved it there could have been more. The potential of this book is amazing and so much more could have been done to it.
I found the before and after a little restless. I wanted more NOW. I think it would have worked out better was chronologically structured. Had gone from the start to the end- Rather than switching back and forth- past and present.

Anyway this book in one word was.. Cute. I loved all the characters. There was no bad guy here.. Unless you count the parents.. But that your going to have to read to find an answer as to what I referring too ;)

~ Enjoy!

[Michelle B · Rating 1 out of 5]

Leído para el 2016 Reading Challenge. Reto: #36. Un libro acerca de un road trip. y A-Z Challenge: T

Bien, el libro es totalmente predecible todo el tiempo, llegando a aburrir en largos momentos.

Los protagonistas son bastante poco agradables, sobre todo Courtney, es simplemente una pendeja indecisa hasta de sus sentimientos más pequeños. Desagradable total.

Toda la trama de la historia se sabe desde un principio y eso hizo que perdiera interés muy rápido. Mucha expectativa y terminé por el suelo.

Eso si, en general el libro no es para 1 estrella tampoco, pero siento que darle 2 también es mucho para lo que Lauren al final me terminó dando. Así que quedamos con un 1,5

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I think about how people make mistakes, and how I lied to him about the whole Loyd thing, and how emotions and heartbreak and love can really screw with you head."

Two- Way Street is about two people, Jordan and Courtney. Jordan and Courtney were so in love, you know the typical high school love. They were destined to be together and go to college together. They were so convinced of this that they even decided to road trip to college orientation together. It was the best plan ever!

Until it wasn't.

Jordan and Courtney break up and neither of them really knows why. Well, they do. Each has their own reasoning as to why it happened and how they felt about how it happened. The book takes place on the road trip to orientation but at the same time, has flashback to clue readers in on Jordan and Courtney's relationship before it went sour. The book shows both Jordan and Courtney's perspectives throughout and it's very refreshing.

The author has an amazing sound and I found it very easy to read this book without stopping. I loved the author so much I bought most of her books right after I read this one (I'm only missing three of them that she has written).

What I didn't like, and why this book wasn't rated higher, was the immaturity that was coming through on both characters sides. These guys are going to be freshman in college and they're acting like freshman in high school! The constant blame games and secrets my god! I wanted to rip my hair out at some points!

However, it's a very cute store by a very talented writer and I couldn't overlook that. I loved the ending and I thought it definitely was a story worth telling :)

[Katrina Passick Lumsden · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled with whether to give this book two or three stars. I hovered over three and stared at "I Like It", then hovered over two and saw "It Was OK"....I did that a few more times before settling on two stars because, when I'm completely honest with myself, I DIDN'T like this book. Not entirely, anyway. I know no book is perfect, but this one....see, it started off good, then spiraled into a completely irrational mess. Courtney was, from the beginning, bossy and controlling, but you could at least give her a pass since she was dealing with the idea of traveling for three days with a guy who broke her heart. By the time the big reveal occurred, however, I had really grown tired of her breakdowns, her mind games, her not-so-subtle manipulation. Her inner monologue gave the illusion of someone who was capable, at least in a small way, of thinking and behaving rationally, but her actions never once matched that. She spends a good portion of the end angry with Jordan for lying to her without once stopping to ponder the fact that she'd been lying to him since the beginning of their trip.

Jordan...what can I say? He wasn't properly developed. I liked what I saw, but never quite understood his motives for keeping the secret he did, or for breaking up with Courtney.

Jocelyn and B.J., the best friends, were probably the best characters since they seemed to have somewhat unique, interesting personalities (even though they did teeter dangerously close to being cliches).

Lloyd, the friend Courtney had been lusting after since she was young, was a bizarre character. I never quite figured out his purpose other than to act as a hurdle in the path toward Courtney and Jordan's reunion. His placement in the story was just....weird. As was Frank Brewster, Courtney's "dad", who acted like a cartoon villain. Or a mob boss caricature. I kept picturing him twirling the end of his black, pencil-thin mustache while uttering the trademark Snidely Whiplash "Nyah!", all the while plotting a way to make Jordan "disappear".

The premise was cute, but the execution was sorely lacking.

[Komal · Rating 1 out of 5]

Minor spoilers ahead.

I didn’t initially plan on reviewing this piece of shit book because I thought, Why waste my time on something I absolutely loathed? but then Awesome Annie begged me to let out my wrath, and I told myself, Why not? That way, my friends won’t subject themselves to the same torture and they will be eternally grateful to me for having saved them from making such a disastrous mistake. So here I am, my *coughs* modest *coughs* self, saving your asses.

The adventures of Curious Komal..
Curious Komal was browsing through her never-ending to-read shelf and came across this contemporary. Blurb sounded nice, average rating 3.82, most of her friends rated it 4*, seemed like a light read. Ignoring the single 1* among her 140 friends and shoving away Rational Komal’s ABORT, Curious Komal plunged into the book… And emerged two hours later screaming MY BRAIN IS ON FIRE because of the sheer ridiculousness, absurdity, impudence, atrocity of this book.

Summary: Even after breaking up, Courtney and Jordan, former lovebirds, go on a road trip to the orientation of the college they are both attending. Still heartbroken, Courtney is very reluctant on going but her parents force her to go with a guy who dumped her for some Internet chick. Off they go, and here comes the drama.

1. The characters.

Courtney, the STUCK-UP, JUDGEMENTAL, STUPID, SLUT-SHAMING, UNREALISTIC bitch. I don’t even think I’ve ever hated an MC as much as I loathe her. As soon as I read page 1, I knew that she and I would have a problem. Instead of being a relatable, down to earth, funny, witty and awkward protagonist like in most YA contemporaries, Courtney is constantly whining about how Jordan is an asshole for going after an Internet slut, even if he broke up with her and then went for the other girl. Ms. Courtney-I-Need-To-Be-Pitied has already assumed that Jordan’s new girlfriend is a rich blonde slut who wears scanty slut clothes, is not a virgin, is always throwing herself at Jordan for sex, I quote, is the worst kind of girls, the kind all the guys want and drool over, but is completely trustworthy and never does anything behind her boyfriend’s back. Girl, do you even know the specifics of their relationship and how they met??? I get that Courtney was heartbroken and never fully got over that brutal break up. I get that she had psycho thoughts about the new girlfriend, but her behavior was just over the top. According to her, every girl in this book, except her innocent, virgin self, is a slut. Madison, the girl whom Jordan was trying to get into bed with that night, is a slut. Why? Because she does disgusting things with Kool-Aid and oral sex. But when just afterwards, Courtney who normally doesn’t dance, grinds herself against Jordan, a disgusting guy who likes to play with girls and then dump them, on the dance floor, this is not considered as slutty behaviour according to our beloved protagonist. Oh no, that is perfectly acceptable.
Another thing I didn’t like about her is the stubborn coward that she is. She keeps running away from her problems. I get it, I truly do. I am a huge coward. I run away too. But refusing to listen to Jordan’s explanations, refusing to acknowledge the truth, and leaving herself to her prejudiced and stereotyped assumptions and throwing a tantrum like a 5 year old? PLEASE.
Oh and the La la la. Every fucking chapter.

Jordan, the SORRY EXCUSE for a male protagonist. This guy reduces the words asshole, brainless, bad boyfriend to dust. Seriously. He is one of those dickheads who uses girls and then dumps them. He likes to play hard to get and lets his charms run the show. He leads girls on to the point where they get interested and attached, and then completely ignores them until they’re so desperate to do anything to get his attention, i.e sex. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is the strategy he uses to get into a girl’s pants. Simple, effortless and so rewarding, right? FUCK NO. He also makes the worst decisions at the wrong time and this is what turned his relationship with Courtney upside down. If he loved her as much as he claimed, he would’ve told her about the secret as soon as her figured it out. He would never have kept something like that from Courtney, because he knew how much she valued honesty and openness in a relationship and he would lose her if he didn’t spill it. But he didn’t. He let himself be influenced by a man with poor morals and therefore Mr. Jordan- I-Know-Better decides to invent a MySpace girl to solve the problem and get rid of both Courtney and his guilt at the same time. How pathetic.

Lloyd, the OBSESSED, PRESSING, JERK best friend of Courtney. Him, I wanted to punch since the very start. Firstly, he hates Jordan’s guts because he clearly knows that Courtney likes him (Lloyd) and he doesn’t want to share. He can’t digest the fact that another guy has his little puppy’s attention. Secondly, he thinks that if he makes out once with a girl, he is entitled to know every single detail about what she’s doing, who she’s doing it with, how she feels about doing it with that person, etc etc. OBSESSED MUCH?? He called Courtney so many times during the trip and he kept pressing her for minor details, which was super irritating. But Courtney was so busy trying to make Jordan jealous that she didn’t realize how possessive and demanding Lloyd was being. She answered each and every one of his questions patiently, and even repeated her answers, with even more precision, when Lloyd couldn’t hear her because of the rain.

L: What’s going on?
C: Nothing. We’re just having a little problem with the radio. You know, because of the storm.
L: You guys are listening to the radio?
C: Well, not right now.
L: Not right now what?
C: We’re not listening to the radio right now. Because we’re having problems with it because of the storm. Jordan has satellite.

And that’s just a glimpse of it. Every time she talked to him I wanted to yank my hair out of my head.

The parents, THE BIGGEST JOKE IN HISTORY. Honestly, I’ve never seen parents like that. What Dad lets, no forces his daughter to go on a road trip with her ex, after they’d broken up, when said ex could reveal his big secret? It’s like Courtney’s dad was inviting Jordan to spill the beans. Daring him to screw up his relationship with Courtney even more. It makes no fucking sense. And didn’t her mom have any say in that decision? The girl doesn’t want to spend three days in a car with her ex, why force her to do so? To make her learn that things can’t always go her way in life? Is that how they expect her to grow up into a mature person? Unfuckingbelievable. Also, her dad calling out of nowhere and coming out with his secret over the fucking phone just because Jordan threatened to tell Courtney? WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK. YOU DON’T DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT. First he forces her to travel with her ex, completely aware that hell could break loose, and when it finally does, he makes up for it in the most pathetic way just to save his ass? KILL ME, PLEASE.

2. The outdated-ness.

MySpace. Who uses MySpace anymore? Everyone knows that MySpace is fucking dead.
Destiny’s Child. Enough Said.

3. The predictability of the big “secret”.

The secret Jordan was keeping was obvious on page 1. Even a person who’s never read a YA contemporary before could’ve guess what it was that he was hiding. We all knew that MySpace girl was made up, and we all knew why. The element of surprise was completely ruined by the painfully obvious hints the author was subtly (or so she thought) trying to drop. Even the HEA ending was boring and unoriginal. When you can see something coming miles away, it takes away the fun and engaging aspect of a book.

4. The writing.

Lauren’s writing is juvenile and while it is fluid, there were a lot of teen slang, phrases and sometimes the style itself which annoyed me. Even middle grade books seem more mature than this one. The word choice is awful. See for yourself: “cuddle rape”, “devirginise”. I won’t even mention the number of times the words “like”, “MySpace” and “plus” were used.

Two-Way Street is a complete waste of your time. I wouldn’t recommend this to anybody. Everything about it is stupid, clichéd, overly dramatic, and while road trips are supposed to be fun, this one is just crazy. Oh and the cover has nothing to do with the content of the book. Their car didn’t even break down or anything. So don’t read this with the excuse that the cover is pretty or anything because YOU WILL HATE YOURSELF AFTER FINISHING IT. Trust me, I know, because that’s how I’ve been feeling since yesterday.

[Eunice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I was a bit reluctant to read this the first time I saw the blurb. I thought it would be a worrying and frustrating story. And well, it did turn out to be...a little frustrating. Not that I hate it, because really, I liked it. There were just some times where I wanted to smack both of Courtney and Jordan's head and tell them to please stop all the drama and just talk and tell the freaking truth. And then there goes the ending that kinda fell short on me. Nonetheless, most parts of the book was really enjoyable and I loved them. :))

The story was narrated in both character's perspective. Which was great because understanding and connecting with them would be easier. Courtney's character was real and tough. But sometimes she could be really stubborn and annoying. Though it was understandable since she was dealing with a broken heart and spending 3 days alone with the guy who hurt her badly. Jordan, on the other hand was a really sweet and caring guy. I understand him and his reasons why he did those things. I know he was confused and hurting too and that he was only trying to protect Courtney. But I wouldn't overlook that he did some poor and stupid decisions. Well, of course I do blame their crappy parents especially Courtney's jerk of a dad. But if he had been stronger and believed in Courtney they could have avoided major heartbreaks.

What I enjoyed and loved the most though was the flash backs on how Jordan and Courtney met and started their relationship. It was so cute, sweet and swoony. It was great to see how their relationship developed especially since they have zero interest with each other the first time they met, not the hate kind thing but just really nothing. Jordan's perspective was the one I really enjoyed 'cause from the guy who just do hook ups it was entertaining and amusing to see how he changed when he started really liking Courtney.

I was relieved when Courtney finally discovered the truth, however I didn't like how she reacted at that point. I mean, I understand she has the right to be angry but she was seeing black and white. I expected her to analyze everything that happened and understand that Jordan wasn't totally at fault with what happened and to see how hard it was for Jordan too. I wanted her to be more angry at her dad but it seemed like she was more angry at Jordan. Then there were a few more things that happened which I think was just dragging the story. The ending was good but I feel like it was too fast and abrupt. They made up easily so I was like what was those dramas for in the last parts if they could have fixed it so easily. Yeah, Courtney finally understood Jordan's reason but I felt like she didn't saw how much it hurt him too. I really wanted her to realize how hard it was for Jordan to be dealing with that 'secret' for four long months and that she wasn't the only one who needed comforting but also Jordan. I wasn't that satisfied but since they made up and was back together I guess I should be happy with that.

I would still want you guys to try this one. The ending was good and I think it was just me who wanted more. lol. And there were really great parts and scenes too that I think you guys would enjoy so I guess I still recommend this. :))

This review is also posted at Book Overdose

[Annie Brewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Wow. Wow. I finished this in a day, started it last night and couldn't put it down. I freakin loved it!!! Review to come!

Okay, so wow this book was AMAZING!!! First of all, I gotta give the author props! Her idea for the story was so well developed and thought of. Okay, so imagine this:

You and your ex just broke up for some unknown reason and you're heartbroken. He totally disses you and says he met someone else. Okay, whatever, obviously she's a slut and he's a dick. Case closed. Well then there's an important trip that has been planned prior to the break up and you are both supposed to go-together. Oh and its a LOOOOONG drive.
Do you still go?

Well, here is my thoery on this. Depending on the importance of the trip and whether or not you can make arrangements to go without him at the last minute. I mean, you're broken up and he's the reason...so why would you put yourself through such a horrible situation like that? Hmm okay while reading this, I totally imagined the whole time that it was me and my douche bag ex husband. OMG, I would have killed him before we got to our destination then threw his body in a secluded river(if there is one). I know, a little masochistic. But yea well, I'm sure we've all had thoughts like that about our exes but its not like we would ever really do it. I would go as far as planning it, then chicken out for the fact that I am not a murderer for one. And for another, I do not want to spend my life in jail. Oh and not to mention, it's a sin.

Getting on with my review now. I bought this book on impulse one night. I liked the plot, the setting, and the cover was interesting. So I bought it, though it sat on my book shelf for a few days and finally, just last night I pulled it out and started. I. WAS. HOOKED. I literally finished it within 24 hours. I couldn't put it down.


So Jordan and Courtney had a nice start to their relationship. They knew each other since high school, though they never really talked much and got together their senior year after hanging out at a party, a few months before graduation. Their friendship was sweet and romantic. It alternated perspectives. We got to see both sides to their story, which just like the title, there are two sides to every story...a two-way street when it comes to relationships. Courtney was still a virgin who was not so popular. But Jordan was the hottest and biggest player in school. Every girl wanted him and he knew it. Even I wanted him. They were a cute pair. Although, I didn't care for Courtney much but I adored Jordan from the start to finish. After catching his mom having an affair, he does his best to stay away from home. he spends alot of time with Courtney and they get really close. But there is a secret that keeps them apart. Eventhough he loves her, he has to break up with her. It's for the best for both of them. I was sad to see it end but once you read on, you understand why he had to do it. She is left in the dark and is forced to move on from him. But then her parents make her go on the trip to their college orientation together. It's a 3-day disaster. So what happens when she finds out all the secrets that's kept them apart? Read and find out.


The writing was captivating, compelling, intriguing, beautiful, amazing, and anything else I could probably think of. The only beef I had with this book was that there were many times a thought was repeated in many parts throughout the book. Like for instance: it would say 'Well, she looks beautiful', "You look beautiful." I said. or many times they would say something and then reiterate the thought many times with 'I mean' at the end. I understood the first time, every time. It was silly things like that. But other than that, it was simply amazing! I could overlook those small mistakes because it was minuscule. One thing I loved about this book was that it went back and forth between the past and the present. It started off in the present and would flip back and forth between both Courtney and Jordan. That was pretty cool to see and I absolutely enjoyed it!



The setting. This was brilliant. I loved the setting, in Florida, North Carolina and many other states that were mentioned. There was alot of detail and I could picture myself there in every second. I enjoyed it thoroughly. It's a must read.

The characters. I liked most of the characters. Jocelyn, Courtney's best friend was cool. I didn't like her the first half of the book. She pissed me off. Eventhough she was looking out for Court, I felt she was very hypocritical at times and I wanted to slap her. But she redeemed herself at the end. BJ, Jordan's best friend and Jocelyn's boyfriend was awesome! I liked him alot. He was funny, sarcastic and a loyal friend to Jordan. He was a great character to the story. I could picture him as a cute beefy guy with facial hair and glasses, eventhough he didn't wear any. He kind of reminded me of that nerdy guy on Revenge of the Nerds, not the main character but the big guy. Though BJ was sweet and he was a great boyfriend to Jocelyn. Lloyd was eh, okay. I didn't like him much. Courtney was in love with him for 6 years but never told him. Then after high school before she leaves for college he makes out with her and expects her to just be with him. He was kinda a creep. But luckily he wasn't in the book that much. Then there was Courtney's douche bag dad, which I hated the most! I wanted to beat the shit out of him. Oh and kick him in the balls. But I guess without him being such an evil person, there wouldn't really be a story to tell. Still, I hated him. Courtney, ummm she was ok. I mean I understood her hostility towards Jordan because she doesn't know the reason Jordan had to break up with her. I can sympathize with her to an extent. But she was still kind of annoying and whiney more to the point of "OMG, shut the hell up". But by the end, I liked her better. As for Jordan, I LOVED HIM!!! The whole way through, I felt so much love for him and I felt so bad for him too. He really loved Courtney but there were things he couldn't tell her just yet. And he had his reasons. Some would say it was a cowardice move but I think if I was thrown in that situation, I would have done the same thing. He was sexy and vulnerable and sweet and oh so SWOON WORTHY!!! He made my tummy do some crazy weird stuff!!! He is on my top 10 fictional boyfriend list.

I highly reccommend this book to those that love an adventure or romantic story. It was fun and also at times heartbreaking but it was worth the pain. You saw how their love started out and developed, growing stronger and eventhough it ended, their love never died. So beautiful! Easily 5/5 stars!!

[Kath S · Rating 4 out of 5]

¿Interesante? Si. ¿Divertida? Si. ¿Diferente? Sí. ¿Y con un toque de misterio? Sí, un poco (al menos en cuanto a los secretitos sucios que esconde Jordan )
Esa es básicamente la trama en la que gira la historia. Pero no es solo eso (y no voy a explicar demasiado, porque NO quiero spoilear xD). La escritora (a la cual conozco en este libro) mezcla dos cosas que a mí me encantan: Dos puntos de vista diferentes, el de Courtney y el de Jordan, y la interacción entre el pasado y el presente. Y es que, cada capítulo te puede mostrar qué piensa Courtney de estar compartiendo un auto con su ex, o cómo es que Jordan empezó a sentir algo por ella y dieron inicio a su relación ♥
Jordan, es otro chico popular que piensa con el cerebro equivocado (Si, ese que está más hacia el sur :S). Uno más de los chicos de secundaria que solo quieren vivir para ligarse a cuanta chicas se le aparezca en frente y a disfrutar de la vida antes de tomar “seriedad.” Mientras que Courtney podría llegar a caer en la estampa de la chica de al lado (¡Oh sorpresa!). Pero lentamente te das cuenta que ella es mucho más que eso, es lista, preocupada por su futuro, sexy (cuando lo intenta), y bastante dispuesta a no dejarse vencer por la idea de estar todo el tiempo junto a su ex, metida en un pequeño espacio, durante un lapso de tres días o_O.
Los hechos suceden rápido (y demasiado para mi gusto), lo que hace de ésta una novela ligera y fácil de leer, pero no por ello menos intrigante y enganchadora. Desde las primeras páginas empiezas a preguntarte cómo es que ésta pareja termina separada (o cómo es que empiezan su relación) y qué tan bien (o mal) va a terminar este viaje para ellos.
Con diferentes vistazos desde “El Viaje” en el presente, a “Días antes del viaje,” empiezas a comprender cómo se desarrollan los hechos, el por qué de lo que sucede, hasta llegar, muy rápidamente, al final del libro. Pero debo admitir, que desde las primeras páginas se desvela claramente la razón por la cual éstos dos tortolitos terminaron su relación (no voy a decir nada, no voy a decir nada, no voy a decir nada), y quien es la famosa chica de Internet que se interpuso entre ellos (calma, que para saberlo solo necesitas llegar al capítulo dos )
Personalmente, desarrollé un gusto especial por leer cada capítulo de Courtney, porque sencillamente, esta chica es ocurrente y perspicaz y su cabeza siempre va camino a la locura y los pensamientos extraños, y adoro eso muchísimo en una protagonista (aunque muchas veces se da su toque de Drama Queen, que no es molesto, pero sí poco original). Pero tampoco voy a dejar atrás a Jordan, con su lenguaje crudo, sus ganas de divertirse, su amor por el rap, su extraño mejor amigo, y sus decisiones, algunas veces acertadas, arriesgadas, o completamente estúpidas (no quiero juzgarlo, es un adolescente así que tiene derecho a equivocarse )
Y como siempre, los personajes secundarios juegan un papel importante en esta historia. BJ, el mejor amigo de Jordan, te brinda pequeños momentos de diversión e interesantes conversaciones (para sorpresa de Jordan y debo admitir, la mía); aunque no puedo decir lo mismo de Jocelyn, quien se encarga de manejar la parte acechadora del libro xD. Y está el padre (y esta vez solo el padre), al cual no debes perder de vista en la historia (y que al final, no logré establecer con exactitud su verdadera personalidad y hasta dónde estaba dispuesto a llegar). Y el chico Polo, que también tiene una pequeñísima dosis de protagonismo
Peeeero… Desafortunadamente, este no es un libro de cinco. ¿Por qué? Bueno, porque creo que la autora se decidió por hacer algo demasiado ligero, que al final se olvidó de completar el circulo y darle un final más contundente a la historia. Las últimas páginas parecen apresuradas y, simplemente, Lauren se olvida de dar la verdadera relevancia al por qué inició todo esto (el rompimiento, quiero decir, y sus razones verdaderas). Aunque trata de mostrar el crecimiento de Courtney como persona, éste no es completo debido a que sencillamente se corta con la mejor parte (espero no haber sonado demasiado ansiosa por soltar el final :S). Simplemente voy a dejarlo en que al final le faltó fuerza, un poco de profundidad y una razón de fuerza para decir: ¡Este libro es pasado de bueno!

[Jo ★The Book Sloth★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just so cute. It was light and fast paced. Nothing that stays with you for long but good when you want to spend some fun time.

What I liked in the book

1) The teenagers seemed like real teenagers. The guys were horny-dogs out to get into every pretty girl's panties. The girls were loud and cute. Not the usual sweet boy and shy girl. The hero had his sweet moments but didn't turn into an "eyes just for you" guy just because he fell in love. He still noticed other girls, still got turned on by some of them he just chose not to act on it. For me this is much more believable since, hello, tennagers, hormones. Even the girls were horny more than usual in YA although they didn't act on it as much. I think the heroine was a bit OCDed which I always found cute.

2) The way the book was written was kind of interesting. It was kind of like "present" , "past", "future" narrative. The story begins with a road trip to college but we have flashbacks that explain the story so far. It was well done.

3) The "my father-your mother" thing wasn't exactly original but it was nicely done.

What I didn't like about the book

1) Courtney father and Jordan mother. Were they idiots or what? Her father was an award winning ass and his mother was a total tool. I mean, you son catches you cheating on his father and you don't even try to explain yourself? Beg? Cry? SOMETHING! Meh...

2) Lloyd. I can't see what Courtney ever found in the sleazy guy. I didn't thing Jordan was the best catch but that's why I liked the book. No one is perfect, but Lloyd was so far from perfect that it was rediculous.

Generally speaking I had a good time reading this but I wouldn' recommend it to anyone looking for a story with "depth".

[Sana · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as I read the backside of Two-Way Street, I wanted to read it. It is always interesting to read such books of conflicting interests. Albeit, I figured out the main conflict about 50 pages into the book. It was predictable. But the thing is that I didn't mind it because I wanted to read the jibes being exchanged throughout their journey. Jordan and Courtney are not together anymore and Courtney is not aware of the real reason Jordan broke up with her. But both are still pretty much in love. So the jealousy naturally ensues.

It was so engrossing to read about the thinking process of Jordan and Courtney. The way they handled their BFFs and how they both evolved. It was all so different 'cause they actually liked each other before the trip. The flashbacks and the way they brought out the best and the worst in each other were fun to read. All those thing Courtney did to get the attention of Jordan only made him want her more. Ah...what fun!

I liked the character of Jordan more at times, his views on making it hard for the cheerleader to get him. However, it was somewhat player-ish of him. Also, I didn't really liked the whole night of the party when Courtney wanted to tell Lloyd about her feelings. That was so twisted because of how fast everything happened and it got all messed up at the end of the night.

In all, Two-Way Street was a hilarious read and the best thing was that we get the point of views from Courtney and Jordan, both. It all fit together so well and I appreciate the book because of what it tried to communicate about. B.J and Jocelyn, their BFFs were awesome, too! Don't miss out on a great, light, summer read!

[Racquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely one of my favorite books ever. I know all the words cover to cover and have probably read it 7-8 times. No book has ever made me laugh out loud as much as this book, it is beyond hilarious. It's a quick read, one you should read while tanning or on a plane (did both myself) its definitely a page turner. LOVE LOVE LOVE the alternating POV's, I just love when authors use those and I love the present/past shit and I have to say the reason they broke up, totally didn't see it! It wasn't predictable at all and had me shocked, when I was done with this book and my sister saw how much I laughed she asked about it and I had to give it to her to read- keep in mind me and my sister aren't that buddy buddy as we sit drinking coffee and sharing novels- and she also loved it!

Some might say the dialogue and language is a bit crude & extreme for teens but hey I'm a teenager myself and I hear and say worse words and cuss more in one minute then in the entire book and get this, I do it in 3 language. So because my environment has all kinds of profanities left and right in all kinds of languages I didn't really flinch at anything.

I especially like Jordan a lot. He was a sweetheart and not in a girlish way (some authors make guys so sweet I have to think about their feminism)

I really enjoy this book (enjoy because I keep reading it over and over again) and I would recommend to anyone! It's a guilty pleasure read(;

-thank you&come again.

[Jacquelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this road trip book this morning on a road trip of my own! It was quick and fun but nothing out of this world.

[Anna (The Bursting Bookshelf) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've been on a kick of revisiting young adult contemporary's that came out around the time I was in high school and middle school. I've reread some Sarah Dessen books, a few Rainbow Rowell books, and a few newer YA contemporaries that came out after I was in high school. With this nostalgia kick I have going I decided to pick up a book that I have had on my shelf since middle school. Two Way Street had a certain sense of appeal to me it seemed to promise decent levels of angst as well as a fun road trip. What I wasn't expecting were vile, sexist characters and an overdrawn plot.

The truly startling thing about this book is just how wrong it gets high school. It felt like the author did no research into what high school is actually like and instead just watched episodes of teen dramas on The CW. The writing quality was also subpar - the vocabulary was basic, and entire paragraphs just felt clunky and unnecessary. The style was even worse – it was far too heavily propped up on the user of MySpace. From a plot point of view, this book was propped up on a series of easily resolved situations which made it feel very contrived. The entire book centers on a road trip planned before a breakup, and the reason it still happened after the breakup was because one of the teenagers strong armed a parent. It was this kind of contrived and unrealistic situation that really ruined the plot.

What I can't stand in any book is when female characters tear each other down. Unfortunately, most of this book was spent on doing just that. The lead character, Courtney, was near obsessed with tearing down and judging her ex’s new girlfriend – someone who she had never even met. Courtney was also constantly making comments about every other woman in the book – ranging from her best friend, so brief acquaintances. The words slut and bitch were tossed around like candy when talking about the women in this book – which was really disappointing. There was also a lot of sexualization of the women in this book – all the male characters were obsessed with their sexual conquests and prowess and seemed to view the women around them as objects (or means to an end).

The relationship at the center of all this was seriously toxic. They had no chemistry, both characters were insecure and idiotic, and nowhere near mature enough to be trusted to drive down the street let alone across state lines. Even in the flashback scenes to when they were first becoming a couple, there were no sparks or chemistry. That’s made even worse by the fact that neither of the characters are even remotely likable. This lack of likability really ruined any potential for me to feel empathy for what they were going through. For starters – Jordan spent the entire book lying to Courtney, and also manipulating her into situations where she couldn’t avoid him. Courtney, as mentioned above – mostly complained and mocked Jordan’s new girlfriend and toyed around with another guy. Even the side characters weren’t very likable. One was a total creep who humped women’s legs, one was a boy-crazy teen trope who stalked her new boyfriend around town. And the parents were just there to be annoying parents who couldn’t possibly understand what their kids were going through.

I would not recommend this book to anyone. There was nothing redeeming or enjoyable about this book. The fact that a book with such disgusting characters and an absurdly out of touch portrayal of high schoolers made it to print is a tragedy. This author has definitely become a blacklisted author for me. If you're looking for an actually good high school-based YA contemporary, check out Tweet Cute by Emma Lord or Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. 1/5

[Eeva · Rating 1 out of 5]

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!
This is not a review, this is a major case of RANTING.

Oh. My. GAWD.
I can't even.
This book was the most riciculous one I've read in a long LONG time. And that's saying a lot, coming from a girl who gave dreadful books like "The Selection" and "The Summer I Turned Pretty" TWO stars.

There was NOTHING I liked in this book, yet I finished it for your sake, just so you don't have to.



I don't even know with what to begin!

Ok. The characters.
1. Courtney, you hypocritical bitch! You dare to judge other girls for "sleeping around" or doing other shameful (in your opinion) things, yet you "grind" against the boy you've met like five minutes ago??
2. Jordan. Oh boy, you're so slappable, and not in the fun kinky way. I know the author wanted us to like him, to show how he's changed because of Courtney, but she failed. She obviously didn't notice the thin line between making a character "obnoxious in a hot way" and "obnoxious in a douchebag-y way". There is a difference, believe me.

The Slut-shaming.
What's up with that? Courtney calling other girls sluts, Jordan pointing out that Courtney's clothes for the road trip are "slutty" (a skirt and a tank top. In Florida. In summer. Alrighty then). Jordan stating that girls like this Madison girl are good for hooking up but not a girlfriend material.
Wait, what?
Oh, I'm sorry I haven't noticed that I was reading a 1950s book on how to secure a husband. Rule no 1 - don't sleep around. Boys choose pure virgins for their wives. Rule no 2 - even if it's unbearably hot, wear long skirt, gloves, hat, and a hoodie, so the boy is sure you're a decent woman.
Almost every girl in this book is called a slut, by MC. Internet Girl (even if Jordan first broke uop with Courtney and then pursued the Girl) - slut. The Kelsey girl (or whatever her name was) who makes THINGS with kool-aid when having oral sex - slut. Every other girl who even looks at Jordan (or Lloyd for that matter) - slut.
Funnily enough, this logic doesn't apply to Jordan himself. Shocker, right?



The book is terribly outdated.
Myspace and Destiny’s Child. Enough Said.

Jordan's POV.
Well, it wasn't much different from Courtney's. If not the swearing I wouldn't know who's POV I'm reading. Don't get me wrong, I don;t mind swearing. In fact, I swear a lot myself. But here? It just felt forced.

Also, if I got money every time the word "psychotic" was used in this book I would be a really rich person now.



The big secret and Uberdrama.
So, you're telling me that this big secret is Courney's dad cheating with Jordan's mom and Jordan breaking up with Courtney to spare her feelings and making the Internet Girl up just to spare his girlfriend's feelings even more?
Give me a break.
First of all, Jordan, why on Earth would Courtney's dad give in to your pathetic teenage blackmail and force his daughter to take a three day long road trip with you, when with all this time in the car it's more that possible that the secret will come out? Why would her mother force her to take this trip just so she sould "learn her lesson about responsibility"? What kind of mother does that!?



The cover.
Well, neither they were driving a convertible, nor their car broke down. So what's up with this cover??

B.J.
He would be nice if he weren't such a CLICHE! Goofball and a drunk. Well, that's original.

Lloyd.
What was actually the point of him? He supposed to be Courtney's best friend, yet we almost don't see him. Was he there only for Courtney to lust over him, make out with him and then, when he actually returned her affections, to use him to make her ex-boyfriend jealous?



Words of wisom. Yes, there are a lot of those in this book and they made me constantly facepalming and eye-rolling. And let me tell you, it is REALLY hard to read while eye-rolling all the time.

“since now that I have no boyfriend, I need to make sure I don’t get really fat.”

Oh yes, because having no boyfriend is the worst possible thing that can happen to you. And also, being fat means no one will ever look at you.

[Sara (Freadom Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Critically
Plot - 3.5 out of 5 stars
It was all just very cute. It kind of takes you back and forth from the past to the present of the characters lives. It was boring at parts but there were sweet moments, some mystery, road trip fun and drama for everyone.

Writing Style - 4 out of 5 stars
Really simple. Sometimes it feels a bit juvenile, specially with the girl's POV. But it's so cute how it flows with the times aka 2007 and MySpace. It reads like the character thinks which didn't bother me but might bother some people.

Characters - 4 out of 5 stars
Overall, they're all incredibly young. I mean it in the way that some of their problems are a little dumb while others really are as grave as they make them out to be. I didn't build a huge connection with either of the main characters but I still enjoyed their stories. Courtney was whiny, a bit petulant, stubborn but when she shares the depths of her personality she's starry eyed and a dreamer about things, caring and open hearted. Jordan is a huge player before Courtney. But once he's within the relationship he's so caring and sweet to her. After though, he's really conflicted and vulnerable and I really enjoyed that part of his character.

Emotionally
This book is a re-read for me and I'm so glad I enjoyed it just as much the second time.

The plot is split between the past and the present of our main character's relationship. In the past we're shown how they got together and in the present we have a mystery about why they broke up which was really interesting and moved the plot along. We finally find the reason, which is that Courtney's dad is cheating on her mom with Jordan's mom, which Jordan found out first and had no idea how to tell C which is the reason for the break up. It's intense to see how much that affects him while at the same time Courtney is obsessing over some made up MySpace girl he's not really dating. It was a bit annoying that she was in the dark for so long.

Courtney was whiny and a bit petulant at times, once you understand what the huge problem once it makes sense a little bit, since she's broken up with for no real reason and then forced to go on a trip with her ex boyfriend. But I would've liked her to be stronger and firmer then she was because she was all over the place, not just mentally but in her actions as well.

Jordan I really liked. He was very caring towards Courtney during their relationship, which was a change from his usual player act. Their relationship was really important to him which is why it made it so conflicting for him to know about her dad and not tell her but since he had been told to keep quiet, he thought breaking up with her was the best choice. I don't necessarily agree but I understand where he's coming from. He was really conflicted over his knowledge, when they were together and they weren't. His struggle really showed his vulnerability which I loved!

The end was a bit strange. I felt like it was rushed and it was left too open ended for me. Courtney seemed to rush back to Jordan really quickly after she found out the big secret. I would've liked it better if the secret was revealed sooner and she took her time to actually digest it all. It was annoying to have no real resolution since it's a duology with a companion novel but either way I enjoyed it.

[Carlie K · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is originally posted on The Bookish Girl
----------------------------------------------------------
Get this book on Book Depository
----------------------------------------------------------

Let’s name one really awkward situation. What do you have in mind? What about having a road trip with your ex-boyfriend, whom you clearly haven’t got over yet? Well, it definitely makes to my top-5-most-awkward-situations list.

Jordan and Courtney are very much in love. They are 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 plan, so the road trip is on. As it turns out, Jordan has got a secret or two that he’s not telling Courtney, and there are always two sides to every breakup.

I picked up this book because of the synopsis. It sounds like a cute and fun summer read full of endless drama. And the whole going-on-a-road-trip-with-ex-boyfriend thing? It’s just so easy to relate to. I guess we all have similar experiences, like bumping into your ex when you least expect it. Even if you never experience something like that, you can totally imagine how awkward it is. As it turns out, you really get into the story because you understand; which is why I flew through the first half of the book happily and thought “this is really interesting”.

Also, starting from the beginning, you already know the breakup isn’t that simple. You know Jordan has got a secret, and this makes you want to read on and find it out! This really put a spell on you and you just simply can’t stop, until the second half.

My problem with this book starts with the second half, that’s when the characters become really annoying and illogical. I just didn’t understand why they do or speak certain things. Sometimes, they can be so angry about one thing, after a few lines, they bring up other irrelevant things and go back to the thing that upsets them. No, this is simply not the way human psychology works.

Although I’m not satisfied with the characters, I love how the story is written. We get to read from two point of views, and between chapters, there are some flashbacks. I love books with flashbacks. I love how I can get to know the characters bit by bit, and how the flashbacks drop tiny hints here and there.

To conclude, I think it’s still an okay read. If you’re looking for some fast summery reads, you can still check this out, for this book indeed made me chuckle a couple of times!