Two Way Stree (Maddie Mercier)

Two Way Street,
by Lauren Barnholdt,
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division,
304 pp

A friend lent this book to me.

Courtney and Jordan were the happiest couple when they were dating. They were both headed to college in Boston, so they decided to take a road trip up there together. It was supposed to be the perfect trip, but it wasn’t because they broke up a few days before they were supposed to leave. It was too late to cancel the trip because they had to get to school for Freshmen Orientation, so they decided to suck it up and keep the plans. Right off the bat, there was tension in the air because the breakup was on undisclosed circumstances. Throughout the trip, they learn more and more about why they can’t be together, and what really happened while they were dating.

The audience for the book is high school students because it contains a lot of information about a high school relationship and partying.

The author writes in simple terms, yet she has a balance of incorporating details too. The author keeps you guessing what will happen all the way until the very last few pages. “I’m, a traitor to my generation. Seriously. All we hear about these days is being strong women and standing up for ourselves, and now look what I’ve done. I should totally be one of those true life stories in Seventeen” (1).

“I can’t walk next to home, because that’s very, you know, couple like, but walking behind him is weird, too, because then it’s like I’m not walking next to him on purpose, which may lead him to believe that he’s actually affecting me, which I definitely don’t want” (69). When I read this quote, I found it very funny. Courtney and Jordan definitely want to be together again, but neither one of them wants to say it first. I got a very clear picture in my mind about what was happening in this scene and just the way the author wrote it struck me. It sounds like the way that I would write.

“Honey mustard is so not a good reason to be upset. Orphans in Africa, drunk drivers killing innocent people, even not getting into you safety school (for me it was Florida State) are all good reasons to get upset. Chicken tender sauces are definitely not. I try not to think about it, and instead focus on the fact that Jocelyn is insane” (173). This passage also made me laugh. I get upset when there isn’t any more honey mustard at my house too, so I found it ironic that the author wrote about it. But in this case, Courtney is really upset about Jordan, not the chicken tenders.

“The first full day of college is overcast and gray, which is not a good omen. Bad starts and all that. I’m a big believer in the fact that the weather of the day can totally dictate how they day is going to go. So far (at least for today), this theory has been proven through” (265). This passage struck me because I am going to be attending college in less than two years and I know that I want to look in Boston, where Courtney attended. I also agree with what she said about the weather because I dress the way the weather is. If it’s raining out, I’m probably going to have jeans and a sweatshirt on.

I could definitely relate to this book in some ways because the main characters are all in high school. A lot of the events that occurred within the novel were stories that I have heard about, or know someone who dealt with them. All of the events that happened are totally believable, so it was relatable, not totally unrealistic like a lot of novels. It was a really fun read and it kept me entertained. I read it in one weekend. I would highly recommend it.