Sometimes It Happens

May 16, 2011
Barnholdt (One Night That Changes Everything) delivers another frothy and fun romance, centering on a likable main character whose insecurities ought to have readers rooting for her from the get-go. This book jumps between the first day of Hannah's senior year, which is rife with drama, and flashbacks to the preceding summer, when said drama began. Hannah's boyfriend, Sebastian, kicks off his summer by making out with a sophomore at the big end-of-school party, and Hannah's best friend, Ava, announces she's deserting Hannah in favor of a camp counselor job. Hannah's solution: a daily diet of ice cream in bed. But Ava sends her boyfriend, Noah, to check in on Hannah, and soon Hannah is working at Cooley's diner and going to shows with Noah, as well as feeling a tingle every time they brush hands. Books about falling in love with one's best friend's boyfriend are plentiful, but this one rises above the usual handwringing through Hannah's humor and honesty, as well as through her heartfelt acknowledgment of the pain cheating can cause. Ages 14âup.

June 1, 2011

A seemingly relentlessly chick-lit novel grows into something deeper as Hannah just can't get her boyfriends and friendships straight.

The first day of her senior year at high school terrifies Hannah, but readers won't know why until the book's flashbacks to the previous summer reveal the reasons for her well-founded fears. Alternating chapters advance both the "first day" and the "summer" stories until they converge in the final emotional scenes. Barnholdt appeals to chick-lit readers with, like, totally believable dialogue between chicks, all the way down to the level of "he goes, then she goes" to describe conversations. Hannah begins the story by learning that her boyfriend has cheated on her and ends with some deceit of her own. The journey between those two events reveals much about contemporary adolescent mores while illuminating Hannah's character. She overreacts to most problems, greatly concerned with her soon-to-be-demolished reputation. The author reveals Hannah's best friend Ava's duplicity, however, through Hannah's growing realization that Ava often lies. She depicts girls as different and varied, such as Lacey, Hannah's hypochondriac co-worker and new friend. With the exception of Noah, Hannah's forbidden love, the various boys in the book, all studly, eventually merge into a blur.

It's still chick lit, devoid of parental guidance, but it's lit that will probably deepen some chicks' understanding of relationships. (Chick lit. 12 & up)

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August 1, 2011

Gr 9 Up-After Hannah's boyfriend cheats on her at a party and she learns that her best friend, Ava, is abandoning her for the summer, she reluctantly takes a job at Cooley's Diner with Ava's boyfriend, Noah; and Lacey, a girl Ava hates. Over the summer, Hannah develops a friendship with Lacey and, even worse, serious feelings for Noah. Unsure whether he shares her feelings and because she doesn't want to hurt Ava, Hannah does her best to keep her feelings secret, but when she goes to a summer's end party at the house where she discovered her boyfriend's infidelity, she finds herself making a mistake that changes everything. Chick-lit fans will enjoy this summer read in which chapters alternate between the summer and the first day of school, but those looking for more depth will be disappointed. While the romantic tension is well developed, Hannah's apparent codependence on-and refusal to stand up to-Ava is annoying. When she finally finds her voice during a crisis on the first day of school, she surprises herself and thinks she likes the new Hannah. While there's no doubt that what she did was wrong, the ending wraps up a little too neatly and leaves readers with a sense of frustration.-Gina Bowling, South Gibson County High School, Medina, TN

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