Book Review: Sometimes It Happens by Lauren Barnholdt

Title: Sometimes It Happens

Author: Lauren Barnholdt

Release Date: July 12th, 2011

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Age: Young Adult

On the last day of her junior year, Hannah's boyfriend Ryan dumped her. Facing a summer of loneliness, Hannah turns to her best friend Ava for comfort. Ava does what BFFs do: she stays by Hannah's side...until it's time for Ava to head up to Maine for the summer. Also left behind is Ava's boyfriend, Noah, who's such a great guy he gets Hannah a job at the diner he waits tables at. Slowly, Hannah comes out of her funk thanks to Noah's good conversation and their fun times at the diner. But things get complicated when their friendship turns into attraction--and one night, into a passionate kiss. The novel opens on the first day of senior year; the day Hannah is going to see Ava, Ryan, and Noah all in one place. Over the course of the day secrets and betrayals are revealed, and alliances are broken and reformed. In the end, everyone is paired up once again, but not the way you might think...

I wasn't really sure about this book. I usually don't like cheaters and I thought it would be difficult for me to like Hannah. I was so wrong, Sometimes It Happens was an excellent surprise for me.

I loved the writing. For me, it was perfect. It was fast paced and didn't let me go until I finished the book (which is a lot, since I was reading it on my laptop). The book has two timeliness, one is following Hannah's first day of senior year, and the other one is about Hannah's summer. I usually don't like books that go back and forward, but  in this case it was a great decision to write it that way, because we can't compare the old Hannah with the new Hannah. Besides, it was dramatic, because you know that something bad is about to happen at Hannah's first day of school but you don't know why.

The plot of the book was the main reason why I thought I wasn't going to like it. It's about infidelity. I don't agree with the "Sometimes It Happens" line. I think if you don't want to do it, you don't. Although Hannah (and Noah) made a mistake, Ava (Hannah's best friend and Noah's girlfriend) was such a mean person that I didn't feel bad for her. It's not like Hannah and Noah just had a crazy night, they actually like and may love each other.

The romance between Hannah and Noah was so heartwarming. It has a good pace (not too fast) and it wasn't only about attraction, it was about friendship. Also, I loved Hannah. At first she is this weak girl who let Ava do whatever she wants with her, but after the summer she is completely transformed into an strong and brave girl. It helped a lot that Ava wasn't with her and that she discovered she really wasn't a good friend, while at the same time meeting Lacey.

Overall, I really loved this book. Awesome writing, great characters, it's perfect for summer reading!

More about this book at laurenbarnholdt.com, Goodreads, Amazon, The Book Depository.