One Night That Changes Everything by Lauren Barnholdt
12:00 PM
Author: Lauren Barnholdt
Release Date: July 6, 2010 (hardcover)
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 256
Source: Bought
Overall: 4.5 Stars
Summary:
Eliza is in a full-blown panic. Her notebook has been stolen—the one that lists everything she wants but is afraid to go after. And the absolute worst person in the world has it: her ex-boyfriend, Cooper.
Like it’s not enough Cooper was lying to Eliza for their entire relationship, now he and his friends are blackmailing her. They’re giving her just one night to complete the most humiliating tasks on her list or they’ll post her secrets online—including the ones that aren’t just about her.
Eliza’s sure of only one thing: she isn’t going down without a fight. Cooper may have what’s left of her dignity, but she’s not the only one with something to hide …
A hilarious and sweet teen novel by Lauren Barnholdt, the author of two-way street.
One Night That Changes Everything is a fast-paced novel that I read in one sitting... I couldn't put this book down once I started! I really love Barnholdt's novel Two-Way Street so I was glad to find that One Night That Changes Everything met my expectations.
Eliza is in full-panic mode when she discovers that her purple notebook has been stolen... and worse, by her ex-boyfriend Cooper and his secret society friends. The notebook contains her innermost thoughts and goals she would like to achieve one day but had been too afraid to go after them. Now, if she doesn't do everything they say and complete the tasks from her notebook, they'll post it online and soon, everyone will know her secrets. It's going to be one very long night and Eliza may just discover more about herself and her past relationship with Cooper than she ever would have thought before.
Just like Eliza, if something like that had ever happened to me, I would be totally freaking out. It's a good thing Eliza's two best friends, Clarice and Marissa, are there to help when they can, though they did tend to run off a lot in the novel- but really, Eliza's the one who grows as a person. She gains more confidence in herself as the novel progresses though the way she treated Cooper when he was only being nice and helpful to her kind of bugged me at times.
Which leads me to my next point... I was really prepared to hate Cooper, but once he was introduced in the story, I couldn't help but warm up to him. You see, his actions were at war with Eliza's descriptions about him. There's an awful reason why they broke up so my heart totally went out to her, but at the same time, I was really hoping they would reconcile and that Cooper wasn't as bad as Eliza had made him out to be.
The writing is so easy to follow along, with Barnholdt's characters sounding just like how any teenager might speak. And if that's still not enough, the constant drama will keep you flipping through the pages to see what happens next. Just a little forewarning, there are a few mature moments and mild language, but I'm sure it's nothing that you haven't really read before.
I still think I love Two-Way Street more, but One Night That Changes Everything did not disappoint. I'm already looking forward to reading Barnholdt's next novel, Aces Up, which is available now in stores (since August 10).
Now, I'm not sure how many of you know this but this isn't actually the original cover. The cover used to be the one below, but Lauren Barnholdt explains here in her blog why the publisher decided to change it.
I'm kind of sad that it was changed because I like the original better. It's so pretty with the different colours in the background and Eliza walking down the middle of the street in the shadows. To me, it was a lot more striking and eye-catching, but the cover that stands now also fits the book.
Check out Lauren Barnholdt's website here.
P.S. Are you a member of Pulse It? Right now, you can read One Night That Changes Everything in its entirety for free!
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