Along for the Ride

Reader reviewed by Hillary

Its been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents
divorceor since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend
a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach
town where they live.

A job in a clothes boutique introduces
Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their
crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect
daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing
loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal
world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden,
to experience the carefree teenage life shes been denied; for Eli, to
come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

Just
by seeing that Sarah Dessen wrote this book you can correctly assume
that you're going to enjoy this book. That's just the way it is with
her books. They are perfection on paper. You can't argue this because,
somehow, there is this gene in all human DNA that makes us crave her
writing. That's a fact. And, to quote a popular vampire, they're like a
drug to me.

Auden was a very complex character and I easily
related to her. She's really lacking in the social experiences
department, thanks to her parents who only measure a person's worth in
intelligence. And is, of course, extremely smart. She's older than most
other Dessen characters. Rather than being in high school this book is
set in the summer before she heads off to college for the first time.
Although she was a bit of a dry character in the beginning, in the end,
after experiencing what she missed in her childhood, she was completely
saturated in loveability juice.

Eli was also pretty complex. His
guilt and overall sadness made him a very likable character. Watching
him open up and get over the tragedy was one of the most enjoyable
parts of the book for me. Also, Heidi was a great character that I
really enjoyed reading about. She was the peppy and joyful part of the
book, even when she really had very little reason to be like that. Her
ever present optimism was really inspirational. She's in my top ten
favorite characters ever.

The story was very enjoyable. The
insomnia was both important and not. Eli and Auden were both insomniacs
and they spent most of their time together during the late night and
early morning when most people are sleeping. But it wasn't a really
important theme in the book. I think that there was a perfect amount of
late night excursions for the book. It wasn't overdone, and still got
the point across. Yeah, I do feel like I would have liked a few more
scenes, but I also wanted more of Wes and Macy in The Truth About
Forever and Hillary in Just Listen. I'm used to this disappointment,
but maybe I'm just greedy. I think that the more important themes in
this book are that stereotypes are bad (and usually incorrect) and that
trying new things can spice up your life. I think that, in the end,
Auden was very spicy.

Overall, you'd be insane to not pick up
this book. What more can I say? You have Sarah Dessen, bikes, a hot
guy, the beach, and as soon as you're finished you can begin your
anxious wait for her next book! And, if you've never picked up a Sarah
Dessen book before (crazy...) I think this would be a great place to
start...but make sure you get Lock & Key and Just Listen asap because they're godly. Go buy it!

Reader reviewed by Caroline

This book was everything you could ask for coming from the NYT Best Selling Author, Sarah Dessen.
As Auden (the main character) takes a vacation out to her fathers home, where her father, stepmother, and newborn baby sister awaited, she not only expieriences things shes never got to do in highschool, but emotions that she never would of imagined.
Her mother and father are divorced, and as you read on in the story, you will realize why Auden is the way she is. Her father, a writer, seems to only focus his time on his new book while chaos is happening with her stepmother, Heidi, and her one-month year old half sister, Thisbe.
Auden, however, does what she can to keep to herself and focus on her studies, staying up late at night, keeping herself busy with anything there is possibly to do.
On one of her late nights, she meets Eli, who has a story himself, and together, they both explore the lonesome one another is facing, while opening up to a whole new world of having eachother there for them.

Reader reviewed by Rachel Connell

Auden has always been the academic girl that her divorced parents hadn't had to worry about. Unlike her Europe back packing brother. Sick of following her professor mother talk about womens roles in Renaissance literature she decides to go stay with her father, his wife, and their new born baby at their beach front home. She expects to spend time with her father discussing her plans for college and times of their past but what she gets is a constant wailing from her step sister Thisbe and her selfish father writing his ten year upcoming novel. She ends up working at her step mothers horribly girly boutique where she makes friends and meets Eli an ex-professional biker who helps her experiance all the things she missed in her childhood but has a secret past that makes no one look at him the same.

Another wonderful novel from the bestselling author Sarah Dessen. If you have read any of her other books such as: The Truth About Forever, That Summer, Someone Like You, Just Listen, and Keeping the Moon; than you will adore this book. I especially could relate to the main character Auden. I've always been more academic than social. Eli is another to die for male charcter with his tortured past so you won't go wanting in this book. Sarah Dessen is a wonderful YA author who can put intelligance and relatiability into her chic teen books and I am highly anticipating her next upcoming novel.

Reader reviewed by Lea

Auden has never had an ordinary life. She's always been mature, the adult, while her brother Hollis has been the wild child. After graduation, she decides to spend the summer with her Dad and his wife Heidi, and their new child Thisbe. Once there, she's in for a summer of firsts, and long nights with Eli. For once, Auden's being the kid she never was.

At first, Auden was hard to relate to, but then she becomes your best friend. You can't help but to laugh with her, and watch her grow. Another great book by Sarah Dessen.

Reader reviewed by KJ

Auden West had spent most of her childhood and teenage years acting as an adult for the family. Learning to ride a bike, going shopping with friends, having a food fight, are just some of the things Auden has missed out on. Her professor mother has made Auden study for hours and do well in school, up to the point where that is all Auden does. This summer, Auden decides, is going to be different. She goes to stay with her father, step mother, and their new baby. Step by step Auden starts to realize she's missed out on a lot. She makes new friends, and meets Ely. Ely has faced a horrible tragedy he is trying to put behind him. Together he and Auden decide to do the things they've missed out on. Ely, while he's been recovering from the tragedy, and Auden, what she missed growing up.
This was another excellent book by an excellent author. I love all of Sarah Dessen's books and this one does not disappoint. Any one who has read Sarah Dessen's books will love this one, and she probably made a lot of new fans with this new novel.

Reader reviewed by trishalynn0708

This was my first book by Sarah Dessen and it is defiantly not my last. I absolutely
loved this book. I connected with the characters right from the start
and was sad to see the book end. But I am very happy with the ending.

Auden is the girl who few up too fast and only studied. She never did anything adventurous
until she met Eli. what an awesome couple. They both are insomniacs so
they meet up every night to go grocery shopping and hang out together.
it is fun to see her meet other girls her age and become with them, and
just have fun for once.

This was a really fun book and I loved the cover.

Reader reviewed by tay

This book is about Auden West. the girl who was all work no play her whole life. Until she decides to spend the summer with her dad, step-mom and new sister in thier house by beach.There she realizes she might have missed out on some things during her childhood. so her and her new friend Eli try to find some second chances for her.
This book was a quick but very entertaining read. it is a great book about life, love and second chances. i would reccomend reading all books by Sarah Dessen if you havent already.

Reader reviewed by Sara

From inside cover: Riding a bike is only one of the many things Audens missed out on. Even before her parents divorce, she was cast in the role of little adult, never making waves, focusing on academics to please her demanding mother.
Now shes spending the summer before college in the tiny beach town of Colby with her father and his new wife and baby. A job in a trendy boutique introduces her to the world of girls, their friendships, conversations, romances. And then theres Eli, an intriguing longer. A former star on the bike circuit and a fellow insomniac, Eli introduces Auden to the nocturnal world of Colby. Together they embark on a quest: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life shes been denied; for Eli, to put a tragic episode behind him. Combine two lonely people with a charming beach town and an endless supply of long summer nights, and just about anything can happen.

Favorite characters, quotes/lines: Auden: I really related to her in many ways like her no-nonsense attitude and the fact that she got things done, without anyones help. I can definitely relate to that in ways. But in other ways I am like the girls that she was slowly learning about. Eli: I felt like he wasnt in the book as much as some of Dessens past love interests, but I loved when he was in passages.

When I finished this book I felt: I felt like this book was more mature than some of Dessens past books. It may have been that the main characters were older, or maybe it was simply the content. Either way, I liked that about Along for the Ride.

Other books to read by this author: The Truth About Forever, This Lullaby, Just Listen, Lock and Key, Dreamland, Keeping the Moon, That Summer, Someone Like You

I would recommend this book to: fans of Sarah Dessen and Young Adult literature with a romantic plot line