Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Along for the Ride
By Sarah Dessen
Published June 16th, 2009 by Viking Juvenile
383 pages

4.5 stars - Amazing!!

It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or 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 she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

In her signature pitch-perfect style, Sarah Dessen explores the hearts of two lonely people learning to connect.

I have this project for school which required the students to read a book, approved by the teacher of course. This novel was on the list and when I saw it I was overjoyed. I've been wanting to read this novel for awhile now and I usually love anything Dessen writes. I'm so glad to say that I wasn't disappointed and loved it so much that I finished 3 weeks before I had to. Okay...I finished it in, like, 2 days. 

There isn't much that I didn't love about this book. I think the thing that I loved the most was that Auden was able to realize who she really is. She realized what it's like to be a teenager and to fall in love. The bond between her and Eli touched me as well. They understood each other and each felt guilty for something. Eli was a sweet and intriguing guy and needless to say, I fell in love with him. 

The whole quest was a great idea and watching Auden slowly form real relationships was worth having to listen to her dad. Her dad and mom were characters that, at times, annoyed me. I could really feel for Heidi and Auden. 

I just really don't know what to say. I'm not sure if anything I say could do this book justice. I mean, sure, some parts of it could get a little annoying. I didn't always agree with Auden's viewpoints but that's what made her, her. All in all, Along for the Ride was a fantastic read and one I definitely enjoyed. I think it's one of my favorites that Dessen has written. So check it out for yourself, you really can't go wrong!

Vanessa