Along for the Ride

Reader reviewed by Aud

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen is centered around a simple brainiac girl named Auden. Since she was little and her parents were fighting at all hours of the night she hasn't had a good night sleep. It is the summer before she goes to college and instead of being just a waitress for her some what unemotional mother she decides its time for a change. She packs up and goes to her fathers for the summer. She is welcomed by her step mother and new baby sister who seems to never stop crying.

Auden has never had the social interaction of a normal child. Her parents saw her as an adult so they treated her as one. She never got to go out and just be a kid. This is when Auden meets Eli. Eli who is guilt stricken by the death of his best friend also stays up most nights and they form a friendship fast. They embark and a Quest to help Auden do all the things that she never accomplished in her childhood so she can at least have the chance. For the first time ever Auden actually gets to experience what it is like to be young.

Sarah Dessen is a wonderful writer! If you haven't read her books.. you should go right now and get some to read ASAP! She doesn't spend too long on items that don't matter like some authors do. Her books are fantastic! Along for the Ride has everything you could ask for... beach, friends, bikes, AND hot guys! What else do you need?

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