Along for the Ride by: Sarah Dessen
Goodreads Synopsis:
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.
Review:
I love Sarah
Dessen and her wonderful contemporary novels! They are sweet, light, and
wonderful, and Along for the Ride was no exception!
Auden has not
slept since her parents divorce. She is a straight-A, hardworking student who
has no time for a social life. She has missed out on many rites of passage that
children and teenagers all go through. She spends the summer with her unaware
dad who has just had a new child with a new wife. She meets a partner
insomniac, Eli, who guides her in a quest to experience everything that she has
missed in her life. Eli also needs Auden to help deal with his demons that have
been following him since his friend died.
I liked Auden,
although she was way too focused on schoolwork and proving something to her
mother. I suppose it was not her fault because her mother was horrible, and she
was definitely tough on Auden. Auden just needed someone to teach her to come
out of her comfort zone and live a little. That help came in the form of
brooding Eli. Although Eli had been different ever since his best friend died
in a car accident, he was still super sweet to Auden. He also went out of his
comfort zone to befriend Auden and help her accomplish her quest.
I dislike both
of Auden’s parents at the beginning. Her mom is petty and her dad is
self-centered. I honestly think the roles have been reversed between Auden and
her parents. They redeemed themselves a bit at the end. One of my favorite
characters is Heidi, Auden’s stepmom. She was caring and really loving to
Auden, and she did all she could for her new baby, despite the blatant lack of
help from the father. I also loved their whole group of friends: Maggie, Adam,
Esther, and Leah. They are loyal and hilarious friends!
I absolutely
adored the romance between Eli and Auden. When Auden came around, she brought Eli
out of the shell he had been hiding in. They needed each other to fulfill a part
of themselves that had been missing for quite some time. They had some really
cute moments together, and I was like swoon. Sarah Dessen’s writing is
beautiful and simple. The plot was addicting and I couldn’t stop reading.
If you’ve never
read a Sarah Dessen novel, you are definitely missing out. Along for the Ride
was sweet and cute. I am really looking forward to her new novel, The Moon and More!
Favorite Swoon-worthy Quote: He raised his eyebrows, opening his mouth
to respond, but before he could I reached out, taking his hand, and pulled him
closer to me. Then I stood on tiptoes, bringing my lips to his. The kiss was
slow and sweet, and while it was happening, I had that image again of us so
small, standing in the middle of Colby, under that stoplight, as the entire
town and world turned around us. And in that moment, if only for that moment,
we were right where we were supposed to be.
Rating: 4/5 Tar Heels!
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