Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Publisher: Speak
Copyright: 2009

Auden expects a long, hot, boring two months, when she chooses to spend her summer with the stepmother she isn't too fond of, and her dad's selfish attributes. Not to mention a constantly crying half - sister that's just been born.
But this particular summer, Auden gets way more than she expects to. She gets a job bookkeeping at her stepmother Heidi's store, meets new friends, and is helped to catch up on the childhood she never had.

Ever since Auden's parents divorced when she was little, she never slept at night from having to listen to their fighting. When Auden lived with her no-fun, nagging mother nearly all her life, she was expected to be the little adult, never doing anything fun, never having many friends, and never doing anything as basic in her childhood such as learning to ride a bike.

But all that changes when she meets Eli in the small town her father, stepmother and half-sister calls home. Eli is a former BMX star that quit doing what he loved when he and his best friend Abe were in a car accident and he was the only one of the two that survived. When Auden and Eli become friends, they change and teach each other what they both need to learn. Eli to come out of his grief and trauma; Auden to come out of her shell and experience some simple things included in a childhood, much less learning to live a proper social and academic life. Overall, they both learn the value of taking risks and living life.


I loved Along for the Ride, Sarah Dessen's latest novel published in 2009. From the beginning, I found the characters and storyline attractive, despite the sluggishness in the plot during the first few chapters. Sarah Dessen put everything into this novel that I expect from a good book: humor, vividity, attractiveness, and most importantly, an interesting and gripping, dramatic plot.

I have only read a few of Sarah Dessen's books, but this one inspired me to embark on my 'quest' to read all of her novels, if people who have already read this book know what I mean. I think a lot of other teenagers who read this book will be able to relate to many of the themes and parts in the story of this masterpiece. Anybody who is looking for a good book to read, I strongly recommend it; it will be one of my favorites for years.

Another reason to read Along For the Ride was that it was also clean. I have read a few books before that had mature content, etc. in them that made me question whether or not I should continue on to the next chapter. Readers will find Along for the Ride a satisfying, appropriate, recommendable adventure.

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