Review: Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

by Abigaile 
It's been a long time since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parent's 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 in which 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, being 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 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 his friend.

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

I really loved this book. There were definitely some flaws though. I really wish Eli was a more established character than he was. The moments Eli was mentioned felt rushed. The end didn't seem to pull together properly. The book had some main objectives that did not come together in the end. It felt incomplete.

I really loved that Heidi - Auden's stepmom - became a really awesome character.  I ended up loving her. I also liked how there were strong friendships throughout the book, that in the beginning didn't seem possible. The parts where Auden and Eli couldn't sleep at night and instead would have quest's together and finish together was cool.

I thought the whole thing was very cute. I probably would not read this book again, just because there are better books. But there might come a time where I crave the characters. You never know.... what you'll be in the mood for.

~ Abigaile

Parents need to know:  This book has a few "major"curse words and more "minor" ones in it, as well as a couple of kissing scenes.  For the full content, go to Along for the Ride on Parental Book Reviews.