Along for the Ride

My Thoughts: Oh, Dessen, how I love thee. Out of all the books I've read so far from Dessen, I think this has got to to be my favorite one. We are introduced to Auden who lives with her mother. Her parents have gotten a divorce and her father is remarried and just had a baby with his new wife. She also has a brother named Hollis who is running all over the country. He never stays in one place too long. Auden is really into education, studying, the whole nine yards. That is what happens when your mom is a teacher and writer, and your dad is a writer. They expect greatness out of you. That is all she has ever known. She decides to go stay the summer with her father and his new family. She wants to see the baby anyway. Her name is Thisbe. Yes, they have funny names and there is a story behind each name. Auden goes to stay with them and she finds Last Chance. They have the best onion rings ever. Just reading those words, I wanted to rush right out and get me some onion rings. She also meets a few new friends at her stepmothers clothing store. She gets to know them pretty well. Auden is spending the summer realizing how busy her father really is, she's not sure he really even wants her there, and half the nights she spends out driving around, unable to sleep. Along For The Ride mostly focuses on family issues, but of course there is a little bit of romance. Eli, oh Eli, Sweet Eli. Eli is somewhat mysterious at first, we don't really know much about him, other than that he used to ride bikes a lot and compete. He also has a brother and had a best friend named Abe. Horrible story there. Eli and Auden end up bumping into each other and that starts the staying out all night together, getting to know each other, and Auden starts taking quests, to fulfill everything she missed out in high school. And Eli is there to guide her a long the way. Eli and Auden make a great pair. They are both suffering from something, and can relate to one another. They are learning new things, and experiencing them together. Eli finally starts to open up to someone after most of his friends have started to give up hope. Auden's family isn't perfect. She learns this lesson as the novel goes on. She learns that she just has to take it how it is. Along For The Ride was a sweet novel. I loved every minute of it. All the characters just suck you right in, and you feel like they are really your friends. You begin to love each and every one of them. You learn their quirks, what makes them sad, what makes them mad. All the characters feel so real. As I finished the book, I knew I would miss them. The good thing is, I can revisit them as many times as I want in the future. Overall: Awesome!!! Loved this one! Sarah Dessen sure does know how to make you fall in love with a story, doesn't she? What else can I possibly say? Can I have my own Eli please? I loved how each child was named after a story. Hollis, Thisbe, Auden! So creative! Cover: Love it! This is probably my favorite cover of hers. I love the bike and I love the girl and guy, and how we can't see the whole person. It cutting off at the head, is perfect. I even love their clothes. It's so pretty. What I'd Give It: 5/5 Cupcakes ____________________ Review Based On Hardcover Edition Taken From Princess Bookie

I got completely sucked into this book. I didn't want to stop reading it and was really invested in Auden's growth and of those around her. The author also wasn't afraid to write some darker personality traits like enabling and narcissistic behavior (not from the main characters). This book has humor, emotion, and depth to it. It has some great quotes and messages also. I just feel like the author could have helped Auden get to her own self awareness without her pushing Eli away to do it. Why authors insist on the "break up so they can get back together " troupe is beyond me. I feel like there could be so many other "problems" in a book, they don't need to be with the two main characters. That made it lose a whole star. I watched the movie awhile ago and didn't like how they handled it so much either, but I did like the book better.

My first Sarah Dessen novel, so I finally get what everyone raves about. I can't even put it into words, there's just something smooth and unassuming about the writing. I was wary at first, b/c Auden is kind of a strange character who is a bit hard to relate to....wasn't sure if I was going to be able to get into it. And yet somehow I found myself up late into the night reading "just one more chapter". It was the perfect summer coming-of-age tale. It had my required smidgeon of romance in it, but it was really just the story of how Auden grows over the course of one summer spent at her Dad's. Her parents just about put me through the roof....and yet I could see people who would behave that way. I wasn't sure I would get to a point where I forgave them their transgressions, but in the end they were just people, just flawed in a different way than I'm used to. I loved the relationship Auden builds with the 3 girls. I love that as weird and, well, socially awkward as she was, they still sort of absorbed her into their group. I LOVED that Maggie was not all she seemed to be....I felt like there were so many lessons for girls in that one character -- there was a line that I probably should have highlighted, something about how girls can be girly and feminine, but that doesn't have to be all that they are....obviously said way better than that. *rolls eyes* And needless to say, I LOVED the relationship that developed between Auden and Eli. I can't even put it into words. It was like two kindred souls finding each other, and learning about themselves in the meantime. Looks like I'm going to take advantage of this sale and pick up a few more Sarah Dessen novels. I'd been in a funk in my reading, and her voice was just what I needed to suck me back in to this reading world I love so much.

Along for the Ride I absolutly loved this book, and yes it made me cry. I find Sarah Dessen has really flourished in her literature, her first books, I found, were hard to get into, but since 'The Truth About Forever' I can't get enough of her! I was especially dazzled that Jason from 'The Truth About Forever' was featured in this book also. I love how she intertwined her characters into more than one book fitting it all into a small town concept. This book was well written, well thought out and very touching! I definatly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good love story!

This book is simply well written: you follow the characters and fond yourself - no matter your age - involved in their adventures and even pondering about life experiences. Really funny and sweet at the same time. Strongly advisable!

I've read lots of Sarah Dessen, but this is easily my favourite. I couldn't stop thinking about it afterwards, there's so much truth to it. The protagonist Auden's journey is poignant and relatable, drawing attention to the dysfunctions and paradoxes of family life without judgement. Bereavement is a key theme - for loved ones, for what might have been - and Dessen illustrates how important it is to move on and let go of the past. This is a brilliant book for young people that could teach many adults a thing or two.

lovely book, written with feeling. not a unidimensional sachharine sweet love story. a mature book for young adults. looks at a lot of issues from various perspectives.

I love how Sarah Dessen writes about family life, and the problems it creates and fixes. She's a master storyteller when it comes to writing about everyday life, and her characters are always so well-crafted and layered. While I didn't think Along for the Ride had her usual spark, it's still miles better than a lot of YA fiction out there, and is a great addition to the Dessen library. Auden, Eli and Co. are all fantastic characters, who are haunted by the past and afraid to face the future. They remind me of an ensemble cast from a TV show -- one that's perfectly chosen and flawlessly acted. I could imagine these people living together in the small town of Colby, almost as if I was there myself. Their personalities jump off the page, and demand your undivided attention. This time around, I wanted more romance. Yes, Auden and Eli click; they have chemistry, they understand each other... but there isn't enough of them. Their relationship is quite a late development, with earlier time devoted to Auden and her family's situation. I didn't mind that at all, I just wanted more of the strong, all-consuming romance I've become so accustomed to. As is commonplace with any Dessen novel, the writing is almost mesmerising. It flows well, draws you in, and holds you in a vice until you reach the final sentence. I can never put one of her books down for long, and if I have to, it's for absolute necessities. She's still my Queen of Teen, and I really can't wait to see what she comes up with next. I just know it'll be good.