Book Review: Along for the Ride

Along for the Ride
By Sarah Dessen
Viking Juvenile

Publication date: June 16, 2009
ISBN: 978-0670011940

I must admit, I did everything I could before writing this review. I checked my e-mail at least 10 times, I watched an old episode of Friends, I snacked on sunflower seeds. It's not that I didn't want to write the review because I didn't like the book, it's quite the opposite. I knew that once I wrote the review, I would be done, moving onto another book. The truth of the matter was, I didn't want to be done with Dessen's book. 

Along for the Ride is about 18 year old Auden, a remarkably smart girl who's parents divorced when she was younger after years of bickering. She became an insomniac, avoiding her problems by staying awake, studying at a nearby cafe. Meanwhile, being raised by two academic parents, Auden organized her life around school - she could answer any educational question, yet barely had any friends and missed out on every important childhood landmark (prom, bowling, learning to ride a bike..) After a strangely inspirational message from her older brother Hollis, Auden decides to spend the summer before her freshman year of college in Colby with her father, his new extremely cheerful wife, and their even newer baby, Thisbe. There, Auden discovers something about herself through interactions with Heidi, her stepmother; babysitting Thisbe; working at a clothing store with girls her age; and, above all, meeting the mysterious Eli who helps her rebuild her past. 

The story talks about love, redemption, and second chances. It's about how it's never too late to rediscover yourself and grab hold of your present. 

I really loved Along for the Ride. The characters were interesting, deep, and always surprising. Yes, as many young adult books, the plot was a bit predictable, but that didn't matter. Along for the Ride took you away from your life and put you into Auden's. It's the perfect young adult book - one that presents a problem and finds ways to solve it. 

The main characters were incredibly real - everyone had one of them in high school. There was the beautiful Maggie who was actually smarter than she looked. The party girl Leah, and the big mistake Jake. There was Eli, the secretive love interest with a heart of gold. And Adam, the extremely affectionate best friend. And then there was Auden, a girl with a secret of her own, who was still trying to figure herself out. 

I loved so much about the book. I loved that I could actually see Colby - I knew the map of it like my own neighborhood. I loved that everyone went to the Gas/Gro before going out because in the past I had a similar place. And I loved the importance of the summer - the last for everyone before college. How important it was to make it "the best of times," because at that age, everyone wants to. 

The writing was spot on, incredibly detailed and relatable. It's a book you could pick up and easily slide back into Dessen's world. I liked the hope it brought, as well as the message. I liked how Eli and Auden hung out at night because neither could sleep. How the world is so much different once people are asleep. And now, I too now look at the houses around me and wonder why someone else might be awake at 1am. What's their story? 

There was one quote that I especially enjoyed. Towards the beginning, the girls stock up on food at the Gas/Gro. After Auden asks why they do it, night after night, Esther replies "I don't know. It's like, we're headed out somewhere. You never know what's going to happen. So you stop for supplies." Indeed.

Along for the Ride is the perfect summer read - set at the beach, you could practically hear the waves pouring out of the pages. It's the first book I've read of Sarah Dessen's and definitely won't be my last. In fact, I might have already set up a book store trip with my own group of friends to get another. 

Links: 

Sarah Dessen's blog

Sarah-land, a ning community

The story behind the book's cover

Dessen reading a portion of the book

The WeTalkDaily spotlight on this book