Along For The Ride by Sarah Dessen

Summary:

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.

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

Review:

My love for Sarah Dessen books started innocently enough. It was my second or third time in the young adult section in my local library and I was in sixth grade. After looking around for a while I came upon a book called, This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen, it looked interesting enough and I simply loved the cover, so I decided to check it out. The next day I was nearly done with it and had found out who my new favorite author was. Now, switch back to current times, when I got the amazing chance to read an early copy of Along for the Ride. You could only guess how happy I was!

Along for the Ride is truly another Sarah Dessen classic. Since, in this she creates another set of memorable characters and a story that you hung on it's every word, cherishing it until it was over.

Auden was someone that I could relate to in her insomniac and overarching ways, though both are not nearly as bad, to her the feeling that her parents divorce was partly her fault. While she is not the strongest main character in a Dessen novel, she is still one that many girls will come to adore. Then, there was Eli, who was incredible. Defiantly one of my top three faves in top male leads in a Deseen book. I loved Auden and his journeys in the night since they always brought for a laugh or two.

The plot in this is basic and predictable, though with Sarah's writing she added a charm to it that not many others would be able to do. One of my favorite parts of this novel was about the different relationships you make in life: between friends, parents, siblings, ex. It was interesting to see how Auden dealt with them and let them grow.

One issue I want to address in this review is how some have said that this is basically a collaboration of some of her previous novels, though with new characters. Yes, some of the scenes and issues in Along for the Ride were a bit similar to previous novels such as This Lullabay and The Truth About Forever, but that happens with any type of novel. Since, most novels are mainly based on the same basics: relationships, first loves, friendships, ex.

Overall, Along for the Ride is one of my favorite Sarah Dessen novels so far! I deeply suggest you go pick this book up form your local book store come June 16!

Grade: A+

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen will be released June 16, 2009.

*Much thanks goes to JL once again for this fantastic novel! :)