Here is the book summary for Sarah Dessen‘s latest release, ALONG FOR THE RIDE.
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.
I have been a fan of Sarah Dessen’s writing for years and yet had never read one of her books. Sound impossible? Not when a writer keeps an impressive blog that she updates weekly with wonderful stories about her life, her writing, and everything in between.
I always associated young adult titles as books that would not interest me and that I would not be able to relate. I thought they would make me feel old and out of touch. Quite the contrary. If anything, these books (when done correctly) have the ability to transport you back to a time that is vivid in your memory. Who has forgotten what unrequited high school love felt like? Or how it felt to be at odds with your parents?
I finally decided to pick up Dessen’s latest novel and dive in, head first. I am so glad that I did! Sarah Dessen is the young adult equivalent of Anne Tyler. She captures the extraordinary in the ordinary gorgeously! The character of Auden is flawed and honest and lovable and real. The journey of self-discovery that she travels during one summer is memorable and poignant. ALONG FOR THE RIDE will teach readers to look more closely at their own lives, the decisions they make and the impact their fears can have on those around them. It also beautifully illustrates the imperfect beauty life presents to everyone, if we are willing to go along for the ride.
