Along for the Ride in Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge

Aug 16, 2010 Brandi rated it it was ok

Shelves: teen, random-reads-column, audiobooks, 2010, librandian-blog

High school is over for Auden West, not that it matters. High school was never that pinnacle of her life that she would look back on thoughtfully. Auden was always studying and reading, not going out on dates or going to various school functions. Now Auden has three months to get through before she can make her parents’, her father a best-selling novelist and her mother a university English professor, dreams come true by attending Defriese University. Auden’s summer takes on an unexpected direct High school is over for Auden West, not that it matters. High school was never that pinnacle of her life that she would look back on thoughtfully. Auden was always studying and reading, not going out on dates or going to various school functions. Now Auden has three months to get through before she can make her parents’, her father a best-selling novelist and her mother a university English professor, dreams come true by attending Defriese University. Auden’s summer takes on an unexpected direction after she receives an email from Heidi, her father’s new, younger wife, inviting her to visit them and Auden’s newborn baby stepsister Thisbe over the summer. Auden packs up her textbooks and heads off for the small coast town, Colby.

Auden learns quickly that things aren’t exactly perfect or relaxing in her father’s home. Thisbe cries no-stop with Heidi trying all she can to quiet her down. Auden’s father has locked himself into his room around the clock trying to finish his latest novel. While trying to escape the chaos at home for a bit, Auden makes a bad first impression on some of the local girls, who she quickly learns all work for Heidi at her clothing boutique, Clementine’s. Heidi offers Auden a job at Clementine’s managing the budget and payroll which Auden accepts. Now Auden must learn to get along with a group of girls who are her exact opposite, or so she thinks. Her only escape lies in her late-night adventures with Eli, a troubled teen with a serious past. Eli takes on the task of providing Auden with all the experiences she missed out on due to studying like having a paper route and riding a bike. Auden ultimately realizes that not everything in life can be learned from a book. Some things you just need to experience yourself.

Along for the Ride is a terrific story about a young girl who finally realizes what it means to experience life. The character of Auden falls a bit short in comparison with the secondary characters that really carry the story. Dessen creates a thoughtful story arc that is sure to inspire others to remember to try something new once in a while.

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Jan 26, 2009 Kari rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2009

A standard, page turning romantic tension filled teen novel from Sarah Dessen. True to her formula, it has the similar characters, pacing, story arc to her other novels....and I ate it up in 2 evenings, as usual.

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