Author: Sarah Dessen
Hardcover: 383 pages
Publisher: Viking Juvenile (June 16, 2009)
Recieved: Library
My Rating 4 out of 5
Summary:
Auden's life was anything but ideal. Her parents are divorced, her father has a whole new family, and her mother is so wrapped up in her own career that she expects Auden to be just like her. After a phone call from her neer do well brother, Hollis, Auden realizes that she's missing out on the best times of her life, so she decides to go visit her father and his new family.
As soon as she gets there Auden figures out she may have bit off more than she can chew. Thisbe, her baby half sister, never seems to stop crying. Heidi, her father's new wife, is at her wits end trying to manage the baby and her business. While Auden's father seems to do nothing at all but work on his writing.
It's a sense of déjà vu being in her fathers household for Auden. She sees the same actions that caused her parents to split up, and remembers the pain that it brought her. Auden had already stopped sleeping at night, in an effort to deal with her parent's break up, and the whole not sleeping thing just seems to be getting worse.
When she takes a job at Heidi's store to help her out, Auden realizes that there were a lot of things she missed out on growing up, and for her, this summer is going to be all about taking that back and getting her second chance.
Along for the Ride wasn't anything like any of Sarah Dessen's other works. This one focused more so on family, and growth and was, at least in my eyes, much deeper than her other works. I really enjoyed reading it. The not sleeping at night thing, really spoke to me because I don't sleep at night either.
The characters were also really wonderful. They all stood out and had their own voices. I also liked how one of Sarah Dessen's other characters made a cameo. I've noticed that it happens a lot. I personally would love to have a book about one of the supporting characters. Over all, this was an awesome read. Something I will buy and add to my collection.
