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Showing reviews 1-5 of 79
 The perfect summer read June 21, 2009
L. Gibaldi
53 out of 54 found this review helpful
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.
Along for the Ride June 21, 2009
Lynnie Grame (Earth)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Along for the ride is pretty quick read, and a good book. It has the same feel as the rest of her books and is one her best. Honestly I would give this book a 4.5, but that's not an option. The main charechter, Auden, is a girl who really has no friends, or social skills, and she spends the summer with her father,stepmother and new baby sister in the town of colby. Auden doesn't sleep at night, she hasn't since her parents split up, and instead spends her nights driving around, or walking on the boardwalk, wasting time. It's one of these times that she is walking on the boardwalk that she meets Eli, who ( what a coincidence) doesn't sleep at night either. Eli gives Auden her second chance, calling it a quest, to do everything she missed out on. These nights, and her quest bring them closer and ultimately makes Auden realize that a failures happen, and to give things a second chance. If your a fan of Sarah Dessen, you'll definatly like this book,(and finding all the different characters,places, and things that are in the rest of her books,)and even if you're not a fan it's a good book that deserves a chance.:)
Sarah Dessen is love June 18, 2009
Need2Know
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
The book Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen reminds me why I love the wonderful Sarah Dessen. True it's the same "formula" but it's the "elements" added that make Along for the Ride great. Okay fine the heroine's in her stories always have a problem and they discover their solution in some way towards the end but the problems differ entirely. None of her stories are the same. Her way of writing engages you into the story and its characters
With Auden I find myself feeling like I know her and have been her. There is this naïve or an almost childlike feeling to Auden that makes me relate to her, she's new to everything so to say. But give her a book to read or an essay to write and she can do those kinds of things. Academics define Auden. She never really related to girls her age, never had any real friends, but that all changes the summer she decided to stay with her father, his new wife, and newborn sister.
Personally I think that the reason she "recycles" characters is because it's kind of an Easter egg for the long time readers. But if you're new to her stories then you don't miss anything. Also the message isn't only that you can't judge someone by their appearance. But something much more than that, such as if you're given a second chance then do something and don't let that chance pass by we shouldn't take them for granted. And secondly that people don't always stay the same but do in fact change; not always but there are those rare occasions. Auden learns this in one summer that will be known to her as: "The Best of Times."
Love Sarah Dessen! June 22, 2009
Kelli Nelson (Bay Area, CA)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
I loved reading all of Sarah Dessen books. I couldn't wait to read this one and while reading it I wished that it didn't have to end. I really hope Sarah continues to write because she is really gifted. As always I fell in love with the characters. I also really enjoyed the plot and the way the lessons that are learned in Dessen's books are incorporated into the overall theme of the book.
Auden goes to spend a summer with her dad and stepmom looking more or less for an adventure but she had no clue that she would be learning from some unexpected characters. Auden missed out on the normal childhood and spends the summer trying to find what she missed out on.
If you liked Dessen's other books you will love this one!
Going Along for the Ride June 20, 2009
Book Worm
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
I read tons of reviews for this book before reading it. Some said it was a great story, with great characters, and a perfect summer read. Publisher's Weekly recommended the book, praised it as another great from Dessen, but--for the first time since This Lullaby (which was Sarah's... fifth book), failed to give it a starred review (I'll admit, despite the fact that it received plenty of starred reviews from so many other professional reviewers, this upset me). And then there are those who felt negatively about it. The greatest criticism--even noted by positive reviewers was--that this novel, if written by any other person, would have had a perfect rating. Intriguing characters realistically portrayed, dynamic secondary characters, a relatively original plot, real-life family issues, romance, personal growth, etc. etc. It was the sort of book that would keep a person up reading until 4 AM, and by the time she finished, leave a huge smile on her face (and yes, I'm still smiling). The problem was--to them, anyway, as I have barely even begun my review--that this is Sarah Dessen, who has written nine novels, most of which have constantly landed her on the NY Times Bestselling list for months on end. She's created so many characters that some people look at this new protagonist and think that she's a reminder of a character Dessen already wrote about. They see the leading male character and call him "a hollow shadow of her many other leading males, all of whom were amazing in their original books but seem one dimensional in this book." They all say the same thing--amazing story, but they wanted some more refreshing (for Dessen, anyway. They do acknowledge that the story itself IS rather refreshing, if they hadn't been so well-versed in Dessen's writing).
My observation? I disagree. I agree. It's a double standard, but I feel like it both hits the mark and misses entirely.
Honestly, I loved Auden. I could relate to her on a level I could not relate to Ruby, and although she did remind me of Macy, her situation was different because she didn't need to re-learn how to live again. She needed to learn how to live for the very first time, and Eli is not her savior as Wes is to Macy--he, like her, is confused and lost and the two of them need each other to grow as individuals and ultimately find happiness. Basically, I see some of her other characters in these two, but I thought that their circumstances and several aspects of their personalities made it quite clear that they were not the same people and actually had cores of their own character that did not exist in their predecessors.
I enjoyed the story, loved the character/relationship development, and while I see that at times it did seem like the secondary characters were richer than the protagonists, I understood that this was realistic. Auden and Eli ARE well developed, but they're quiet people, observers instead of participants, and I could relate to this perfectly. It didn't make them any less dynamic. I still enjoyed their story, as well as the stories of all the other people around them.
And yes, I didn't like that the epiphany Auden had (it's just a sentence, which isn't a big deal) seemed straight out of Just Listen, and I did manage to catch three or four grammar mistakes, but so many other extraordinary stuff made up for this in the end. It's a great book, a perfect summer read, and I wholeheartedly recommend it (and if you disliked Dessen's last book, Lock and Key, because of the ending, then you will definitely enjoy this book more).
Showing reviews 1-5 of 79
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