Along for the Ride by Sarah DessenBook 82 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This latest release from Sarah Dessen will not disappoint her fans. This is a fun summer read about a girl who finds herself on a quest to do all the things she missed out on in childhood--having a boyfriend, giggling with girlfriends, missing curfew, and riding a bike.
Auden is about ready to embark on her life as a college student. As the daughter of divorced professors, her whole existence has been about striving for academic excellence. But when she finds herself desperate for a change of pace, she heads to the beach to live with her dad and his new family for the summer. She gets much more than she bargained for--a colicky new half-sister, a step-mom she doesn't really know, and a job working in a boutique. But her chronic insomnia is what leads her to discover the biggest changes within herself. As it turns out, the cute boy from the bike shop isn't sleeping either.
Having read five of Dessen's nine books, I can say that I definitely like her later works better. This book certainly reminded me of her other books, and I think Dessen has a great ability to deal with serious issues teens identify with in a way that isn't heavy-handed. I also appreciated the swearing was much more muted in this book compared to This Lullaby.
I don't think any of Dessen's books will replace The Truth About Forever as my favorite, probably because it was my first. But, this is an enjoyable read that would be perfect at the beach.
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2 comments:
I haven't read any of Dessen's work, but I know a lot of people are big fans of hers, so I'd like to give it a try. This one sounds good to me!
I loved the Truth about Forever too. This was my second Dessen book and I thought it was very similar to TTAF. I could almost match up characters but it didn't stop me loving it. She has a great style.
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