Hello, and welcome back to Sabrina’s Book Corner! This week we are going to be discussing Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen.
Along for the Ride tells the story of Auden West. Ever since Auden’s parents divorced when she was little, she has been an insomniac. It sounds bad, but never sleeping has its advantages, such as extra study time.
When her parents divorced, Auden threw herself into academics and became a mini-adult so that she would not cause her parents any trouble. Auden doesn’t mind that she seems to have missed out on all the joys of childhood, since she has her outstanding academic record and scholarship to college. Now, all Auden has to figure out is what she is going to do with her summer.
Auden’s stepmother has been asking her to come visit her father’s new family, and Auden finally accepts. So Auden is spending her summer in a sleepy beach town with her father, stepmother, and their new baby. When Auden takes a job at her stepmother’s store to help balance the books, she is introduced to the world of girls and friendship.
Auden never really had any friends because she spent all of her time focused on her academics, and she isn’t really looking to make any new friends. Although Auden doesn’t want any friends, the girls at the store might just be what she needs.
But everything really starts to change when Auden meets Eli. Eli and Auden are both loners, but together they set out on their own adventure. Eli helps Auden experience all the things she missed out on in her childhood, and Auden helps to draw Eli out of his shell.
Along for the Ride shows that it’s never too late to be a kid, and even the most unexpected experiences can yield important results.
Happy reading!
— Sabrina Parr, Poetry Editor
