The Bibliophile's Bookshelf

This month’s Saturday Spotlight theme is Beach Reads! So far, I have shared A Summer to Die by Lois Lowry and We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. You can find those posts here and here.

This week I am sharing Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen. Sarah Dessen is known for her YA romances, which often have summer vibes.

I have only read a few of her books, but I loved Along for the Ride. I was introduced to this book through the Netflix movie by the same name. It is one of my favorite summer films, and I really enjoyed the book, too.

The movie stays pretty faithful to the book, so I recommend watching the movie and reading the book.

The book did explore more family dynamics besides the parents than the movie did. That was one of the biggest things that I noticed. Books, in general, are just better at showing multiple storylines and relationships though.

Sarah Dessen books often have some heavy material, I shall warn. In this book there is a neglectful parent and grief as well as survivor’s guilt. This is a clean romance, as well, which not all of Dessen’s work is.

This book follows Auden, the perfect daughter. She is staying with her dad over the summer in a small coastal town with his new family. Here she gets a job at her stepmother’s store, where she meets other girls her age and they become friends. She then meets Eli, a loner. Auden hasn’t slept at night in years- since her parents’ divorce or when they argued. Eli also doesn’t sleep, so he shows her around the town at night. They then embark on parallel quests: for Auden to experience a carefree teenage life and Eli to let go of the guilt he feels over the death of a friend.

This book was really good, and I loved it. It is very summery but still has the emotional impact I enjoy books having. It explores the relationship between parents and children really well, especially divorced parents. I also enjoyed the exploration of guilt and grief; I thought that was well done.

I loved the quest side of things. Auden’s quest was more heavily focused on, especially in the movie, which is what I remember most. I just love the idea of quests- it is super appealing. Therefore, I loved the inclusion of quests and how it was all about doing childlike things!

Along for the Ride is the perfect summer read, especially if you are looking for a little emotional depth!

Summary:

It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

In her signature pitch-perfect style, Sarah Dessen explores the hearts of two lonely people learning to connect.