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Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
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Along for the Ride
Sarah Dessen
June 16, 2009
Viking Juvenile
383 pages
Young Adult Fiction
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.
If you read this blog, you probably already know that I am a huge Sarah Dessen fan. I have enjoyed all the books I’ve read by her, and Along for the Ride was no exception. I actually think that this book is my second favorite Dessen novel, next to Just Listen (which I truly believe nothing will ever compare to, in my mind).
What really made me fall in love with this novel was the character of Auden. Just like Annabel in Just Listen, I saw a lot of myself in Auden. I have never been particularly good at making good girlfriends and understanding the ways groups of girls work. I have always been slightly socially awkward and, especially in my elementary and middle school years, always felt really shy and out-of-the-loop around most of my classmates. As a kid, I also preferred books and learning to actual people. I really “got” all of these aspects of Auden’s personality. I remember losing myself in my studies in high school and even college as a way to not deal with all the stuff in my life I couldn’t control or didn’t want to think about. My connection to Auden definitely solidified my feelings for the book. Right from the start, I liked her, I understood her, and I rooted for her through the entire book.
And just as in Dessen’s other novels, Along for the Ride had fantastic secondary characters too. I (of course) loved Eli and was so intrigued by his and Auden’s budding relationship. I also REALLY liked Heidi, Auden’s stepmom. I liked how even through Auden’s eyes, I was able to see how normal Heidi was and what a great person she truly was, how she was trying so hard to make her family work. She was just so real that I couldn’t help but feel for her. I did not enjoy either of Auden’s parents, but I don’t think the reader is supposed to like them – although they, like the rest of the characters, were definitely realistic.
The story of this book was pretty great too. I do think that Dessen’s novels have a sort of formula to them, but I think that for her, it works. I had a pretty good idea of how the book would turn out, and I still loved where Dessen took the story. And I always appreciate how in a Sarah Dessen novel, everything is NOT solved just by getting the guy in the end. Sure, usually the guy and girl end up together in some way, but there’s always more to the story than that. And it doesn’t always equal perfection, either. I just think that her books are a much more realistic portrayal of life than a lot of teen novels. Along for the Ride definitely fit that description. I loved this book – if you are a fan of YA fiction, you will too.
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Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen
Lock and Key
Sarah Dessen
April 22, 2008
432 pages
Young Adult Fiction
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Ruby knows that the game is up. For the past few months, she’s been on her own in the yellow house, managing somehow, knowing that her mother will probably never return.
That’s how she comes to live with Cora, the sister she hasn’t seen in ten years, and Cora’s husband Jamie, whose down-to-earth demeanor makes it hard for Ruby to believe he founded the most popular networking Web site around. A luxurious house, fancy private school, a new wardrobe, the promise of college and a future—it’s a dream come true. So why is Ruby such a reluctant Cinderella, wary and defensive? And why is Nate, the genial boy next door with some secrets of his own, unable to accept the help that Ruby is just learning to give?
I’m always excited to get a Sarah Dessen novel in my hands. I’ve enjoyed each and every one of her books, and although they are not usually perfection, they absolutely never disappoint. Lock and Key was no different – I was a huge fan of this book, the characters, the story, everything.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – Sarah Dessen writes really great characters. Ruby was no different than Dessen’s other protagonists – she was smart, interesting, funny, and totally relatable. I felt for her and definitely rooted for her; for things to turn out well – for her to finally have the life she deserved. The secondary characters in Lock and Key were also very well-written; I really felt like I got to know everyone in the book so well. I especially enjoyed Harriet (Ruby’s boss) and Nate – they were really well-developed, complex, and likable characters. The only thing that could have been better, in my opinion, was the character of Cora. I felt like Dessen could have done a lot more with her … I wanted to get to know her so much and I never really did.
With Lock and Key, Dessen has once again written a fantastic teen novel. I highly recommend this one!
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Review: This Lullaby
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Title: This Lullaby
Author: Sarah Dessen
Published: May 27, 2002
Page Count: 352
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
My Rating: 4.5/5
When it comes to relationships, Remy doesn’t mess around. After all, she’s learned all there is to know from her mother, who’s currently working on husband number five. But there’s something about Dexter that seems to defy all of Remy’s rules. He certainly doesn’t seem like Mr. Right. For some reason, however, Remy just can’t seem to shake him. Could it be that Remy’s starting to understand what those love songs are all about? From acclaimed author Sarah Dessen, this is a captivating novel about a tough-as-nails girl and the unexpectedly charming boy who’s determined to soften her up.
I’ve been a fan of Sarah Dessen for a little over a year now, and I’m slowly working my way through all of her books. This Lullaby is one of her better ones and it absolutely did not disappoint.
Remy was a character that I felt close to almost immediately. She was the “responsible” one in her family – taking care of everybody else, organizing everything for her mom and brother, planning her mother’s wedding, making sure groceries were bought and the house was cleaned. And because her mother had been married so many times, Remy was sure that this whole love thing was just a bunch of BS. Until Dexter came around – and I have to say, that while I liked Remy a lot, I REALLY liked Dexter. He was fun, and funny, and a super sweet guy who really just cared for Remy no matter how far she pushed him away from her. Dexter was so far opposite Remy that it didn’t make any sense in the book when they got together. Except that it did, because Remy needed someone like Dexter to chill her out and help her have some fun in her life.
I liked Remy not because I related to her (I really didn’t, I’m perfectly happy in my marriage and I do believe in love) but because I could tell that what she was really experiencing was pain and loneliness and just masking those feelings with a tough exterior. I really felt for her. Not only did I feel for her, but I was praying throughout the entire book for her to get a happy ending. I didn’t want a perfect life for her, because I like my books to be realistic, but I did want her to finally understand that she deserved happiness.
One thing that Sarah Dessen does marvelously well is make the reader really connect to the characters in her books. As you can see from the paragraph above, This Lullaby is no different. While I was reading it, I sort of felt like Remy was a friend (more like a little sister I guess) and I just wanted to shake her for pushing Dexter away and at the same time comfort her because of all the pain she was carrying around with her. And Dexter, well I really just wanted to be friends with Dexter. He was such a great character in this book – he was hilarious and exactly what the book needed to balance out Remy’s personality.
I highly recommend This Lullaby as well as any of Dessen’s other books for fans of YA.
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Review: The Truth About Forever
Title: The Truth About Forever
Author: Sarah Dessen
Published: April 6, 2006
# of Pages: 400
ISBN: 978-0142406250
My Rating: 4/5
Sixteen-year-old Macy Queen is looking forward to a long, boring summer. Her boyfriend is going away. She’s stuck with a dull-asdishwater job at the library. And she’ll spend all of her free time studying for the SATs or grieving silently with her mother over her father’s recent unexpected death. But everything changes when Macy is corralled into helping out at one of her mother’s open house events, and she meets the chaotic Wish Catering crew. Before long, Macy joins the Wish team. She loves everything about the work and the people. But the best thing about Wish is Wes—artistic, insightful, and understanding Wes—who gets Macy to look at life in a whole new way, and really start living it….
I am a fan of Sarah Dessen. I think she writes teens very well. She writes characters that are very real, that teens can really relate to, that I would want to be friends with if I were their age. The Truth About Forever is no different – I related to Macy immediately, and right away, I just wanted things to start going right for her. I wanted her mom to be more open with her, I wanted her to get rid of her jerk boyfriend, and I wanted her to just enjoy her life. I also liked Wes. He wasn’t as developed as I would have liked him to be, but I enjoyed reading about how his and Macy’s friendship grew, and developed into something more (even when neither of them supposedly realized that’s what was going on).
The Truth About Forever wasn’t as amazing as Just Listen, however (my favorite Dessen book, by far). Unfortunately, I now compare every YA romance type book that I read to that one, and most don’t live up. It’s ok – this one was still good. It was just missing a little something that Just Listen had… some extra oomph. Still a good book, though. I liked it, I stayed up late to finish it, and I’m glad I got to experience the characters’ journeys. Solid YA. As Dessen is so good at doing. :)
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Review: Just Listen
Filed under: YA, audiobook, coming of age, fiction | Tags: sarah dessen
Comments (4) Just Listen – Sarah Dessen
From amazon.com -
Annabel Greene seemingly had everything: cool friends, close family, good grades, and a part-time modeling career in town. But it all came crashing down, and Annabel has spent the summer in shaky, self-imposed exile. She finds herself dreading the new school term and facing, well, everyone again. The last thing she wants to do is revisit old friendships while the losses are painful, the secrets behind the rifts are almost unbearable. Her solid family seems fragile, too. What happened to cause the stiff silences and palpable resentments between her two older sisters? Why is no one in her loving but determinedly cheerful family talking about her middle sister’s eating disorder? Annabel’s devastating secret is revealed in bits and snatches, as readers see her go to amazing lengths to avoid confrontation. Caught between wanting to protect her family and her own struggles to face a devastating experience, Annabel finds comfort in an unlikely friendship with the school’s most notorious loner. Owen has his own issues with anger, but has learned to control it and helps her realize the dangers of holding in her emotions. Dessen explores the interior and exterior lives of her characters and shows their flaws, humanity, struggles, and incremental successes. This is young adult fiction at its best, delving into the minds of complex, believable teens, bringing them to life, and making readers want to know more about them with each turn of the page.
Just Listen is probably my favorite YA book that I have read in recent years. The story and the characters were written so well, so perfectly, that I am still thinking about them and wishing I could read some sort of sequel. I found this to be such a great coming of age type story and I think teens will REALLY relate to the book.
I personally saw a lot of myself in Annabel. The aspects of her personality that got her into the most trouble – such as not being able to deal with confrontations, wanting everyone to be happy, apologizing for things that weren’t her fault, and just generally being “nice” to everyone – are things I struggle with myself. I’m not proud of it, but I definitely worry WAY too much about what people think of me, whether or not someone likes me, and I’m constantly making sure that I don’t upset anybody. I think the fact that I am so much like Annabel made me like the book more, and really helped me to understand her and what she was going through. Even if your personality is nothing like this, though, I think you’ll still enjoy the book because it really does grab you and make you care about these people and their lives. You may, however, find yourself being annoyed with Annabel and her inability to just say what she’s feeling, but I don’t think that would hinder the enjoyment of the story too much.
Just Listen is a fabulous book by an author that I’m really starting to love. I highly recommend picking this one up and I’ll definitely be reading more Dessen in the future.
Also reviewed by:
Review: That Summer
That Summer – Sarah Dessen
From the back cover -
For fifteen-year-old Haven, there’s just too much going on. First, there’s her father’s wedding to Lorna Queen, the local television “Weather Pet”. Then her sister Ashley’s wedding to boring Lewis Warsher, who doesn’t seem to suit Ashley at all. And Haven can’t ignore the fact that she’s nearly six feet tall and still growing. Haven can barely figure out who she is anymore or where she fits in. Then Ashley’s old boyfriend, Sumner Lee, shows up and sparks Haven’s memories of the summer when her parents were happy, her sister was plucky and carefree, and everything was perfect… or so it seemed.
My thoughts -
I thought this YA novel was just okay. I had read Someone Like You, another of Dessen’s novels, pretty recently and really enjoyed it. Compared to that, That Summer was kind of a disappointment actually. I just didn’t connect to the characters or the story in the same way, and I didn’t find myself caring too much about what happend to anybody or with any situation. I’m pretty sure, however, based on what I’ve heard about Dessen’s other works, that this book (and my feelings on it, specifically) is kind of a fluke in a collection of awesome YA books. I think the fact that I LOVED the other Dessen book I read made me have unreasonably high expectations for this one, which made it less than great in my eyes. I do think that it is a pretty decent YA book, but I was expecting a little more. I will still read more of Dessen’s books, for sure, and I’d still highly recommend her as an author. I’d just suggest reading Someone Like You over That Summer (if you’re only going to pick one).
*I can’t seem to find any other reviews on my Google Reader… if you’ve reviewed this, please let me know and I’ll link to you on this post!
Review: Someone Like You
Someone Like You – Sarah Dessen
published 1998 – 281 pages
From the book jacket -
Halley and Scarlett have been best friends ever since they met. Halley has always been the quiet one, Scarlett braver and more outgoing. Halley has always turned to Scarlett when things get rough, and Scarlett has always known just what to do. It’s the perfect setup. But everything changes at the beginning of their junior year. Scarlett’s boyfriend is killed in a motorcycle accident; then she finds out she’s carrying his baby. For the first time ever, Scarlett really needs Halley. Now Halley has to learn how to be strong for Scarlett. It won’t be easy, but Halley knows that she can’t let Scarlett down. Because a true friend is a promise you keep forever.
My thoughts -
This is the first of Sarah Dessen’s that I’ve read, and I’ll definitely be reading more of her books in the future. I REALLY liked the style of the book, the way she wrote these characters, and the story here. I mean, this woman knows how to write teens in a way that many authors do not. Every word was just so completely real. It hasn’t been too long since my teen years (I’m 24) and I can easily imagine how my friends and I would have felt and behaved in a situation similar to the one in the book, and what I imagine is pretty darn close to the way Halley and Scarlett were. I’m not going to lie to you people – the ending to this one totally made me cry. I have a love/hate relationship with books making me cry – on the one hand, it means that I got emotionally involved and really felt for the characters, which means it was probably a really good book; on the other hand, I don’t much enjoy crying, especially if it’s about something sad. I’m not going to spoil the ending, but let’s just say that in this case, it was a worthy cry, and not one I felt resentment about. Go read this book, especially if you are a YA fan – it’s a very good one.
Also reviewed by Sassymonkey at Sassymonkey Reads.
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