If you‘re looking for the perfect summer romance, do not look further: „Along for the ride“ has it all. You definitely should grab a copy before the movie adaption comes to Netflix on April 22! (Titled „because of you“ on netflix)
Auden is a mature girl - at least she got raised as one, feeling the expectation of her parents to be responsible, in contrast to her brother. But when Auden is faced with a whole summer between High School and College (the only thing she cares about) she makes an out-of-behaviour decision. In expectation to at least have one „normal“ teenage experience and to live her „best of times“ she visits her father in Colby. He lives there with his new wife and their new-born daughter.
When Auden arrives in Colby she learns that her dad‘s new family live isn‘t going as smooth as he made her believe. Auden sees herself thrown into the same mix of fights and struggles as she witnessed between her dad and her mother during their divorce. It‘s a good thing she never gave up those sleepless nights she got accustomed to during their separation. But Colby isn‘t as her hometown. Suddenly Auden sees herself falling back into co-dependent behaviour (and hating it).
On the positive side, Auden also slowly makes friends with the girls at her stepmother‘s shop.
And there is this boy who keeps mostly to himself - Eli. First, they only see each other occasionally. It seems as if Eli is an insomniac just like Auden. But after a fateful party their paths cross more regularly and they start spending their nights together. But Auden feels slightly overwhelmed, missing the simplicity of her former life. Will her trapped feelings ruin her time at this beach town?
Sarah Dessen‘s stories always have a lot of depth to them. Her romances never feel forced but rather natural. And I love her characters! They‘re so real and multifaceted and they make mistakes and struggle and aren‘t perfect. But they try and try again after they fail and that makes them so special - and really human.
Also, her background characters aren‘t just background noise. They are really authentic, too. In this book I loved Maggie a lot. She is a girl with a lot of surprise and Auden‘s friendship with Maggie really „changed“ Auden for the better.
Sarah Dessen has a beautiful way of putting touching truths in simple words.
Bonus: Sarah Dessen has a lot of other books if you‘re through with this one. And some of her characters make it into her other books where they stand behind the market stall or spend their time in the same restaurant. Most of her books play in the same two towns and it is like returning to the family summer location and learning nothing has changed
