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Published Jun 2009
384 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
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.
"Auden's thoughtful observations make for enjoyable reading - this is solid, if not 'top shelf'." - Publishers Weekly
"Starred Review. Dessen reworks well-traveled terrain and creates a remarkably original story with realistic teen dialogue, authentic girl friendships and a complex underlying question: Can people really change?" -Kirkus Reviews
"Along for the Ride ... provides the interpersonal intricacies fans expect from a Dessen plot. Rounding out her latest offering with richly depicted female friendships, Dessen offers up a summertime tale of self-discovery." - Horn Book
"This summer vacation-themed story will be savored." - School Library Journal
This information about Along for the Ride was first featured
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Sarah Dessen grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and attended UNC-Chapel Hill, graduating with highest honors in Creative Writing. She is the author of eight acclaimed novels; including Just Listen, which spent a total of 18 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and Lock and Key, also a New York Times bestseller. Her first two books, That Summer and Someone Like You, were the basis for the movie How to Deal starring Mandy Moore.
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