Along For The Ride by Sarah Dessen

About This Book:

Goodreads Summary

✥Series/Trilogy/Stand-Alone, etc:  Stand Alone

✥Release Date:  June 16, 2009

✥Setting:  Colby, NC

✥Page Count:  382

✥Edition: Hardcover
✥Genre(s):  Young Adult, Fiction , Contemporary, Romance
✥Date(s) Read: 2/7/18-2/12/18
✥Rating:          Book:   3/5            Audio:    3/5           Narrator:  Rachel Botchman
   
My Thoughts:

Audio: 
Not really a whole lot to say about her. She isn't perfect but she is good. 

Book:
Let me start off with the negative. I hated those parents of Auden's! The mom was a judgmental, lush and a bitch. Dad was an arrogant, needs to be single for the rest of his life, narcissistic ass. Both of which need to be shook! Hard!

A little more positive than negative part...

I like Sarah Dessen. Not perfect by any means and most of her stories are a lot alike. She is a good writer and I have enough interest to continue on with the books I have already bought but I am not sure how much of an interest I have in any other books. I may just take it book by book. Dreamland I think is the only one I am not really interested in as the book's synopsis seems to make it out to be a bit more than I can handle emotionally. That is, if I am thinking correctly, if not, I'm sure I will figure it out eventually as I start looking through her books a little more closely.

Now, on to the more positive part.....

I loved Auden. I definitely loved Eli! They were just out enjoying life. Now, as a parent, it would drive me nuts to know my sons, especially as teenagers, are just out hanging out all night and I don't know where they are! My anxious self wouldn't be able to breathe! And I always wonder why the hell these parents don't know their kids aren't at home! I am a parent that is always checking on my sons. Now, if they sneak out while I'm sleep, that's another thing but with me, I'm bound to wake up during the night sometimes because nature calls, I'm struggling to sleep, bad dreams, etc. So, they'd get caught quite a bit. And those are the nights I do sleep.

I digress.....

It took me some time to get used to Heidi but as the book went on, I began to love her! Especially when she started coming into herself! I was also glad to see a whole lot of growth when it came to mom. Dad? Well, some. He was the hardest to see how much of a pain in the behind he actually is.

So glad to see that Auden was coming out of her shell, making friends and gradually standing up for herself. Growing up in a family who are very much overbearing and make it hard to be who you are and going your own way, I can get why it was so hard. I am much older and still have issues still not wanting confrontation with family but sometimes, you just have to say enough is enough and hurt feelings. It isn't intentional but sometimes, standing up for yourself, feelings get hurt. Even if it isn't intentional.

The book was decent. It had a lot of parts I did like but would I reread it? Doubtful.

Although I am not big on rereading books, this is my thought process: If I didn't have anyway to get any books (even the library) and the only thing I had to read were books on my shelf that I already finished, would I read this one again?

(I also am not a huge e-book reader. I honestly prefer a book in my hands over an e-book. It's not that I never have read an e-book because I have and I'm not saying I'd never read one again but they just aren't my favorite way to read)

So, in a nutshell, this book will likely be donated to my [favorite] local used bookstore that is run through the Habitat for Humanity.