Along For The Ride by Sarah Dessen

Summary from Goodreads:
"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."

Review: When I first heard about the whole plot line of the story, I was intrigued and felt like disappointment would not fall upon me as a result of having this novel written by an ingenious author, Sarah Dessen. I always enjoy her novels because they are such a light, satisfying read that make me so relax and comfortable. Dessen's novels always set an atmosphere of calmness and that I believe, is what makes me so engrossed with the novel as I can focus solely on the whole story. The characters, like all her other novels, are so realistic and believable, allowing the readers to connect with them. In my opinion, this was a very well written story that showed how the characters transformed and grew more dynamic as the plot proceeded. Auden felt like my friend and when the story ended, I really wish it hadn't because my connection with a few characters felt too real and genuine. I would recommend this novel to anyone that is seeking for a light, sweet read, not something packed with action or having an unpredictable plot. I'll admit, one thing I dislike about Sarah Dessen's novels are because they are, more or less, predictable, which ruins the anticipation that readers want when reading a novel. Overall rating: 4.5/5