Along for the Ride

“It was so easy to disown what you couldn't recognize, to keep yourself apart from things that were foreign and unsettling. The only person you can be sure to control, always, is yourself. Which is a lot to be sure of, but at the same time, not enough.”

Normally you'd expect the romance to take center stage in contemporaries like those written by Sarah Dessen, but I have to say, this element in her books is almost always sweet but highly underwhelming, it takes a backseat to character development, friendships and complicated family matters, and I truly appreciate this. Auden and Eli as a couple left me pretty cold, but I loved their personal growth and their relationships with the supporting cast.

I loved this book way more than I was expecting to. Honestly I picked it up because I had never read a Sarah Dessen book and wanted to, and this one is coming out as a netflix movie next week.

I liked it so much because Auden was so relatable to me. I tend to get worked up about how I need to finish whatever school work and feel like I can't go out and do something fun because of it. But this summer, Auden didn't try to get ahead in school and she just let go and had a summer filled with new experiences, new adventures, and new friends.

I also think it was impactful in the idea of not being so over concerned about the future and instead enjoying where you are in that moment.

That was how this book resonated with me, but there were so many other ways I think it could resonate with different people. I think that's what makes it such a beautiful book.

Buku Sarah Dessen ketiga yg kubaca. Ciri khas Sarah ini bkn hanya menceritakan ttg teen romance saja namun juga kehidupan remaja dgn teman2nya juga mengatasi permasalahan dgn keluarganya.
Auden menderita insomnia dan sbnrnya blm benar2 menerima perceraian orang tuanya. Ayahnya sdh menikah lagi & tinggal di Colby bersama istri baru & bayinya. Dia memutuskan secara spontan untuk menghabiskan musim panas bersama keluarga baru ayahnya. Ternyata selama musim panas ini dia menjalani musim panas dgn pengalaman yg sungguh berbeda dgn musim panas yg pernah dia jalani sepanjang hidupnya.

to be honest, i don't really like anything about this book except for Auden. But she is such a stunning character who I relate to so much that I can't bear to give her story less than five stars. her relationship with her mother is interesting, but very frustrating, hey father is an asswipe, her stepmother really just needs a hug. I don't like any of the friends Auden makes in this town and I really don't like the romance and I don't care about the whole biking backdrop. But I did enjoy myself while reading this.