Along for the Ride

 Review

Common Sense Media says

More of the same from Dessen, plus lots of teen drinking.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this realistic portrayal of teen life includes drinking, romance, and some non-graphic sex. Although these teens are just out of high school, there is a lot of beer drinking done by all. The main character's parents divorce after much fighting; her mother seems notorious for drinking and seducing her grad students. On the plus side, all of the female characters are very intelligent and there's a subtheme that people can change for the better.

  • Not applicable.
  • The main character, Auden, and other secondary characters are smart and goal-oriented. Most of the boys are sweet and not sexist. An underlying theme is about girls enjoying fashion, expressing individuality, and having goals; also, girls are presented as athletic as boys. Auden and her stepmother are financially savvy and like business. Most of the teens are headed for college. The only really bad message is that there are no consequences to teen drinking.
  • Some positive role models are present in the primary male teen: he has a good parental relationship, takes responsibility, and shows resiliency in dealing with his friend’s death. He and Auden form a positive romantic relationship based on friendship and respect. Auden’s stepmother is also a strong, smart young businesswoman who has pursued her own dreams. However, Auden’s parents are selfish, immature, jealous, and self-indulgent. Auden’s mother drinks and has affairs with grad students and treats Auden with contempt.  Auden’s brother is immature and dependent on his parents; he also treats women as objects. Auden herself makes some bad choices; she runs away from problems, is judgmental, and often selfish.
  • An ex-girlfriend of Auden’s new crush threatens to beat her up.
  • Auden hooks up with a guy the first night they meet, makes out, and takes her shirt and bra off. Later there is a very non-graphic recall of losing her virginity with Eli. References to Auden's mother seducing and sleeping with grad students. Auden's father starts dating before his divorce; his girlfriend then becomes pregnant before they marry.
  • Brief occasional use of swear words, most by female characters: "Jesus," "s--t," "hell," "bitch," "sucked," "pissed."
  • Snack foods such as Pringles, Twizzlers. Also, there's a big focus on fashion and brands in the local boutique owned by a main character. While the brand names are fictional, the emphasis on the "right" brands making you look or feel better is pervasive.  
  • All the teens (mostly 18-year-olds) drink almost nightly at keggers, parties, and clubs. Adults, mostly Auden’s mother, drink frequently; one offers Auden wine.

What's the story?

A gifted but lonely teen tries to recreate a childhood lost to a dysfunctional family by hanging out with other teens at the beach before they all head off to college in the fall. She makes her first real friends, falls in love, and discovers girls/women can be feminine and smart, all for the first time. She also manages to overcome very bad parenting, and forges new relationships with her dysfunctional mother, her absent father, and her new stepmother.


Is it any good?

 

The gang at the beach is into BMX, but also into partying. Too many
subplots slow this typical Dessen book down, but the problems are
overcome in the end. It has a pretty PG romance, lessons about self-acceptance and accepting others, and asks if people can change. But dysfunctional families and too many plots overwhelm everything else.

Teen readers may be bored with the whole stepmom/new baby storyline, but probably won't mind that Dessen has recycled her often-used themes of abusive parents, the power of friendship, and teens who run away from their problems. Sadly there is also a typical lack of both cultural and social diversity.


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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about if people can really change. What does it take to make Auden change?

  • If you were a celebrity sports figure, what would you do with your fame and fortune?

  • Is it important to care about fashion?

  • Why do you think Auden kept running away from people?


This review was written by Debra Bogart
Teen, 15 years old
December 21, 2010
 
Every teenage girl can learn to fall in love with this story!

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Teen, 16 years old
February 23, 2010
 
not all true
Auden never lost her virginity to Eli.

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Teen, 16 years old
April 12, 2011
 
Megan's Review
I think that this is a good book. It just shows a girl who didn't have a child hood re-creating her one with a friend. Sure, she makes a few mistakes; but doesn't everyone?

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Parent of 4 year old
February 26, 2010
 
Good Book
Some people might complain about some "iffy" things. I don't understand why. This book, like all of Sarah Dessen's was a very good coming of age novel. Some people say that she loses her virginity in the novel, not true. Some people say there is heavy drinking, I only remember reading a couple of drinking scenes that were minor at most. The kids in the novel at 18 and over and are done with high school. Most high schoolers have drank a beer or two, I'm sure. Of course my kid are very young, but I recommended it to my nieces (11 & 12) and they loved it, so did their mother

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Adult
February 23, 2010
 
Incredible book all around for anyone
A great book. All of Sarah Dessen's novels have strong, brave, and true women as role models and Auden never had sex with Eli. Just saying.

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Teen, 17 years old
September 24, 2009
 
couldnt put it down
this book is brilliant i think that auden is very smart and i can undestand her really quite well. some points in this book are not exactly appropriate for yonger teens but mostly the book is quite tame. i couldnt put it down and stayed up into the early hours of the morning trying to finish this brilliant book. i belive that this book will be good for anyone that wants to read about a character they can relate to

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Teen, 16 years old
October 10, 2010
 
lovvved it

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Teen, 15 years old
February 25, 2010
 
Good for tweens and teens, especially grades 5-8
I think "Along for The Ride" is a great book for middle schoolers. Some parents may think it's a little mature for elementary schoolers but I read books like it in the 4th and 5th grade, so I think it would be fine for 4th and 5th grade but no younger. It is a little mature, has a little non-graphic sex, and drinking, but most of the drinking is just wine, and most kids' parents drink wine around them anyway. And if kids didn't already know what non-graphic sex is like (i.e. how it is described) they may not even realize it's non-graphic sex.

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Teen, 15 years old
December 12, 2011
 
Pretty good book I must say!
I liked this book a lot! The plot was good and I thought that it gave a stong, good message, as this is how many families are: divorced parents,new step-mom, new half-brother sister, etc. I think it was one of Sarah Dessen's better books! Chuck Norris helped me approve this novel :P

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Teen, 14 years old
March 19, 2011
 
love it
love it! it just the right amount of romance, family issues, and finding your idenity!

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This review was written by Debra Bogart
Author:Sarah Dessen
Book type:Fiction
Genre:Coming of Age
Publisher:Viking
Publication date:June 1, 2009
Number of pages:383
Hardcover price:$19.99
Publisher's recommended age(s):12 - 17
Read aloud:12
Read alone:14

This review was written by Debra Bogart
 

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ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

 

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