Along for the Ride

Sorry I didn't update you guys, but I started and finished Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen. I think for the time being I'm just going to give up on All Enemies, sorry :( . Along for the Ride is a teen Chic Lit book about a girl who is academically inclined and who didn't have much of a childhood. She goes to visit her father for the summer before going off to college and finds something she wasn't expecting.

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Next to Stephen King, Sarah Dessen is one of my favorite authors. I found this book was a guessing game. Although, it was a typical teen plot and somewhat predictable at the beginning I was playing the "Guess What Will Happen Next" game. Sarah Dessen is like the female version of Nicholas Sparks. This book followed the guidelines to a good book. First, the chapters and breaks in chapters ended with a powerful sentence or a cliff hanger to make you want to keep reading. Second, I could really feel for the characters. When the main character was nervous, I was definitely nervous. I also, got very frustrated at the main character, which like I always say is the key to a good book. At the end of the book, I got very worried that things weren't actually going to work out the way I wanted it to. There were a few nit-picky things about the book. First, the main character had a few beers throughout the book and I found it weird that the alcohol didn't affect her when it was clear she had never had any alcohol before. Second, there were a few swears throughout the book and I understand it's a book for teens but swears ether need to be cut out completely or like full on. The ones that were in the book seemed out of place because that wasn't really the type of writing style that was used. Finally, the cover was very misleading. I know, I know, "Don't judge a book by it's cover" but seriously. This cover made the book look like it would be about some girl who has it all and isn't socially awkward, and honestly I think that would turn away a reader. If I didn't absolutely love Sarah Dessen I might not have read it due to the cover. It turned out to be a really good book, and if you're into teen Chic Lit, read this book. It's an excellent beach and summer read.

I'm going to read And The Mountains Echoed. Since, it's a new book I hope you haven't become jaded of reviews about the book.

Happy reading!
Mackenzie