Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Ahhh! Okay I know I said Saturday or Sunday, and for that I am sorry. I do have a post today though! Seeee! I told you it would be soon :)
For my lack of posts and for being late, I'm adding another book to the prize for this weeks contest! It's Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt. So that means you'll get 3 books AND a signed book mark from Kristina Springer! And Like I said.. if I get more followers.. there could be a surprise book :)
I'm also going to be posting a review like, everyday this week to make up for lost time. So count on seeing some more!

Okay, moving on to the review. Today's book is Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen. The description of this book is:

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.

So, this was the book that I was dying to have last year. As some of you may have noticed, I have a picture of Sarah Dessen and I at the bottom right side of this blog. I drove 8 hours, yes 8, to meet her in North Carolina. I went to her event on Along for the Ride's publishing day and bought the book. I got it signed along with an art project I did in High School that has one of her quotes written on it. I read this book right when I got it. Then, I came back home really excited. I brought the book to a restaurant with me to show my friend how cool I thought it was. I left it on the table when we left. It had only been 10 minutes but by the time I got back, it was just gone. No one knew what happened to it. WHO WOULD STEAL A BOOK?? I mean, come on. Really? It just had to be MY book that I drove EIGHT hours to get signed? I was so mad.
Anyway, that's the background story of that. The book was obviously VERY good. Sarah Dessen's books are always amazing. While it was still very good, I don't think this one is top 3 of my favorites. The story line was really intriguing and I loved the name Auden. Auden is really easy to relate to, as my parents are divorced like hers and my dad has a new wife. THANK GOD they don't have a baby though. Overall, Along for the Ride was amazing and uplifting and fun and everything a Sarah Dessen novel always is. The writing in this book is perfect and so, so real. Sarah said herself that this book was fun to write and that you can tell when you read it that she had fun doing it. I think she's right. Although this book has some sad things it in, like most people's lives, it still is a really fun book. It was a quick read for me and I couldn't wait to figure out what happened in the end. If you're looking for a book to make you laugh and make you ready for summer, this one's for you. Hope you guys enjoy! :)