Along For the Ride-Sarah Dessen
“Call it chicken salad”
It’s things like this that make Sarah Dessen one of my favorite authors. I mean, I’ve never even heard that phrase before but it’s just perfect. Although I gotta say chicken salad is pretty awesome so I’m not sure the context exactly…You can find these short moments in each of her books and each one sticks with you throughout the read. It’s really all in the details.
And it’s also all in the lead male character. I think I speak for many a women/girls when I say that Dessen has this uncanny way of developing male characters that we fall in love with. It’s almost absurd. Eli Stock is no exception. He’s tortured and screwed up (but who isn’t?) but because of that he’s also incredibly wise and full of heart. And he says things that make unnatural cooing sounds come from my mouth and my heart gets all gooey. It’s disgusting.
What can I say? I love this book. It’s really hard not to. It’s one of Dessen’s less cheesy books in my opinion. While I can’t connect directly with Auden’s quest to reclaim her childhood I can connect with needing a change of pace and learning way too much about yourself and those you love that it overwhelms your soul. And Dessen displays it beautifully.
Things I’ve learned:
- It’s never too late to learn how to ride a bike
- In most cases, there is always a second chance
- People can surprise you
- For goodness sakes NEVER name your child Thisbe. (PLEASE. I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH).
It was a great start to the year of reading. Next up is The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
