Auden is a focused academic teenager. She moves to a small beach town called Colby for the summer, to visit her father and stepmother, and her new baby sister, Thisbe. Auden's mother had always taught her that people never change, and Auden couldn't even begin to expect how much would change, and in such little time. 
     Auden grew up in the middle of her parent’s divorce; she never had much of a childhood. Instead, she would spend hours studying for classes that she hadn't even had yet, if only to impress her parents. She didn't even know how to ride a bike. When she arrives in Colby, she meets three girls: Maggie, Esther and Leah, gets a job at her stepmother’s clothing store (doing paperwork), and is introduced to the world of girls, and of friends. She meets Eli one night, a mysterious bike rider, and an insomniac, like she is. They set out on a quest to help her relive and regain her childhood. 
     Along For The Ride, by Sarah Dessen is good. I went into reading it expecting great. Normally, Dessen's realistic fiction novels have more detail, so you see a clearer picture. I felt like in this book, the detail was focused on small objects, and there was hardly any detail for a big event. The plot moves slowly, and has quite a few references to bikes. Although the plot doesn’t move fast, I found it enjoyable; pure pleasure reading.
     I did enjoy reading this book. I would definitely recommend it to Sarah Dessen fans. Most of her books are perfect for 11-17 year olds, as there are only some adult references. I hope she writes more books, and soon!