Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Auden was never a typical girl — or even a typical kid, for that matter. Having parents who worked in academia surely played a part in this development, but they never really pressured Auden to be so studious. She just kind of felt safer in that environment and gravitated toward being an overachiever. Instead of playing with dolls or riding bikes, she studied and joined the “geek” clubs that focused on math and science. It paid off, in a sense, by getting her into an prestigious college… but Auden knew she was missing something. The summer before college, Auden decides to spend some time with her father [and his new wife and baby]. And while she knew that life would be somewhat different than it had been at home with her mom, she had no idea how much a single summer could change her. What started as a part-time job keeping the books at her step-mom’s trendy clothing boutique eventually became a gateway to friendship with some “normal” teenagers. As soon as Auden learns to stop judging people based on how they look, she starts to catch up on a lot of the things she missed out on during her childhood — like learning to ride a bike. There’s so much more to this story that I just can’t put into words (at least, if I want to do them justice), so you just have to trust me. If you like Sarah Dessen, this is a book you need to read!

Happy Reading!