Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

This text consists of several excerpts from the novel "Along for the Ride" by Sarah Dessen, providing glimpses into the protagonist's, Auden's, summer of transition and self-discovery. The narrative details Auden's complicated relationships with her divorced, academically focused parents and her efforts to navigate new social dynamics while staying with her father and his new wife, Heidi, who is overwhelmed with a newborn. Auden's journey includes forming unexpected friendships with local teens, working at a beach boutique, and developing a connection with Eli, a local boy who introduces her to a different, less academically structured life. The snippets illustrate her internal conflict between her ingrained identity as the "little adult" and her desire to experience a more typical, imperfect adolescence, ultimately suggesting a shift in her priorities and a realization that it is "never too late" to change.