"Maybe the truth was, it shouldn't be easy to be amazing. Then everything would be."

When I saw a stack of ARCs of Sarah Dessen's latest novel, Along for the Ride, at the Penguin booth in Denver, I let out a little squeal. Seriously. The girl in the booth may have been scared, but she graciously handed one over--and I am so appreciative. In this lovely book, Dessen tells the story of Auden, a teenager spending her last summer before going to college at her father and stepmother's home following the birth of their first baby. Throughout the summer, Auden's insomnia pairs her with Eli, who is struggling to deal with the loss of his best friend Abe. They travel through the night with Eli leading Auden on a quest to regain a missed childhood, while Auden helps Eli deal with moving past the trauma of losing Abe.
This book is due to be published and available for sale June 16, 2009.