Auden West isn’t your typical teenager. For one thing she has never acted like a kid instead she was always the perfect little adult, never causing problems for her parents unlike her wild older brother, Hollis. Also she hasn’t slept at night since her parents’ bitter divorce two years ago. Auden stays up until the early morning studying by herself. However, the summer before her freshman year at college all that changes. Staying at her father’s beach house with his new young wife and their baby in the small town of Colby, Auden’s life turns upside down. She starts working at her stepmom’s clothing shop, Clementine’s, where she makes several real friends for the first time in her life. Now she hangs out with Eli at night, a fellow night owl who has some problems of his own. Together they embark on a quest to restore Auden’s lost childhood. They bowl, go to a club, and – most importantly – Auden learns to ride a bike. Will Auden’s happiness last? Will complications force her to go back to her introverted ways? Well, you’ll have to hop on the bike and come along for the ride to find out.
This was an amazing book and, in my opinion, Dessen’s best yet. As is the case with all of Sarah Dessen’s books, the character’s problems felt real, and identifying with Auden’s issues is easy. The book will keep you hooked to the end. I would recommend this book to all readers thirteen and up.
Emma Vitacco
