along for the ride by Sarah Dessen

This book was a tad bit more difficult to read than Dessen's other books.  They are usually a light read on a deep subject.  This book focused on Auden, an uber intelligent girl who of course talks and thinks with long words.  As the average person I am, didn't know every word in this book so I start doing something I did back in middle school.  When I find a word that I didn't know of, I write it down on paper and find the definition of it later.  Back then, this helped me greatly with my vocabulary.  So, now my "diary" is full of lists of words that I have yet to find the meanings of.
Moving on, if I was Auden, I would be longing to try those childhood things before arriving at Colby.  I am greatly influenced by the media (how can not one be?), always believing those special moments of being a simple, carefree kid is what we crave for most.  Because those were the days we didn't have anything to worry about.  Not Auden though, her mother was always expecting greater things from her, never expressing how proud she probably was.  Her father was a quitter.  Both her parents were manipulative in an odd way.  I can't really illustrate this type of strange for you so I guess you have to find out yourself by reading this book.  In addition, Auden has an older brother that is a slacker in her eyes, but a brave explorer to her parents.  He wasn't into academics and travelled the world, still getting away with staying a child.
If I was Eli, I'd probably be the same character as he was: alienated (trying not to involve yourself too much) and quiet.  Other than that, I wouldn't really feel guilty for the death of Abe.  I think I'd understand the concept of an accident and "fate" for that night.  But I'd also understand the pain of one's world stopping, because a constant person in your life has disappeared.  Without them, the question that kinds of pops up is, "Who are you without them?".  And the answer would be "No one.  I am the person today because of him/her." 
I found that these two characters were kind of forced to be with each other but they gradually flowed towards together and morphed into a couple.  Maybe they are so compatible because of Auden's natural anti-socialness (the plot claims that she wasn't, but missed her high school chance of being social.  But WHATEVER.) and Eli's anti-social phase.
By the way, I totally knew that they were going to name the bike shop after Abe!

EssSee
PS.  Time Traveller's Wife next!  So far so good =)