Sarah Dessen has always been one of my favorite authors, whose novels have always featured small-town settings and characters with interesting backstories. One of my all-time favorite books by her is Along for the Ride. With a recent adaptation of this book coming out on Netflix, I decided to watch it, and it by far has been one of my favorite movies so far this year.

The focus is on Auden, a girl who has recently just graduated high school. All her life, she has struggled to come to terms with her parents' sudden divorce several years ago and has studied intensely in high school to escape. When her parents were fighting, she had thought that if she did not fall asleep, she would be able to prevent her parents' split. Although this result did not happen, the habit of sleeping late permanently led to Auden's many late nights. Her entire life, due to these situations, her intense focus on academics and studying, and her lack of a social life, she was confined to being with her mother and listening to her lecture her college students on a number of issues concerning women's rights.

However, the summer before her college year, Auden was determined to change things. She accepted an invite from her father to stay with him, and her stepsister and stepmother in Colby. Auden did not expect much at first, with her mindset thinking that she was better than everyone else. This all changed when one day, she met a fellow insomniac named Eli, who she quickly befriends and goes on night adventures with, doing all the childhood experiences she missed out on, such as learning to ride a bike. During this time, she also pushed herself to become a better person and friend, and ultimately ends up meeting a few girls who quickly become her best friends. 

Everything progresses well in the movie, with a few bumps along the way, until Auden and Eli, along with the other main characters, must come to terms with their hardships along the way and learn to grow from their mistakes. This movie is a feel-good film that will warm your heart until the very end, so go watch it now!