In Dessen's novel, Along for the Ride, there are many themes, but one of the main themes is that of the impact of divorce on the children. Auden learns that even though she understands the divorce intellectually, her heart does not understand it. She also realizes that she is trying so hard to make her parents proud and that, in the end, it will make no difference. Her parents are stubborn, selfish people, and it is only when Auden realizes that there is more to life than only academics, that having friends and a social life are important, too, that she is able to stop focusing on her parents and their drama.
