Sarah Dessen

• Name — Sarah Dessen • Birth Name — Sarah Dessen • Born — 6 June 1970 • Birthplace — Evanston, Illinois, U.S. • Alma Mater — University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill • Occupation — Novelist • Period — 1996–present • Genre — Realistic fiction • Subject — Young adult literature • Children — 1 • Website — http: www.sarahdessen.com/

Dessen was born in Evanston, Illinois, on June 6, 1970, to Alan and Cynthia Dessen, who were both professors at the University of North Carolina, teaching Shakespearean literature and classics. In her adolescence, Dessen has described herself as shy and introverted. In a piece penned for Seventeen, Dessen described a relationship with an older individual during her teenage years and her continual understanding of that experience over time. Dessen attended Greensboro College in Greensboro, North Carolina, but dropped out before the end of the first semester. Upon moving back home she enrolled at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, to take classes in creative writing, resulting in her graduating with highest honors in 1993. Today Dessen lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with her husband Jay and daughter Sasha Clementine.

In her early career, Dessen waitressed at the Flying Burrito restaurant in Chapel Hill and was an assistant to Lee Smith. Smith later passed one of Dessen's manuscripts to an agent, helping to launch Dessen's career. After the 1996 publication of her first book, That Summer, Dessen continued working at the restaurant. Following the publication of Dreamland, Dessen taught at the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill. She became a full-time writer before the 2006 release of Just Listen. Dessen's Along for the Ride made the New York Times Best Sellers List in 2009. After its publication, Dessen was referred to as a "best-seller machine".

In November 2019, an Aberdeen News article quoted a comment from 2016 by a Northern State University alumna regarding the University's 'Common Read' program, which identifies books "representing diverse points of view" for undergraduate students to read as part of their curriculum. The student, Brooke Nelson, said she became involved with the program "simply so I could stop them from ever choosing Sarah Dessen." Regarding Dessen's book, Nelson stated, "She’s fine for teen girls, but definitely not up to the level of Common Read." Dessen posted parts of this interview that were critical of her on Twitter, redacting Nelson's name and the institution but stating that the comments were "mean and cruel”. Her post was supported by a number of authors, including Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Weiner, Siobhan Vivian, Roxane Gay, and N. K. Jemisin. Following this, Northern State University issued an apology for the alumna's comments. Dessen deleted her tweet. She apologized for her remarks, acknowledging it had resulted in her fans connecting her comments with their source to identify and harass Nelson. This led the former student to delete her social media accounts. Dessen stated, "With a platform and a following, I have a responsibility to be aware of what I put out there." Several of the other authors who had supported Dessen apologized to Nelson, noting they had supported Dessen’s expression of her feelings but did not support the subsequent identification and bullying of Nelson.

Young adult literature often addresses complex emotional and social issues reflective of adolescent experiences and development. Dessen's novels have been known for their focus on adolescent identity, personal growth, and complex relationships, especially with families and peers. Her novels typically focus on a female protagonist going through a major transitional period in her life, how she navigates it, and in the process discovering herself. Reviews of her work in Publishers Weekly have noted her consistent exploration of teenage emotional experiences. In 2017, Dessen was interviewed by Anna Gragert. During the interview, Gragert asked Dessen about the style she uses in some of her books, otherwise known as "effortless perfection". Dessen describes this term as the young girls in her books being able to have friends, look good, be a good student and have one's life together, and to make it look easy. At the start of the book, the reader is supposed to relate with the main characters and throughout their changes in the book, the reader should see that it is okay to not have everything together and not be perfect.