“In high school, I was lucky enough to have a big group of girlfriends that have really inspired a lot of the stories in my books. I'm still close with my friends from that time, so it's never very hard to put myself back into that place, that voice.”

American novelist of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Sarah Dessen writes coming-of-age stories that explore teenage resilience and family dynamics with quiet empathy. Her novels, like *The Green Glass Sea* and *Just Listen*, blend realism with emotional depth, offering nuanced portraits of young women navigating love, loss, and self-discovery.