Sarah Dessen is a beloved young adult author known for authentic stories of teenage life. Her novels, including The Truth About Forever and Just Listen, resonate strongly with readers of all ages.
If you enjoy reading books by Sarah Dessen then you might also like the following authors:
Morgan Matson writes warm, relatable stories that touch on the excitement and confusion of growing up. Her novels explore friendships, family dynamics, and romance in genuine, heartfelt ways.
If you enjoy Sarah Dessen's thoughtful focus on real teen issues, try Matson's Since You've Been Gone. It's a fun and sincere look at how friendship can push you beyond your comfort zone into meaningful experiences.
Jenny Han's books are heartfelt and sweet, connecting readers to characters who feel like real, flawed friends. She writes about love, family, and personal growth in ways readers can identify with easily.
Her popular novel To All the Boys I've Loved Before is a perfect read if you enjoy Sarah Dessen's authentic teen voices and insightful views on relationships.
Kasie West creates stories that are both lighthearted and meaningful, blending humor, romance, and realistic teen experiences. Like Sarah Dessen, West captures young life authentically and clearly.
Her book, The Fill-In Boyfriend, highlights teen insecurities, friendship, and romance in an engaging style that's charming and easy to love.
Huntley Fitzpatrick brings warmth and realism to her stories about first love, family dynamics, and navigating teenage uncertainty. If you appreciate Sarah Dessen’s emotional depth and layered characters, you'll likely enjoy Fitzpatrick’s My Life Next Door.
It's a well-crafted tale of young romance, complex relationships, and the challenges families face.
Emery Lord writes vibrant and heartfelt stories that capture the ups and downs of teen friendships, love, and personal discovery. Her storytelling, like Sarah Dessen’s, thoughtfully portrays the complexity of emotional growth and genuine relationships.
Check out The Start of Me and You, a beautiful exploration of friendship, healing, and opening oneself to new experiences and growth.
Stephanie Perkins writes charming romance novels with relatable characters and heartfelt emotions. Like Sarah Dessen, she focuses on themes of friendship, first love, and finding oneself.
Her novel Anna and the French Kiss follows Anna as she navigates love and friendship in a boarding school in Paris, capturing all the joys and struggles of growing up.
Katie Cotugno's books often explore complex relationships and authentic teenage experiences. Readers who enjoy Sarah Dessen's realistic portrayals of young adults will appreciate Cotugno's honest depiction of emotions and choices.
Her novel How to Love tells the story of Reena and Sawyer as they navigate an intense romance complicated by family expectations, personal mistakes, and second chances.
Jennifer E. Smith creates sweet and insightful young adult romances that focus on chance encounters, self-discovery, and meaningful connections. Her approachable characters and realistic settings resonate with Sarah Dessen fans.
In The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, Smith explores how a brief meeting during an airplane flight can have a lasting emotional impact through the story of two teens brought together by fate.
Miranda Kenneally writes engaging contemporary stories that highlight friendships, sports, and overcoming personal challenges. Like Sarah Dessen, she creates teenage characters who are genuine and easy to relate to.
Kenneally's novel Catching Jordan centers on Jordan Woods, a talented teen girl quarterback who juggles school, football, friendship, and romance in a realistic and appealing way.
Elizabeth Eulberg crafts approachable, humorous coming-of-age stories that balance romance with self-discovery and friendship. Fans of Sarah Dessen will enjoy Eulberg's style and her ability to capture teenage feelings with warmth and honesty.
Her novel Better Off Friends explores the complexities of friendship and romance as Levi and Macallan navigate the blurry boundaries between being friends and something more.
Susane Colasanti writes honest and relatable stories about the joys and struggles of teenage life. Her novels explore young love, friendship, and the challenges of figuring out who you want to be. Readers enjoy her emotional depth, realistic characters, and upbeat, hopeful tone.
If you love Sarah Dessen's style, you'll probably appreciate Colasanti's novel When It Happens, a heartfelt story about two teens navigating romance, high school pressures, and the dreams that shape their futures.
Deb Caletti creates stories filled with insightful characters, romance, and complex family experiences. She captures teenage emotions and relationships in a realistic, sensitive way.
Like Dessen, Caletti examines challenging topics through the perspectives of thoughtful teen protagonists.
Her novel Honey, Baby, Sweetheart tells the thoughtful story of a young woman learning to value herself and make courageous decisions amid family tensions and romantic relationships.
Maureen Johnson's novels blend humor, romance, and quirky, realistic characters. Her engaging style and wit appeal to readers looking for stories that balance fun with emotional depth. Johnson tackles themes like friendship, first love, and navigating life's unexpected twists.
Fans of Dessen will likely enjoy Johnson's book 13 Little Blue Envelopes, an uplifting adventure about a young woman who embarks on a memorable journey through Europe after following instructions found in letters from her aunt.
Robin Benway writes engaging, heartfelt stories about family, identity, and finding your place in the world. Her novels resonate emotionally, balanced by well-crafted characters and authentic dialogue.
Like Sarah Dessen, Benway is skilled at creating compelling stories focused on self-discovery and the complexities of relationships.
One excellent example is Far from the Tree, a thoughtful book about three siblings, separated by adoption, who reconnect and navigate family ties while uncovering their own pasts.
Julie Buxbaum offers thoughtful, emotionally perceptive stories that explore friendship, love, and loss with humor and intelligence. Her writing nicely blends sweetness, depth, and wit, much like Dessen.
Readers who enjoy heartfelt stories about teens confronting life's challenges will find a lot to appreciate in Buxbaum's novel Tell Me Three Things, about Jessie, a girl who deals with grief, loneliness, and new beginnings through an anonymous texting relationship at her new school.