Blogging A to Z: D is for Sarah Dessen

Welcome to the Blogging From A to Z Challenge!


My theme for 2013 is Influential Women Authors.

My definition of influential is any author, classic or modern, who has inspired writers, readers, or the larger scope of culture. Some are personal favorites, or have special meaning to me.

What this list is not: a list of the most influential writers of all time. Rather, this is a collection of influential writers, corresponding with each day's letter.


For the full list of participating blogs, click here.

image: Goodreads

D: Sarah Dessen

Since I write Young Adult, I plan to feature a number of YA authors. 

Sarah Dessen is a big name in the YA world, and she's been writing contemporary young adult novels since the '90s. Her books feature girls who struggle with a mix of family life, friendships, and love, in realistic, believable ways. 

Her writing style is straightforward, and the characters are highly introspective from a first person point-of-view. That combination with easily relatable issues is why she connects with young readers so well.

She also writes incredibly lovable side characters. Fans seem to recommend The Truth About Forever first, probably because the supporting cast and love interest are so great (Wes!). Her characters often show up in other books, which is always fun as a little reward for regular readers.

I follow Sarah Dessen on twitter and am amused by how much she loves Good Morning America. She is definitely of the enthusiast variety, and she tweets about the show every weekday. Here's a link to her on the show.

Are you a fan of Sarah Dessen's books, or is she a new author to you?