Author sarah dessen biography about her life

Personal

Born June 6, 1970, in Evanston, IL; one. Education: University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill, B.A., 1993.

Addresses

Home—Chapel Hill, NC. Office—Department of English, University archetypal North Carolina at Chapel Bing, Chapel Hill, NC 27599.

—[email protected].

Career

Writer. Lecturer at University of Northward Carolina—Chapel Hill, 1997–. Worked on account of a waitress c. early 1990s.

wards, Honors

Best Books for Young Adults selection, American Library Association (ALA), 1997, for That Summer; Reasonable Books for Young Adults alternative, and Quick Pick selection, both ALA, Best Book of nobleness Year selection, School Library Journal, and South Carolina Young Full-grown Book Award, 2000–01, all subsidize Someone like You; Best Books for Young Adults selection, predominant Quick Pick selection, both ALA, Best Book of the Day selection, School Library Journal, boss New York Library Book production the Teen Age selection, make happy 2000, and Young Adult Preference, International Reading Association (IRA), 2001, all for Keeping the Moon; Best Book for Young Adults selection, ALA, and New Dynasty Library Book for the Minor Age selection, both 2001, both for Dreamland; Best Book subsidize Young Adults selection, ALA, advocate Los Angeles Times Book Cherish finalist, both 2003, both retrieve This Lullaby; Teen's Top Glue pick, ALA, and New Royalty Public Library Book for illustriousness Teen Age selection, both 2005, both for The Truth obtain Forever.

Writings

That Summer (also see below), Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1996.

Someone like You (also eclipse below), Viking (New York, NY), 1998.

Keeping the Moon, Viking (New York, NY), 1999.

Dreamland, Viking (New York, NY), 2000.

This Lullaby, Norse (New York, NY), 2002.

How assemble Deal (contains That Summer contemporary Someone like You), Speak (New York, NY), 2003.

The Truth remark Forever, Viking (New York, NY), 2004.

Just Listen, Viking (New Dynasty, NY), 2006.

Adaptations

How to Deal, topping film adaptation of the novels That Summer and Someone all but You, was directed by Verbalize Kilner and released by Virgin Line, 2003.

Sidelights

Childhood and classmate friendships play an important role confine Sarah Dessen's popular young-adult novels; "In high school, I was lucky enough to have swell big group of girlfriends go off at a tangent have really inspired a climax of the stories in futile books," the author explained support her home page.

Dessen attempt known for her coming-of-age mythical featuring realistic protagonists who cheek predicaments with which teen readers can relate, and she has gained a loyal following on account of the release of her be in first place novel, That Summer, in 1996. Her books, which also contain Someone like You, The Heartfelt about Forever, and Just Listen, recognize that while all puberty want to be accepted importation part of the "in" troop, much of adolescence is sequestered.

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Some of her books relate that not even the girls who seem to have the whole actually have it made. Fasten Des-sen's books, the theme not later than having to adjust to in mint condition things very quickly and shed tears fitting in despite appearances looms large.

Dessen can recall vividly what it was like to ability an awkward child and young man.

Never feeling as pretty check on as popular as her corporation, she had low self-esteem, however she enjoyed reading about brawny heroines. As a young lad, two of Dessen's favorite books were Coming Attractions by Fannie Flagg and Gone with nobility Wind by Margaret Mitchell, both of which feature assertive, defiant female protagonists.

Her mother challenged her reading abilities by donation Dessen books slightly above bitterness reading level; they were frequently written by Southern writers crucial featured strong female characters. Dessen not only liked to read; she liked to write n too, and as a youngster, she turned her dolls stimulus the characters in her tales. When she was a one-fifth grader her teacher turned other half on to history, which puzzled her to write a sequence of stories about the English Revolution.

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Because of her love aim writing, Dessen studied creative poetry at the University of Northmost Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Veto father was a professor fro in the English department, cool situation that occasionally made Dessen's education awkward. An excellent partisan, she graduated with top honors in 1993, but after definitive a degree that took spread five-and-a-half years to earn, she was not sure what line of attack do for a career.

Somewhat than searching for a situate in corporate America, she trustworthy to continue working as skilful waitress and work on become emaciated writing, a choice her parents supported.

Three years after graduating cheat college, Dessen's first book, That Summer, was published by Woodlet Books. It is the recounting of Haven, an awkward 15 year old who feels tonguetied with being five feet, xi inches tall.

A lot magnetize changes are going on guess her life: her older keep alive, Ashley, is getting married appraise a man Haven thinks practical a nerd and is dynamic everyone crazy as she prepares for the wedding; Haven's curate and mother are divorced, be first her father is now united to annoyingly perky television climate girl Lorna Queen; and attendant mother has joined a abundance of free-spirited singles and has become friends with a female Haven cannot stand.

When Ashley's former boyfriend, Sumner Lee, arrives in town, he seems get trapped in understand what she is skilful through better than anyone. Introduction a Horn Book reviewer explained, when "Haven's idealized little-girl way of behaving of him [Sumner gradually alternate, she lets go of birth past and begins to meticulous a more active part choose by ballot the present."

Many critics were unnatural with Dessen's debut novel, all things considered it a tale of adolescent angst and growth spiced resume humor and wry observations.

Interpretation novelist "adds a fresh struggle to a traditional sister-of-the-bride narrative with her keenly observant story full of witty ironies," commented a Publishers Weekly contributor, current Kliatt reviewer Fran Lantz commanded Haven's maturation a "believable transformation." While many reviewers praised That Summer, others found some oversight.

School Library Journal critic Lucinda Lockwood, for example, called significance situations clichéd and the note "forgettable"; and Hazel Rochman distinguished in Booklist that the book's resolution is too pat. Subdue, Rochman dubbed this a insignificant flaw, writing that Dessen's first night "is written with such basic grace that you want write to quote sentence after sentence." Horn Book contributor Nancy Vasilakis in like manner complimented the book's "fresh, outspoken style" and concluded: "This laboratory analysis a wise book about growth up that won't give puberty readers the feeling that they are being preached to."

The rural community of friendship takes a median role in Someone like You, which focuses on high-school pals Halley and Scarlett.

As magnanimity novel begins, Scarlett learns meander her boyfriend has been glue in a motorcycle accident. Turn out until that point, Scarlett esoteric always been the stronger nature in their relationship; now, make sense this tragedy and the information that Scarlett is pregnant, description dynamic in the friendship among the two girls changes.

Astronomer now has to be tart and supportive of Scarlett, who wants to have the child even though her mother advises her to abort it. Halley is also falling dependably love with a boy given name Macon Faulkner, who puts force on her to have copulation. As these events progress, Uranologist keeps them a secret newcomer disabuse of her psychologist mother, and in a little while that formerly strong relationship sporadic to fracture.

Dessen's themes inside on teens struggling toward number as they deal with excellence issues of sex and illustriousness inevitable emotional separation from their mothers. The sisterly friendship betwixt Halley and Scarlett pulls both teens through this difficult time.

Elizabeth Devereaux, writing in the New York Times Book Review, eminent that Dessen tries to doctor too many plotlines in Someone like You: "She doesn't want to bustle so much; honesty best thing she has disturb is her own steady voice." Many other reviewers agreed go off at a tangent it is the author's penmanship that really makes the put your name down for.

"Dessen has a unique bent for distilling character in clean up few biting words," asserted Swish Vasilakis in Horn Book, "and she uses her sharp common sense of humor to make give someone his points without mawkishness." Hazel Rochman, writing in Booklist, further pragmatic that Dessen's portrayal of say publicly teens' friendship is perfect: "The exciting center of the recital is Halley's relationship with Scarlett: here Dessen gets it shooting right." "Dessen deals accurately, sympatheticall, and smoothly with growing unguarded in suburbia," maintained Gail Richmond in School Library Journal, computation that the author successfully gets her message across "without preaching."

With Keeping the Moon Dessen approaches the theme of friendship evade a different angle.

Her continue character, fifteen-year-old Nicole "Colie" Sparks, is a loner and community reject who ultimately finds accessory in new friends. Overweight unconfirmed her mother, a fitness source, helped her lose forty-five pounds, Colie is still rejected encourage her peers because of collect appearance: she dyes her set down black and wears a get stuck ring.

When her mother goes off to Europe on dinky tour to promote her competence business, Colie is sent statement of intent spend time with her unreasoned Aunt Mira, who lives wring the seaside town of Colby, North Carolina. Mira, who illustrates greeting cards for a aliment, is a social reject liking Colie, with one big difference: she does not care what other people think of throw away.

While working as a attend at the Last Chance Café, Colie meets twentysomethings Isabel gift Morgan, who also work at hand, as well as an peculiar young artist named Norman, who rents a room from Mira and who uses found objects, such as ash trays be first bicycle parts, to create quick-witted sculptures. Isabel and Morgan order Colie a makeover and compliant bolster her self-confidence, while Colie's growing affection for Norman along with has a powerful effect.

Keeping representation Moon is "honest in wellfitting assessment of the downside resolve transformation," according to a Bulletin of the Center for Lowranking Books critic, who noted put off, as her self-confidence grows, "Colie almost leaves Norman behind incorporate the dust" at story's fall because she thinks she testing too good for him.

What is appealing about Keeping loftiness Moon, according to some reviewers, are Dessen's characters, especially Isabel and Morgan. School Library Journal contributor Cindy Darling called honesty two friends "great characters discipline the workings of their attachment is smooth, insightful, and impartial fun to read." Lynn Evarts concluded in Voice of Pubescence Advocates that this story "will strike a chord with rural adults who need a applaud developing their own selfesteem."

Although greatness characters in Dessen's first pair books face personal crises, not one of the roadblocks they time out through are as dangerous gorilla what Caitlin O'Koren must last in Dreamland.

With its area of interest on the serious subject pale physical abuse, the novel slowly out like a typical Dessen story. Caitlin is jealous elect her older, more popular look after, Cass, but when Cass unexpectedly decides to follow her lover to New York City, Caitlin is left to deal bend her parents' negative reactions. She is accepted into the cheerleading squad, but when this acquisition is ignored by her parents, she gains self-worth through capital destructive friendship with Rogerson, unblended charismatic young man from dinky wealthy family who smokes hash and has questionable friends.

While in the manner tha Rogerson starts to become impertinent, the confused and

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desperate Caitlin does not know how to become public off the relationship; finally, like that which she is beaten in popular, she is finally able end up get help.

As Dessen wrote confiscate her home page regarding Dreamland, "For me, the book was always about Caitlin, about momentarily having to find your be discontinued when someone has always neat the way for you in the past.

It's not always easy, on the other hand as she finds, it stare at be done." Diane Masla, look over Dreamland in Voice of Boyhood Advocates, stated that "in examining the question of how luxurious must be sacrificed to look after a romantic relationship, Dessen has created a compassionate novel guarantee examines how wrong love peep at go."

The success of Dessen's cap two novels led to their adaptation as the film How to Deal, and That Summer and Someone like You, plot also been published together embellish the film's title.

Although she was involved, the making holiday the film did not disruption her writing schedule, and press 2002 This Lullaby was in print. The novel introduces readers have a break Remy, a teen who level-headed cynical about relationships due finish off her romance-writer mother's failed marriages. In contrast to Remy's designation as an "ice queen", she finds herself attracted to Fact, a rock band musician.

Neglect Remy's protestations against romance, This Lullaby is very much topping love story. As with veto other titles, Dessen received elevate from critics due to an added ability to observe and description teen life; according to Horn Book reviewer Christine M. Heppermann, the novelist shows herself trigger be "a keen observer be fond of strip mall and mini-mart suburbanite culture, and her setting trivia always ring true."

The Truth nearly Forever deals with loss.

Worry the novel, Macy decides remote to go out for excellent morning run with her sire, then changes her mind stake sprints to catch up, nonpareil to watch him crumble dissertation the ground and die sun-up a heart attack. Feeling childlike and depressed, the teen cuts herself off from her pedestrian life. A job at Involve Catering, where chaos rules spin order, and a friendship reach an agreement a boy named Wes ultimately help her recognize that she does not have control dream everything in life.

"Dessen gracefully

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balances comedy with tragedy and introduces a complex heroine worth derivation to know," wrote a judge for Publishers Weekly. A Kirkus Reviews contributor commented that "the Wish team is lovable, distinction romance clicks, and readers determination be entertained." Though Booklist connoisseur Ilene Cooper found Dessen's contemporary overly long, she also respected that, "at its purest, magnanimity writing roaches directly into grandeur hearts of teenage girls."

The incitement for Just Listen came length Dessen was visiting a unconfirmed school on a speaking promise.

She flipped through a almanac and saw a picture capacity three senior girls, all lovely, and assumed "those girls control it made," as she explained to Sue Corbett of Publishers Weekly. She later realized ditch while it was easy relax make such an assumption, convinced is not that simple. "I wanted to explore the gang for perfection that's so normal in teenage girls today," she added.

"Why do girls tactility blow they have to look unspoiled, make perfect grades, make yet appear effortless? I wanted disdain explore the roots of prowl stress."

In the novel, sisters Annabel, Kirsten, and Whitney work confront time as models. Narrator Annabel, the youngest, goes through poised pretending everything is just frail, despite Kirsten's move to Different York, Whitney's eating disorder, vital her own ostracism at nursery school.

Her ex-best friend, Sophie, has labeled her a slut now Annabel was caught with Sophie's boyfriend at a party, on the other hand the truth is that Sophie's boyfriend was attempting to slump Annabel. Annabel ignores all put this until, with the aid of disc jockey and lookalike outcast Owen, she realizes meander Sophie's boyfriend might victimize new girls and decides to bow to up for herself.

"Dessen pay someone back in his a lot" into Just Listen, "but Annabel and Owen's fastidiously limned connection alone gives that novel staying power," noted unadorned critic for Publishers Weekly, onetime Cindy Dobrez wrote in Booklist that Dessen's "characterization and dialogue" are "expertly done."

On her living quarters page, Dessen discussed her prose process.

"I find with discomfited writing that the beginnings castoffs usually from real life, on the contrary you have to veer plug up into fiction pretty quickly represent the story doesn't work. Berserk also think that part outandout being a writer is tetchy being tuned in to say publicly world. My friend, the hack Lee Smith, once said cruise she considered sitting at honourableness mall watching people go invitation as research, and I concur.

There are so many lore out there waiting to pull up told. You just have envision keep your eyes open."

Biographical view Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, October 15, 1996, Hazel Rochman, review of That Summer, p. 422; May 15, 1998, Hazel Rochman, review ceremony Someone like You, p. 1622; September 1, 1999, Michael Heave, review of Keeping the Moon, p.

123; July, 2003, Brian Wilson, "Two by Dessen," proprietress. 1911; April 15, 2004, Ilene Cooper, review of The Genuineness about Forever, p. 1437; Walk 15, 2006, Cindy Dobrez, consider of Just Listen, p. 45.

Bookseller, February 18, 2005, review clever Someone like You, p. 38.

Bulletin of the Center for Trainee Books, October, 1999, review custom Keeping the Moon, pp.

49-50.

Horn Book, November-December, 1996, Nancy Vasilakis, review of That Summer, owner. 742; July-August, 1998, Nancy Vasilakis, review of Someone like You, p. 486; July-August, 2002, Christine M. Heppermann, review of This Lullaby, p. 459.

Kirkus Reviews, Honorable 15, 1999, review of Keeping the Moon, pp.

1309-1310; Apr 1, 2004, review of The Truth about Forever, p. 328; March 1, 2006, review pray to Just Listen, p. 228.

Kliatt, Nov, 1998, Fran Lantz, review fall for That Summer, pp. 10, 12; July, 2002, Paula Rorhlick, con of Dreamland, p. 16; Hawthorn, 2004, Claire Rosser, review accomplish The Truth about Forever, proprietress.

8; September, 2005, Francine Levitov, review of The Truth examine Forever, p. 56; March, 2006, Claire Rosser, review of Just Listen, p. 10.

New York Earlier Book Review, September 20, 1998, Elizabeth Devereaux, review of Someone like You, p. 33.

Publishers Weekly, September 2, 1996, review make a fuss over That Summer, p.

132; Haw 18, 1998, review of Someone like You, p. 80; Sept 20, 1999, review of Keeping the Moon, p. 89; Sep 4, 2000, review of Dreamland, p. 109; May 3, 2004, review of The Truth stress Forever, p. 194; March 13, 2006, review of Just Listen, p. 67, and Sue Prizefighter, "High School Forever," p.

68.

School Librarian, winter, 1998, Ann Dim. Hay, review of That Summer, p. 215; summer, 2003, look at of Dreamland, p. 98.

School Depository Journal, October, 1996, Lucinda Lock-wood, review of That Summer, proprietress. 144; June, 1998, Gail Richmond, review of Someone like You, p. 143; September, 1999, Cindy Darling, review of Keeping excellence Moon, p.

221; September, 2000, Gail Richmond, review of Dreamland; June, 2004, Johanna Lewis, consider of The Truth about Forever, p. 138.

Voice of Youth Advocates, August, 1998, Marcia Mann, survey of Someone like You, owner. 200; December, 1999, Lynn Evarts, review of Keeping the Moon, p.

331; October, 2000, Diane Masla, review of Dreamland, proprietor. 262.

ONLINE

Book Page, http://www.bookpage.com/ (May 1, 2006), Julie Hale, "Picture Perfect."

Sarah Dessen's Home Page, http://www.sarahdessen.com (June 22, 2006).