Sarah Dessen is an American novelist born on June 6, 1970, in Illinois. She currently resides in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and is a graduate of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Dessen published her first book, That Summer, in 1996 and has since released more than a dozen novels and novellas. Her writing has garnered her numerous accolades, including the Margaret Edwards Award in 2017 for her contributions to young adult literature.

Two of her books were adapted into the 2003 film How to Deal.