
Kirby’s follow up novels, In Honorand Golden, both feature realistically imperfect female main characters working through personal challenges in dynamic and relatable ways. Moonglass is also set on the beach in a way that’s reminiscent of Dessen’s recurring Colby setting. Kirby’s debut novel Moonglasspublished in 2011, and the use of setting, of challenging family relationships and the possibilities of romance between the main character and a cute boy have all the markings of a perfect next-read for Dessen fans. Scott’s Heartbeat, which comes out from Harlequin Teen January 28, looks like it will be one for the Dessen fans as well. The character voices, relationships, and world-building should satisfy any Dessen fan. But those who love Dessen should not miss Bloom, Perfect You, Stealing Heaven, Between Here and Forever, The Unwritten Rule, or Something, Maybe. Scott’s been writing YA since 2007, though unlike Dessen, she’s branched beyond realistic fiction a few times - as well as tackled very dark topics such as kidnapping - so not all the titles in her catalog make for strong next reads. Every scene and setting is layered and nuanced, and every interaction a character has with a place is intentional and pushes either the story or characters forward.

She’s a foundational writer and a mainstay of realistic YA. But Dessen’s career has spanned much further than that - in fact, she’s been writing YA fiction for twenty years. You may be familiar with Dessen from her latest books, including The Moon and Moreand What Happened to Goodbye, both of which have appeared on the New York Times Bestsellers list.

This time, I’m going to go in a different direction and talk about what to read next if you’re a fan of YA superstar Sarah Dessen.

Welcome to the second installment of “Beyond the Bestsellers.” Last month, I talked about Veronica Roth’s “Divergent” series and what books readers who loved that series should visit next that weren’t the ones everyone already knew about or recommended.
