Top 5 Books by Sarah Dessen

Most of you have probably read one of Sarah Dessen's books. They are some of the best ya realistic fiction books around without the usual drama and angst. Reading a book by Sarah Dessen is like savoring the taste of cotton candy as it melts on your tongue. The characters are normal, the emotions are real, and the plots are beautifully intertwined. 

Here's my top 5 favorite books + my favorite quote from each courtesy of Goodreads:

1. Along for the ride

"Life is full of screwups. You're supposed to fail sometimes. It's a required part of the human existance.” 

2. Lock and Key

"What is family? They were the people who claimed you. In good, in bad, in parts or in whole, they were the ones who showed up, who stayed in there, regardless. It wasn't just about blood relations or shared chromosomes, but something wider, bigger. We had many families over time. Our family of origin, the family we created, and the groups you moved through while all of this was happening: friends, lovers, sometimes even strangers. None of them perfect, and we couldn't expect them to be. You can't make any one person your world. The trick was to take what each could give you and build your world from it.” 

3. The truth about forever

"Shoulda, coulda, woulda. It's so easy in the past tense. ” 

4. Keeping the Moon

“You should never be surprised when someone treats you with respect, you should expect it.”

5. What happened to goodbye

“Home wasn't a set house, or a single town on a map. It was wherever the people who loved you were, whenever you were together. Not a place, but a moment, and then another, building on each other like bricks to create a solid shelter that you take with you for your entire life, wherever you may go.”