Sarah Dessen is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen novels for teens, including The Truth About Forever, Just Listen, and This Lullaby. Her work has been published in over thirty countries and sold millions of copies worldwide. She is the recipient of the 2017 Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association for outstanding contribution to young adult literature. 

Tell us about Change of Plans. What inspired this story?

I’ve always been a bit of a control freak. I like knowing what is going to happen. But since my last book, there were so many unexpected curveballs: a pandemic, a change in publishers, the YA market being so different in terms of what was selling. Just about everything I’d counted on sort of fell out from beneath me. It made me want to write about what happens after things fall apart, and all the ways we put ourselves back together.

This is your first book in almost seven years (and we’re so happy to have you back), what pulled you back into writing and how has it felt to bring this book to the world?

I was always writing. Publishing, however, got more difficult.  I think there are times you just have to sit and wait a bit for the pendulum to swing back in your direction. It’s not easy, especially if you’re impatient like I am. But the end result is that now I am here with a new book at just the right time for me. I couldn’t have planned it this way, which makes it seem all that more meant to be.

You have created some truly fantastic summer settings. What do you think readers are going to love about this new location in Change of Plans?

I’ve written about North Lake, where this one is set, once before. So there may be some things are familiar to my readers. But it’s the blood family and work family that really sets this one apart. I’ve always been so curious about ties, both the kind that bind and those that can divide us. There are so many stories there.

Finley finds herself on a course she didn’t plan for. What are some of your favorite elements of a teenager finding their way through life?

I love the sense that so much is happening for the first time. There are no shortcuts, no learned hacks like you develop later. It’s both terrifying and exhilarating: all you can do is hold on and learn your way through. I love the messiness and the hard way some lessons have to learned. It makes for great material.

What have you seen change in the YA space over your career and what new trends—or returning trends—are you excited to see?

Everything has changed so much since my first book. It used to be YA books were shelved in the Children’s section, often right next to the picture and board books. Teens didn’t even have their own space, much less a shelf as specific as, say, paranormal romance. I was here when vampires and dystopian stories were huge, like romantasy is now. But the best difference is there is now a bigger diversity of voices telling the stories we’re hearing. We still have a way to go, of course. But having more perspectives and viewpoints widens the genre and makes it better for everyone.

You started publishing YA novels in the 90s. How have you had to evolve to adjust for writing to different generations of young adults?

It’s definitely different. Especially since I have a teenager of my own now. I think the key, for me, is to stick to what remains timeless about the teen experience. The push and pull with parents, relationships with friends, that first time you fall in love and how it shapes you forever. There are certain things that just hit about high school whether you’re in it now or were many years ago. That’s the space I try to find when I’m working.

Music often plays a role in your books, and Ben is a guitarist. Did music influence the tone of this novel in any way?

I love writing about music because you can do so much with it. It’s a great backdrop for a scene, as well as fun topic to have people argue about. Everything about it is so personal, with such strong feelings about dislikes or favorites. There’s a Dolly Parton song in this one  I listened to a lot when I was writing. In my mind it is always playing on the page, even if I’m the only one who can hear it.

The Egg diner creates a space for Finley to develop a “found family”. What is the importance of those relationships in Finley’s growth?

As a teen, your actual family can be incredibly complicated. So much of those years are about breaking free from those you came from and finding your own path. A found support system can help you through those rough patches, when you need all the help you can get.

As we head into summer, do you have a favorite summer reading (or writing) spot?

I love to sit outside and read. Often I’m here at my house here in the woods, where I have birds and squirrels to keep me company. But I also love a crowded coffeeshop for both reading and writing. Both are such solitary pursuits that it’s nice to have company.

What travel destinations make you feel most inspired to write?

I love a good place by the water. So many of my books came from times I’ve spent at the beach or the lake. I grew up spending my summers in Cape Cod, with a river on one side and a bay on the other. There’s just such a unique rhythm to a vacation town, a summer place. I always find stories there.

What are you currently reading?

I just finished Emma Straub’s American Fantasy, which was about boy bands and cruises and was just fantastic. It’s the kind of book you want to give copies of to everyone. I’m a serious doom scroller, so I try to read a lot. It’s the best antidote to screens for me.

What are a few books you find yourself recommending over and over again?

Heartwood by Amity Gaige I thought was fantastic. Ling Ma’s Severance was so good: I still think about on a near daily basis. Recently I read Bruce Holsinger’s Culpability and immediately went to devour his entire backlist. I love when that happens.

What’s a new book releasing in 2026 that you’re excited to pick up?

The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker was one of my favorite reads I discovered last year. I just saw she has a new one out in May called Returns and Exchanges. It’s now at the top of my list!

What are you working on next?

My next book, which will be out in summer 2027. After that I’ll have a third out the following summer. Three books in three years is a first for me, but again, the timing feels right. It feels like a new era, to use a Taylor reference. I’m ready for it.

Change of Plans by Sarah Dessen

Finley has always relied on her boyfriend to shape her life—until a sudden trip with her estranged mother brings her to a family she never knew. As her relationship falls apart, she’s forced to navigate life without a plan for the first time. Surrounded by new friends and unexpected connections, including a charming musician, Finley begins to discover who she is on her own. By the end of the summer, she’s changed in ways she never saw coming.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon