Just Listen

This book was too similar to _Speak_ by Laurie Halse Anderson. I loved _Speak_. It was fresh and original, and Anderson let us know right away that something traumatic happened to the main character. We don't know what it is, but we instantly feel sympathy for her and want to find out more. But in Annabel's case, all we know is some kind of altercation happened between her and her friend, Sophie. Annabel lets Sophie walk all over and does nothing to change the opinion of the rest of the school. This makes her seem weak and annoying. I hated her when I should have been feeling sympathy for her. The other characters didn't endear me to the story, either.

The writing sometimes got in the way - this is probably the biggest problem I had with the book. The story is told from Annabel's perspective, and we're constantly reminded that she's telling it. Phrases like "I watched/saw" or "I heard/felt" run rampant, and we never get to experience Annabel's story or emotions for ourselves. Instead, she tells us what's happening and what she's feeling, and we're outsiders looking in. Personally, when I read a story I want to be the main character. I want to see what she sees, feel what she feels, hear what she hears. If the writing keeps me out, I get frustrated.

I realize the author was trying to make a point - that you can't really know someone based on appearances. That is a fantastic idea, and worth pursuing. But I think it didn't translate well into this story - it came off as preachy and unoriginal. There is no explanation for why Annabel doesn't tell anyone about what happened to her. I understand part of the author's point, that it's extremely difficult to speak about these kinds of things, but it doesn't work in this situation. Mostly because a crowd of kids saw the aftermath, and charged emotions and such would make Annabel say things she ordinarily might not say. She's not protesting much, or insisting the other person be punished - which I think most girls would do in this situation. Her actions don't inspire sympathy. They make her seem weak and not too smart. Which is a shame, because this story had great potential.

Based on the reviews here, I don't expect many to agree with me. But that's okay. Diverse opinions are what make the world interesting. :)

There's something about a Sarah Dessen book that makes me want to pick up all her books and read them. She makes reading contemporary books enjoyable for me. I can't help but get sucked into her stories. There's depth to her characters, and substance to her stories. Just Listen has all that.

Annabel and Owen are two characters I enjoyed getting to know. There's something relatable about both of them. They were so easy to get to know, and to root for. Individually they're both great characters in their own way, but together they both taught each other so much. They're opposites, yet there's so much the offer each other. I wanted to see them get through the through things they both deal with in the story. They both have very real, things that have effected them. They're both struggling for a new normals, and trying to just make it through each day.

Annabel it's a survival mechanism. The less attention she brings to herself the better. Or least she thinks. Her story broke my heart, because I had a friend who dwelt with something similar to what she experiences. With Annabel, I understood why she didn't want to say anything, yet I really hoped she would say something about the secret she was closely guarding. I loved that when she finally got the courage to share it, all she asked of Owen was to "Don't think or judge, just listen." I felt like if anything gets taken away from Annabel's story, it is for us to not judge, and to 'just listen'.

I really liked Owen and Annabel. I loved what they offered each other. Friendship, trust, a listening hear, advice etc. I loved the natural progression from their friendship growing into something more. Together, these two make each other realize their own strengths. I loved seeing the two of them work through things individually and with the support of each other, and even their own families. It was a natural progression, and one that mirrored reality.

I love the way Dessen writes her characters. They're flawed, realistic characters that are relatable and incredibly easy to root for. I may not relate to their situation, but I can relate to them on some level. It makes it incredibly easy to get emotionally invested in their stories. I want to see them come out on top of the situation they're in, and over come whatever it is that they're struggling with. I also enjoyed their family dynamics. Their families, like them, aren't perfect, yet they do their best in their own way.

This my first time reading JUST LISTEN, and yet when I finished it, I found myself thinking that, 'This is another awesome Sarah Dessen read.' There's just something about the way she writes her YA books that leaves you feeling happy with the characters's journeys and yet feeling empowered by the message she shared in their story.

Whether you're a long time fan of Sarah Dessen's or new to picking up her books, JUST LISTEN is a YA book I'd recommend picking up. *This book does cover some sensitive material that is written in a very respectful way.

Just Listen is now my second Sarah Dessen book and I can honestly say I’m hooked. I once again really enjoyed her characters and the tough issues she deals with, also the way she deals with them. There also is a great deal of family and I love how well represented they are.

Annabel is that character that you want to both wrap in a warm blanket and hug, as well as yell at her for being silly. Even though Annabel is not the middle child and Whitney often speaks to it, I feel like she acted more like. She was afraid to burden others with her problems between her mother’s depression and Whitney’s eating disorder. She caught herself stuck is this rut of not saying anything when she really needed to. Holding it in, until that becomes the easier way of doing things. It was so frustrating but also I could see why she was doing it.

It’s so hard not to love Owen. He’s this guy that it feels like he comes out of nowhere. At first you think he has that dark brooding thing going, since Annabel has seen him punch out a classmate. Once she starts talking to him though. It’s a whole different story. He’s actually extremely open and honest. It an almost unsettling way to Annabel at first. I love how he gets her to open up and really sees her. Which is more than anyone else has done in a while. She used to be overshadowed by other people’s problems and dramas. I loved the banter that happens between them. Especially since Owen is so completely music obsessed.

I actually had a co-worker whose daughter had an eating disorder. It was while I was in college and I had not known anyone with one. I have to say it was extremely eye opening at the time because it was so easy to think of something like that as being black and white. When there are so many shades of gray. That this was something that is not magically fixed. I know the co-worker's daughter struggled. She would go bouts of being okay and then would slip back or would sometimes go the opposite direction. I was really glad to see it discussed in the book and the way it was dealt with as well.

Another big topic is what happens to Annabel herself. The full story doesn’t really come out towards the end of the book. I think the story has a great way of showing different perspectives and different actions taken. I don’t cry when I read but I felt like towards the end there, I definitely got teary eyed. I think it’s because I have kids and I can’t imagine my daughter going through these things.

Again the strong family presence is always a plus for me. Annabel and her sisters and the dynamic that they share. Owen and his sister as well. Plus they all have parents. It’s always good to see loving parents.

Just Listen is at times, hard to read. It feels really gloomy at the beginning but there is soo much substance to it that made me love it. I really like the topics that are dealt with and the characters. This is my second Dessen and I can’t wait to read more now.

Also love all the references to This Lullaby, being I just read that one. We get to see some of the characters at Bendo as well.

I’ve become hooked recently on Dessen’s highly literate YA novels, and this one is one of her best so far. Even though I’m a grandparent, I’m also a lifelong librarian and recommender of books to all sorts of readers, and that includes teenagers, so the purported target readership doesn’t faze me. A book is either well-written or not.

Annabel is seventeen and the youngest of three sisters, all of whom have been modeling, locally but professionally, since early childhood. The oldest, Kirsten, is the most outgoing and has now gone off to New York, the world capital of modeling, though she’s getting really tired of all that. Whitney, the middle sister (and “the most beautiful girl I ever saw,” in Annabel’s view), is much more solitary and reserved. And she has serious problems, as we learn as the story progress. Annabel, who has “always been stuck somewhere in the middle,” simply tries very hard to avoid confrontation of any kind -- which isn’t easy since the highly manipulative Sophie, her ex-best friend, has turned on her (for bad reasons) and attacks her verbally at every public opportunity. But then she becomes acquainted with Owen Armstrong, six-foot-four and “the angriest boy in the school,” and her entire outlook on the world and her place in it begins to change. Owen’s thing is experimental pop music and he even has a radio show -- at 7:00 a.m. Sunday mornings on the local “cultural” station. Owen has also been under court-mandated anger management counseling, and has learned to be totally, bluntly honest in every single way and has come to expect that from everyone else. And there’s also Will Cash, with whom Annabel had a devastating personal encounter a few months before, an experience that has haunted her ever since.

Dessen is very good at creating characters in great depth, young players the reader may or may not identify with but who are very interesting in themselves. She’s also excellent at devising plots and action that move the story along while also causing to pause and think about what’s happening, and what it might mean. High recommended.

Just Listen, by Sarah Dessen, is such a refreshing YA read, especially since it doesn't feel cliche. While, naturally, it involves a romance, the novel isn't centered around it, and unlike many other books I've read lately, it actually shows the development of the romance between the characters, instead of making them be "in love" with literally no reason. It also discusses (potentially triggering) topics, such as eating disorders and sexual abuse, but handles them in a very realistic way. The eating disorder is possessed by a secondary character, so we only hear about it from the point of the narrator, which almost makes it more powerful than if it were to come from a first hand p.o.v., because the process of recovery is more noticeable and appreciated. The situation regarding sexual abuse is also handled really well, because it shows the lasting effects it has on the narrator, but also shows that it is not the only thing that defines her as a character. Overall, one of the best YA reads I've personally had in quite a while.

Just Listen was the very poignant story of Annabel, whose life was significantly changed at the end of the previous school year when she and her best friend publicly parted ways. As the new school year starts, Annabel finds herself alone, sort of drifting through her life just doing what’s expected of her. As I finished up this story, I couldn’t help but think how important it was. There was so much about this book that just resonated with me. Parts of it flung me right back to my own high school days.

What I loved first and foremost about this book was how it was clear was that so much had shaped Annabel into who she was, and that even when Owen entered the picture, her life revolved around much more than just him. Her sister’s plights were taking their toll on her, her continued modeling was getting to her, and Sophie no longer speaking to her was devastating to her. Having said that, let’s move on to Owen, because I did love his character. He and Annabel had very little in common, but with Annabel’s open mind, she was able to learn a lot from Owen. I love how they embraced their differences instead of shying away from them. Owen’s stint in anger management was something that he took seriously, and he used what he knew to try and help Annabel communicate better. As Annabel began to act differently, people responded to her differently, and not always in the way she expected. They continued to surprise her.

Most of the book is building up to a reveal of what happened between Annabel and Sophie. I feel like this event was revealed at just the right time. I never felt like this book was keeping a secret from me, it was only waiting for the perfect moment to tell me. Subsequent events prove that while a traumatic even shapes you, the events directly following have just as much of an impact.

Other things I really enjoyed:

This book gave a realistic portrayal of a high school from the party where, with enough liquor, can bond with anyone to how fair-weathered friendships can be at that age.

Owen and his sister, Mallory, were wonderful secondary characters who stole every scene they had together. Mallory was the typical annoying little sister, and she was my favorite character from the book.

This book demonstrates how hard it can be to be honest, even with yourself. And while the journey is hard and not without it’s bumps, it’s worth it.

The therapy lingo Owen used, and how everyone around him adopted it and was so hellbent on keeping him on the right track.
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I listened to the audio of this book, and at first I thought it was slow (the narrator, not the story) but once I kicked it up to 1.5, my reading experience was much more enjoyable!

I absolutely loved Just Listen, and I am so excited to dive into the rest of Sarah Dessen’s books.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. Just, wow. Powerful, touching, down right emotional. There are two elements that I absolutely love in any book: an emphasis on family and character development. This book had those in spades. The story was beautifully written and, in my opinion, the flow was spot on.

The title, Just Listen, fits this story to a tee and is told in the pov of Annabel Greene, the youngest of three sisters. She lives in a modern styled home known as The Glass House, exposing them to their neighbors and passersby. From the outside, the Greene family seems perfect. Annabel was known for being in TV commercials and was dubbed as the girl who had it all. That was far from the truth. Her friendship with her best friends, Clarke and Sophie, had ended badly which left her isolated. Her sisters had moved out together and didn't call home much which left Annabel alone. She didn't have anyone to confide in so she bottled up her thoughts. When she was with her family, it was apparent how her parents would shield her from family problems and push her opinions aside because of her age. All Annabel ever did was do what she was told and listen.

I liked Annabel. I liked her loyalty to her family. I understood her decisions. She was being bullied at school but she didn't want to burden her family by telling them so. She wanted to stop modeling but she didn't want to hurt her mother's feelings. She was hiding a secret from everyone because she was scared. Just Listen was realistic. One of my favorite aspects of this book was the relationship between Kirsten and Whitney, Annabel's sisters. They had a fall-out ever since Whitney was forced to move back home. They hardly spoke to one another. Their character growth as individuals was poignant and I cried my eyes out when they made up. Not one to inject herself into situations, Annabel quietly observed her sisters from the side. The narrative was so descriptive and thought provoking, throughout the entire book really, and it made my heart ache (in a good way).

Annabel's growth was as awe-inspiring as her sisters but I still really enjoyed seeing her come out of her shell after meeting Owen. He was the broody, lonely guy at school who was always listening to music. Their friendship developed slowly but sweetly. Owen had a rule to always be honest and Annabel couldn't even fathom being so. His obsession with music was endearing. I loved that he tried to get her to be more open-minded about the different genres of music. I LOVED HIM. He was such a warmhearted guy and an incredibly wonderful brother. His interactions with his younger sister, Mallory, had me smiling wide. I loved that Annabel could be the "older sister" when it came to Mallory and you can see another side to her that's doesn't come out in her own home. The secondary characters made this book just as much as the main characters. And it's those kinds of stories that I find more believable and sucks you right in.

I gave Just Listen 5 stars for the story. It's very much one about family and self-discovery in my opinion. The romance was subtle and sweet. I loved that it highlighted the importance of trust and communication, that you shouldn't be so quick to judge someone based on their appearance or demeanor. I highly recommend this book to all YA contemporary lovers. It was my first Sarah Dessen book and I must say, she hit this one out of the park. I cannot wait to read more of her work!

review found at: [...]

This book. Seriously, I have some major lovin’ for.

This story is about Annabel – she has lost her old friends, her old life and especially, herself. Her whole world is falling apart. Because of one specific thing that happened she isn’t able to function because she has kept quiet about it and it’s tearing her and her life apart. She lies to herself and everyone around her in order to avoid the truth and not face it. And it’s destroying her.

Then we meet Owen, a boy she avoided or ignored before her life “ended.” He challenges her in every aspect because he doesn’t believe in lies or avoiding the truth and through his love of music that he is able to help Annabel is ways nobody else could reach her. I absolutely love him as a character. He treats her like she needed to be treated in order to wake her up and get her to face herself and be honest with people and herself. He shows her there is value in her opinion and it pushes her to think.

I love the chemistry between Owen and Annabel. I couldn’t put this book down! It totally gripped my attention. I love how all the characters progressed and we see changes happen. I loved the hard truth and life situations that were happening in this story. I felt Dessen was brilliant with it.

Overall: A good honest book about real life situations. I think many girls will benefit from it and some will be able to relate which is sad. Romantic and good

Sexual Content: moderate
Language: moderate:
Drugs/Alcohol: moderate
Violence: moderate

The house where Annabelle Greene lives with her parents and two sisters has large glass windows. People can always see them eat dinner and looking in from the outside, they look the perfect family. But looks can be deceiving. Her mother suffered from depression and her sister is anorexic. Add to that Annabel has no friends when school starts again because of the rumours her ex-best friend spread around about her. People make assumptions about people they don’t know every day and it’s not true what they say about her but she cannot tell them, she cannot explain. She cannot tell the truth to the people in school and she cannot add any more burden to her mother in her fragile state as it is. So she tries to push it away into a small corner of her mind what happened. But then she becomes friends with Owen Armstrong, who does not believe in lies, or avoiding the truth. He teaches her how to deal with truth, he learns her about words being placeholders and R&R’s. She runs away from him but in the end she realises that the truth haunts and lingers over you no matter what and you can never let it go. If you choose to ignore it, it’s going to overtake your future and the only way out is to follow it through.
If you liked reading my honest opinion, please give me a vote so I can get closer to the top reviewers. Thank you.

Last year, Annabel was "the girl who has everything" — at least that's the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf's Department Store.

This year, she's the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong.

Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to truth-telling. With Owen's help, maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends.

Just Listen starts with our heroine Annabel watching herself in a tv commercial that she filmed for a dept. store. In the commercial she looks the perfect american teenager, a girl with everything. However as the story goes on you will notice Annabel is far from perfect. Her life at home is a struggle, her sister has an eating disorder and Annabel has noone. The best friend she had has isolated herself and everyone in school from her, then one day she befriends Owen. Owen is nothing like Annabel, where she is shy and timid, Owen is angry and honest.

This book is about two total opposites, finding each other and even though they are different the one thing they both share is honesty. They swore to always be honest with one another, and then comes drama..rumors in school start floating and Annabel finds out why her ex bff Sophie stopped being friends with her. Throughout this whole ordeal Annabel has Owen to lean on. It's a beautfully written story about forgiveness, always staying honest to yourself and growing.

Okay so, before this, the only book by Sarah Dessen I'd read was The Truth About Forever. However, reading the descriptions of her books, they all sounded the same. The pressure to be perfect, some parent situation (in most), and a guy who swoops in and "saves" the female narrator. And sure, these things may be included in her stories, but this book proved to me that that doesn't mean it can't be original despite that.

It was a really good book and I would've rated it 5 stars, but then Owen appeared. Yes, yes, I know. Most people have probably been praising him but for the most part, I found him to be kind of a jerk, especially to his sister. I'm not gonna tell you why in fear of spoiling the book for you, but I didn't like him (towards the very end I opened up to him, but then he ruined it all over again). Usually I can handle having characters I don't like in a book, I can even have said book as one of my favorites in this situation, but sometimes (like here) they just ruin the book for me instead of making it better.

Anyway...

Although my feelings on Owen are not very fond, I loved the other characters in the book and feel like it definitely had a great overall message.

Annabel is the narrator. She's the only one of her sisters still doing modeling and is determined to keep her mother happy.

Clarke is her ex-best friend from when they were in middle school. They haven't talked in years, but Annabel still feels like she should do something to fix what's been broken.

Sophie is her other ex-best friend from earlier this year. Sophie's problem is that she trusts her boyfriend more than her friends, but you'll learn more about that later.

Whitney is one of Annabel's sisters. Recovering from an eating disorder throughout the book and all she wants is to be alone and avoid her own sisters.

Kirsten is the other sister. She and Whitney have avoided each other for various reasons you'll figure out when you read the book.

All in all, I feel like it was a good book with a good message. I do wish that Owen hadn't been a part of it, but at the same time, I know in my heart that the story wouldn't have turned out the way it did without him....

Full review on Reader's Dialogue: [...]

It's obvious from almost the very beginning that Annabel experienced something very traumatic, but it's not revealed until a ways into the book. Which only makes it scarier, the way Annabel hears a nameless voice whispering something that should be reassuring but instead sends shivers down your spine from the terror it evokes in Annabel. And that's kind of the whole point of the book - the way Annabel doesn't allow herself to acknowledge anything out of the normal, the way she pushes everything deep down inside herself, refuses to talk about it, definitely not with anyone else but not even with herself. Owen, with his forthright honesty cultivated both by his Anger Management and his really endearing family, eases her into opening up by discussing their very different tastes in music (and come on, who actually likes the kind of music Owen likes?) in a completely confrontational but also safe way.

But as happens in real life, which Sarah Dessen always gets so exactly, Annabel isn't miraculously cured because of Owen. She has to face things herself, and she doesn't - and so she loses everything all over again. I felt like screaming at her as she made the dumbest decision again and again simply because she feared confrontation and jumped to conclusions about what other people were thinking. I also teared up a bit, because to a lesser extent I do the same thing. That's another great thing about Sarah Dessen's books - you always find something to relate to in every single book.

But the way Annabel finally takes a deep breath and gets the courage to face every horrible terrible thing that's happening in her life - that's beautiful. Because it takes such tremendous strength to stop ruining your life by hiding behind a facade of "everything is just fine." We know all along that Annabel is strong, but she proves it even more when she is partly the catalyst for her family's change and when she takes her life back in her own hands. When she repeats Owen's own words back to him, it becomes obvious that not only did Owen help her, she helps him, and that's just so perfect.

Genre: YA Contemporary
Read: June 14, 2015
My Review:
I really liked Just Listen, but i couldn't love it. And the reason for this is because, though the story is great, the romance was sort of detached in a way. Every other part of this book was fine, its just that I went into it for a good romance and a coming of age story. And it delivered, but not in the way that could've made it so much better. However I get that angst in the midst of real life problems would be unrealistic, but i just really wanted the characters to connect more and have more of a slow burn. THis does not mean the story wasn't satisfying. Because, if anything, it was deeply satisfying to see Annabel overcome her obstacles and trauma in the end of the story. Another thing i disliked were the constant flashbacks, they often bored me and mad me loose my place. It may sound like I hate the book but the coming of age part of the story really redeemed this book for me.

This isn't my favorite Dessen novel. It was good, but I walked away from it feeling like something was missing for me. I wanted more of. . .something but I can't quite put my finger on what was missing.

From the get-go I was completely immersed and sucked into this glimpse into a little corner of our world that Dessen provided. She has this incredible ability to share so much with so little. Only a few pages in and you can't help but feel the dread and nerves that Annabel is feeling as she pulls up to the first day of school. All Dessen has to say is, "I'd had over three months to get ready to see Sophie. But when it happened, I still wasn't ready." There is barely anything there but I can already tell that s*** hit the fan a little over three months ago and Annabel has been avoiding the inevitable fallout.

I wish this book featured Annabel's family more. It just seems to me that there was some real potential for more of a focus on sisters and family coming together. There were some moments where that was demonstrated, but because there was this other storyline going on with Annabel and Owen and that night with Cash, those moments just weren't as complete as I had hoped. For example, Whitney gets up at an open-mic night and shares this story from her childhood, but there was never any discussion between the sisters after that. Thinking about my own sister if one of us had shared something like that and how we felt on a stage it would have led to a conversation. Maybe that's just me.

As for the romance, Owen and Annabel felt more like pals or brother and sister to me. I never really sensed that attraction between the two of them and had zero butterflies throughout my read. I kept feeling like the author was trying to convince us that they liked each other, but I just never really felt it. That's okay with me though, because I think there was enough going on to keep me interested and entertained without it.

While this isn't my favorite Dessen novel, I really did enjoy every moment I spent reading Just Listen. I think it was well written and packed with interesting characters who all seemed to grow and develop as the story progressed. I would highly recommend thinking about having a copy for your own little library. In fact as soon as Tom and I start a library room, when we are all grown up with a house, you can bet you will find a copy on one of my shelves.

Annabel is keeping a lot of secrets. She hates modeling, something she's done since she's a small child, her sister has an eating disorder, and worst of all something terrible happened to her over the summer that made her best friend hate her. When the new school year starts Annabel isn't comfortable at home, at modeling gigs, and definitely not at school. At lunch she eats sitting up against a wall outside next to the quiet but troubled Owen Armstrong. Eventually Owen and Annabel start talking and Owen encourages Annabel to be more honest with herself and others around her and he also exposes her to all types of music. But she has to decide if she's really ready to tell the whole truth.

Normally characters like Annabel drive me crazy. She's had this terrible thing happen to her, which you can guess from pretty early on in the book, but she just remains frozen in time. I typically go for characters who take action and try to improve their lives, but somehow Annabel didn't bother me, I actually really liked her. And Owen. And even Annabel's crazy sisters.

I like Sarah Dessen, but sometimes the flashbacks in her books can be a little too much. I actually picked up Just Listen more than six months ago and started to read it on the subway one day, but I was paying so little attention I didn't realize I was reading a flashback and just gave up on the book. Now that probably says a lot about my mental state at the time, but it's also a lot when big chunks of the book are composed of flashbacks. I also think it makes the pacing difficult.

One of my favorite parts was the description and treatment of Annabel's evil ex-best friend Sophie. There was nothing redeeming about this girl and I especially like how her story ended (not what her boyfriend did, just her status in high school at the end).

This was a fine book, nothing special or ground-breaking, just a solid read that I wouldn't talk anyone out of picking up.

Just Listen is my second book by Sarah Dessen. The first, What Happened to Goodbye, was a great book - but I wasn't head over heels in love with Dessen after. Sure, I enjoyed it, but I didn't rush out to buy another of her books. In fact, it had been fourteen months before I picked up Just Listen. However, I can say that this one is different. This one, has converted me.

The story of Annabel is a story about moments. It's as simple as that, moments are life changing. The choices you make in those moments - do you break the rules? Do you tell someone the whole story? Do you keep it locked inside? Do you apologize? These moments make up our life story, they mold who we become and how our relationships unfold.

I have to be honest, until the last few pages? I hated Annabel. Don't get me wrong, I loved the story. I loved the other characters. I just hated Annabel. And then, it hit me. (Much like her major revelation, late at night.) Annabel is me. Well; not entirely - but I hold my emotions inside. I push the bad stuff down, wishing it away and in reality stewing over it for months, years.

One of my favorite things about this story though? It wasn't Annabel, or her sisters, or her (ex)friendships. It wasn't even Owen (although I absolutely adored him, and were I sixteen? He totally would have been my cup of tea!! I just dig the broody, mysterious boys!) It was the Greene Family House. The idea of the glass house, where you think you can see everything - but you only get to skim the surface? Well, let's just say that Sarah Dessen is a genius when it comes to driving her point home!

This book is an amazing story, about finding out who you really are. About realizing that what you see on the surface of people, isn't really who they are. You have to dig deeper, much deeper, to find who a person really is. And that the music you listen too can show a glimpse of who you really are, but don't judge a song by it's title/cover/genre - just like with people, you need to dig deeper.

Just Listen is an absolutely beautiful coming of age story, one that makes you (even as an adult) reach inside yourself and inspect who you really are! I highly recommend snagging a copy and diving into the pages! You won't regret it!

Just Listen is my second attempt at a Sarah Dessen book. I liked This Lullaby okay, but wasn't wowed by it the way so many people seemed to be. But, I did enjoy it.

Just Listen was better. I felt more of a connection with these characters, and I can most definitely see myself reading more by Sarah Dessen in the near future.

Owen was a great character. The boy has got a lot of bottled up anger, but he's got a huge capacity for love as well. Watching him open up was wonderful. I think he was my favorite character in this story.

Annabel was also a great character, and it was painful watching her struggle. You have a pretty good idea the whole time why she's struggling so much, but that doesn't make it any easier to read about. She is hurting, and distrusting, but she slowly begins to open up to Owen, and allow him a place in her life. I thought they were great together, and I really wanted for things to work out.

This book really reminded me of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, and I think that is a weakness of this story. Not because Just Listen isn't powerful or important, but because I believe Speak to be more so, and I read it first. That being said, I do honestly believe that Just Listen is an important story, one that needed to be told, and one that will touch just as many people as Speak has. Speak is powerful in its simplicity and sparseness, but Just Listen offers us a deeper look into the characters and their relationships with each other, not just focusing on the main character.

Music plays a hugely important role in Owen's life, and as they grow closer, it begins to change Annabel as well. This is a story that will reach certain people and that makes me truly happy, because people need to know that life gets better, that there can be an end to pain, that sometimes, all you have to do is be willing to listen.

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Just Listen is the story of 17 year old Annabel Green, a high schooler who had a life many would envy. She was a model, friends with the most popular girl in school (and by association, also popular), did well in school and had a wonderful family. All of that falls to the wayside when Annabel's sister develops an eating disorder and Annabel herself experiences a pretty devastating event, leading to the loss of all of her school friends and her more optimistic outlook on life. Annabel is pretty much resolved to spending her school hours being ignored or worse, taunted, but is surprised when she begins a friendship with self-imposed loner, Owen Armstrong.

I really enjoyed this book; I actually purchased it a few days ago and started reading it last night after I got out of class at 9pm. 5 hours later it was 2am and I had finished the book! Annabel is mostly lovable and relatable (and I can forgive her for being a beautiful model). She freely admits early on that some of her social leprosy stems from "karmic retribution" because while she didn't actively seek to be mean, her (ex) best friend Sophie did, and did it with relish. Owen is awesome; he loves music of all types (except, apparently, Top 40/'mainstream'), he works hard to achieve his anger management and in general seems like a really decent person.

Annabel spends most of the book trying to bury the secrets of that party on the first night of summer because she's afraid of the consequences. Her mom has been fragile since the death of her own mother a few years prior and after dealing with Annabel's sister Whitney's eating disorder, Annabel considers her infinitely more breakable. So, to spare her family the heartache, Annabel keeps it all bottled up inside, until circumstances force her to reevaluate the situation.

The only two things that minorly bothered me about the story were the back flashes which were never really announced, so sometimes you'd be reading and then realize "Oh, this was from before the incident" and Owen's crazy music snobbery (but that was more laughable than anything else).

All in all, I really enjoyed this story but am not enjoying the severe sleep deprivation I've been experiencing all day thanks to the book. Anyone who enjoyed Laurie Halse Anderson's novel Speak will find a similar read, but different enough to still be fresh. While a lot of the themes were very mature, and it was very poignant at times, there were still parts that made me laugh out loud. The ending left me satisfied, but attached enough to the characters to worry about their lives after "the end." Definitely take a read if you like contemporary YA fiction, Sarah Dessen definitely delivers with this book.

Just Listen was my first Sarah Dessen novel. I've been meaning to read her books for years and never got around to it until now. I can't believe I missed all this wonderfulness! How I adored Just Listen. Sarah Dessen is a genius of contemporary YA romance.

Truth. You can whittle the theme of Just Listen down to that one word. The importance of being truthful to your friends and family. But most of all, the importance of being true to yourself.

Annabel Greene lives a perfect lie. As a model and television commercial actress, she's beautiful, carefree, and full of smiles. In reality, Annabel is haunted - by a recent event, by her family's issues, and by her inability to stand up for herself.

Enter cute boy stage right. Owen seems like a bad boy. Sullen, perpetually angry, and never without his headphones - Owen is not the boy you'd want to bring home to your parents. Except that he is...He is incredibly sweet, insightful, and honest. Most of all, honest. I loved how passionate Owen was about music and how eager he was to share his passion with Annabel. I loved how he accepted Annabel without hesitation, despite her status as a social leper and her lack of musical appreciation. I loved how he challenged Annabel to be the person she was meant to be. Owen is shining star in a crowded field of YA love interests.

Another highlight of Just Listen is the family element. Books with strong family plot arcs are rare in YA. Annabel's parents and sisters were crucial characters in this story. Annabel's entire family lives a lie. They're falling apart but refusing to admit it. Only when Whitney's (Annabel's sister) eating disorder advances close to a point of no return are they even willing to acknowledge there's a problem. From that point, we have a slow healing process throughout the book. I loved seeing how Whitney progressed in her recovery from her eating disorder. It felt real - neither too fast nor too slow. Dessen also did a great job of highlighting each family member's flaws and moved the plot in a way that allowed each person to improve.

Just Listen is a delightful book. It has everything that I want in a contemporary YA novel. Romance of course. But also strong plot arcs that take the story beyond a simple romance. Family, friends, self-discovery. Everything in the story is cleaned up by the end in a way that could potentially happen. The book never felt fake. I will definitely be reading more by Sarah Dessen.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Sarah Dessen's stories have a way of seeping into your psyche. At first I wondered why sites like Forever Young Adult built a virtual blog-shrine of frenzied posts about her novels. I read The Truth About Forever and liked a lot of the characters, but it wasn't anything I was too excited about. Dessen's work is a slow burn. Her characters aren't flashy, no one has superpowers that mysteriously spring up at age 16. Her stories are about plain girls with hidden hurts who learn to love and laugh through unexpected friendships. The stories are memorable in their simplicity.

Just Listen's quirky supporting character is Owen, the unlikely friend Annabel makes after a falling out with her best friend. Owen is a loner who hosts a local radio show featuring obscure music, which turns into a theme for the book. His conversation is peppered with phrases learned from anger management, which are a revelation to Annabel considering her upbringing taught her to avoid conflict at all cost. Annabell's family conflicts are explored with delicate depth, which is a hallmark of Dessen's stories.

My chief criticism is how frustrating Dessen's protagonists can be. They get stepped on in all kinds of ways, which happens to underconfident girls, I get that. But it's continually. I find myself shouting at the book sometimes, hoping the doormat girl wakes up and takes responsibility for herself. Sure, the characters redeem themselves eventually, but it can be a painful ride to get there. I know it's nitpicky to say, but this isn't a book you read for the quality of writing. There are a few phrases that serve as crutches for a dramatic reaction: I just stood there, or I just looked at her. It could be any combination of he/she/it but it's on almost every single page, and this is not an exaggeration. It's kind of astounding how frequent a variation on that phrase comes up once you're triggered to see it.

Overall, if you're already a fan of Sarah Dessen, you'll like this.

I went into Just Listen thinking I would get another fun angst filled read by Sarah Dessen, this one's just the second novel I've read by her but fell in love with her writing immediately with This Lullaby. I was surprised pretty early into the book that even though I would get a lot of angst, there was also going to be some intensity that I wasn't expecting.

Just Listen was another wonderfully detailed story by Sarah Dessen. After reading the synopsis I was expecting that the reason behind Annabel's spat with her best friend Sophie would be something silly but I was wrong. It was something much more serious than I ever expected and Sarah Dessen did a great job weaving the hard subjects of rape and eating disorders perfectly with the rest of what's going on in Annabel's life and her healing process, it's got a great mixture of memorable sweet moments and a blooming romance which made the book a lot less intense. Yes, there are a few bits of heartbreaking emotional moments but they are closer to the end when the whole story begins to unravel and the truth comes out in the open.

In Just Listen we also get another great guy, I'm beginning to see a trend with Sarah Dessen's books and good guys, I'm hoping this is right. I really do love me a good guy and Owen does not disappoint, he's much sweeter and understanding than everyone seems to think, he dresses like the bad boy but is the complete opposite and he just totally won my heart for helping Annabel through her struggle and for being pretty much responsible for healing her and helping her speak out about what happened to her.

I loved that we had a lot of backstory in this one, a lot of flashbacks from Annabel's childhood and her family. Even though it did take me a little bit longer to get into this one, once I did, I felt more connected to the characters, even the side characters like Annabel's sisters and parents. This one was just filled with a great amount of characters that were so different from each other and the character development is so well done that you really begin to feel like you know them. This novel was layered with subplots and they were all very intriguing and diverse, I was glad to see them get resolved. Sarah didn't just throw this characters and problems at you and ended the novel leaving you wondering what ever happened to this person, there was a resolution to each one and I loved that as you read you get to see it happening from beginning to end. This one was truly a memorable read that deals with some really serious topics and a great message, but also lots of beautiful sweet moments that made it hard to put down.

Summary
Annabel Greene appears to have everything; at least that's what the illusion she puts on for her model shoots. But in reality it's far from the ideal life she pretends to have as everything she holds dear begins to crumble away. Then she meets Owen, and with his help he teaches her to be become honest and brave. Will she be able to speak out the night everything began to crumble?

Comment
This book was one of the best books I have ever read in the young adult and contemporary romance genres. It's a rare treat to read very well crafted realistic fiction that is not depressing, since for a long time I thought that couldn't be done. This book does touch upon touchy, almost taboo, subjects as eating disorders and rape, but it's not graphic enough to alarm parents of younger readers. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

The characterization is very well done; it was very realistic in the sense that I could believe it if it happened in real life. Considering that the Greene family went through a lot of bad things, there was a sense of hope and humor coming from them. Many of the characters were starting to become redeemed, so I really liked that.

Owen and Annabel both had some really good chemistry together. Some scenes were really fluffy, which saved the novel from being depressing. I think that they made a really cute couple, even when they bickered.

I look foreword to reading more of Sarah Dessen's novels.

Annabel Greene spent her summer ignoring everyone and avoiding all of the things that are wrong in her life. So when she returns to school in the fall, she finds herself friendless and despised by nearly everyone, except for outcast and music-lover Owen, who reaches out to her. Trapped in a state where most everyone seems to keep quiet about everything--her sister's illness, family tension, an unwanted modeling career, and a night earlier that spring that won't be forgotten--Annabel is taken aback by Owen's determination to always tell the truth...and slowly he helps her realize that ignoring your problems won't make them go away.

Once again, Sarah Dessen has created a very layered and intense book, full of pain and love and laughter and heart. Annabel is such an excellent narrator; she focuses on being the successful student and the ideal daughter in a picture-perfect family, even as everything around her is evidence that she is anything but perfect. Her friendship with Owen is a refuge, and with him, she's not afraid to speak her mind. And Owen, despite his anger issues and his struggles with communication with Annabel, is kind, caring, and his passion for music of any kind makes him stand out as a character. As Annabel is forced to work her way through the many problems in her life, Dessen slowly drops hints and reveals the big secret that caused Annabel to shut down, and builds the book up to a point where Annabel is forced to make a decision: speak out, or go on with her silent suffering. This book is heavy with symbolism, from the title to the final page, but Dessen never overdoes it--Just Listen is a beautiful, meaningful, and pitch perfect novel that will make readers Dessen fans for life.

With most of my recent reading revolving around the paranormal and fantasy dramas, it was nice to pick up a book that could have been about someone who lived down the street from me. Well, that might be a bit of a stretch, but I'm sure you understand my point.

I had never read anything by Sarah Dessen, though I knew of her popularity and I believe there is also a Sarah Dessen reading challenge out there. I now understand why. I have to admit that Just Listen is probably not a book I would normally pick up. Honestly, I'm not much for reading books that deal with various psychological and physical issues, such as eating disorders and so on. But I happened to see this on a bargain shelf (why it was there, I'm not sure) and I knew how great Dessen's books were supposed to be, so I decided to give it a try.

I am so glad I did! Dessen's writing style was spot on for this book, in my opinion. I felt like I was reading about teenagers who could have been real people. Nothing ever felt forced or fake about this story, which was refreshing to me. The characters were so well-developed and realistic I often had to remind myself I was reading a fictional book and not someone's memoir. Annabel's growth throughout the story was handled very well, too--she didn't magically have all the answers but made progress, slipped a few steps, but carried on. As for Owen, I loved his character and the part he played in Annabel's growth. As for the other characters--Annabel's sisters and friends, in particular--I wouldn't be surprised if you could think of people you knew when you read about them. There is only one reason I can't give this book a five star rating, and that is because it was sometimes difficult to distinguish the transitions into Annabel's memories from what was actually going on at the moment. I would find myself confused only to realize that she was remembering something that had happened a year, or several years earlier. Other than that, I really thought this book was extremely well-written--it had me hooked the entire time.

(Additional Note: My actual rating is 4-1/2 stars but I round up for sites like the store.)

Ahhhh this was such an adorable read! I loved Annabel and all the other characters! This was my first Sarah Dessen book and I'm glad I picked it up! I'm pleased this story also covered a serious subject that's rarely talked about in teen fiction and romance no less. It was hopeful, thoughtful and also just fun to read! Seriously recommend if you're looking for a story about self growth, serious healing but also fun, music loving, quirky, sweet characters and story!

Annabel Greene lives in a glass house. No, really. The house was designed by her father, and the entire front was made out of glass. Lovely architecture for a lovely family.

All three daughters - Kirsten, Whitney, and Annabel - had some success modeling as kids and teenagers. After high school, Kirsten moved to New York. Whitney, the girl who always had the most modeling potential, moved in with Kirsten two years later and pursued modeling and college more seriously than her laid-back older sister did.

But the story doesn't belong to them. It belongs to Annabel, the daughter still living at home, the high school student. She filmed a commercial in April, before something happened to her that has weighed her down ever since. Now spring and summer have passed, and the person that the commercial director called "the girl who has everything" is not the same.

The first time the commercial for Kopf's Department Store airs on TV, Annabel is uncomfortable looking at herself onscreen. With a smile, TV-Annabel declares, "It's all happening this year!" And it is, just not in the ways she expected, and involving as many (or as few) people as Annabel will allow.

There's Sophie, Annabel's ex-best friend who won't talk to her anymore. There's her father, the occasionally absentminded architect, and her mother, who managed her daughters' careers and perhaps enjoyed it all more than they did. There's Whitney, who, like her baby sister, has a problem she doesn't want to deal with, and Kirsten, who brings that problem to light. There's her quiet classmate Owen, who is never without his iPod and who has a local radio show. There's Mallory, Owen's trendy and talkative younger sister who is starstruck by Annabel. Not everyone around Annabel really sees her, and she's not quite sure how she sees herself. Through it all, there's music. Owen sees to that.

The point of the story isn't just what happened to Annabel - which readers may or may not figure out prior to the character's full disclosure - but how she reacted to it, and whether or not she'll move on once she's confronted it. Those who were already Sarah Dessen fans will certainly enjoy this story, and I urge those who started with Just Listen to read her other books as well.

For awhile now, I've read and heard glowing reviews of Sarah Dessen's books. Last summer I read This Lullaby, which I really enjoyed. When I asked "which book is your favorite?", the responses were always Just Listen and The Truth About Forever.

Initially, my intent was to read Just Listen, however when I noticed my library owned the audio book, I decided to listen to it instead. In a way, I'm glad that I did. The narrator, Jennifer Ikeda, did a fantastic job of portraying Annabel. As Annabel shared the events that occurred on that fateful night, I forgot I was listening to a book, but felt I was actually hearing Annabel tell her story.

For me, the best part of the story was Annabel's relationship with Owen. Their friendship started out cautiously and grew to be very supportive. Ms. Dessen did an excellent job with pacing Annabel and Owen getting to know each other.

While listening to the story, I began thinking about how important it is to have someone listen to what you have to say. For Annabel, she didn't believe anyone would listen, let alone believe her about why she is no longer friends with Sophie. Instead she bottled her secret and kept quiet until she was too afraid to share her story. Annabel likes to keep the peace in her relationships, which causes her to shy away from telling people how she truly feels. As she begins to trust Owen, she sees that being honest doesn't have to be something she fears or the reason she may lose something. Honesty will lead to acceptance, closure and free her from the box she has been suffocating in.

I highly recommend this book. Ms. Dessen is a great author. Though her targeted audience is young adults, I believe adult readers will be impressed with her ability to bring characters to life.

Just Listen is one of my favorite teen fiction books. Actually, I love just about everything Sarah Dessen has ever written. She has a real knack for creating authentic characters and for handling issues and relationships in a way that resonates with the reader.

Annabel Greene had a seemingly perfect life. A highly regarded local model, she's always been an excellent student, popular with her peers - in short, on top of the high school world. But something happened to Annabel over the summer between her sophomore and junior years; now she's scorned by her former best friend and goes through school as a social outcast.

Never one to make waves, Annabel handles her new status as a pariah the same way she deals with conflicts with her two older sisters and pressure from her parents - by keeping everything she's feeling locked away inside and not confronting anyone about anything if it might lead to unpleasantness. Just when it seems that her life is headed for the very depths, Annabel finds an unexpected ally in Owen Armstrong. Owen is a mystery with a reputation for using his fists, he may even be dangerous, but he's as much on the outside as Annabel and that gives them something very important in common.

Owen challenges Annabel to stand up and face her problems, to try and think about what makes her happy instead of trying to please everyone else in her life. The question is, can Annabel bring herself to tell anyone about what happened to her over the summer and if she can, will anyone listen?

This is the first Sarah Dessen book I have picked up, and randomly at that since this one looked the most interesting on her almost mini shrine at Borders Express. It blew me away. The characters were well-developed, and the author showed many unique qualities about each of them and gave us insight into the even the smallest characters. The dialouge was real and not forced. I felt transported to a high school and felt everything Annabel did.
Annabel Greene is a part-time model and seems like she has the perfect life. If you look through her glass house, all you see is the exterior though; not her real thoughts. The girl she thought was her best friend dumped her rudely and meanly at a party, and although the whole situation was underestimated, Annabel can't and won't tell anyone what happened that May night. Alone at school, Annabel becomes friends with the music loving and honest Owen, who had anger issues at one point but now has recovered and teaches Annabel about his way of thinking. But Annabel doesn't just have her former friend Sophie to deal with: her older sister Whitney suffers from an eating disorder, and the whole family is concentrated on her recovery. Annabel doesn't want to tell anyone anything at the risk of them getting hurt; as she tells Owen, she is a nice liar.
One thing that made this book so real was the thoughts that came to Annabel along the way, the revelations she had. It gives the reader a whole new perspective on the young adult world. I do not think anything can top this book: it was so real and wise that it might never be repeated again.
The author doesn't let any character get away, a depth is disocvered in each one. There were funny moments, there were sad moments, yet this book wasn't predictable or unpredictable: it was life, and that is what made it great.