Just Listen by: Sarah Dessen

In Sarah Dessen’s book, “Just Listen,” Annabel Greene is trying to find a place to fit in. She used to have a best friend, was popular, and had everything going for her, until Sophie, her ex- best friend, accused her of doing something she did not do. Not only does Annabel have troubles at school, but she wants to quit modeling, something she has been doing for a while, and her sister’s eating disorder is hard on everyone in the family. People constantly give Annabel looks and whisper about her at school, and she talks to no one, until she meets Owen Armstrong. He helps Annabel appreciate music, listen to herself, and always tell the truth. More than that, Owen is a friend to Annabel; at a time she needs one most. Soon, they start hanging out everyday and talking a lot- mostly about music, which Owen really introduces to Annabel. She learns to enjoy all genres. Owen is always honest, and Annabel learns to speak up and do the same. The first time Owen really catches her lying, he is on to her, “I knew it! You know, for someone who lies a lot, you’re not very good at it” (135). Annabel realizes that he is right- she usually does not tell the truth so that she does not hurt anyone’s feelings. She starts opening up more when she talks to him, and she always tells the truth to him. Now, it is just a matter of if she will tell the truth about what happened with the argument between her and Sophie. This book was pretty good, but kind of hard to get into at first. It was pretty slow for a while- mainly just background information about her, her friends, and her family. I would recommend this book to someone who likes romance novels and realistic fiction. It was not a fantastic book, but it had some good elements to it. For instance, Annabel learned to tell the truth, speak up for herself, and just listen to herself, something that many of us need to do ourselves. I think the book was a little long based on the subject matter and how slow it was; it could have been much shorter. Overall, I liked it a fair amount and I would recommend it to people looking for a realistic book to read. ~Kate