Just Listen

This post originally published December 22, 2009.

Author: Sarah Dessen
Published: 2006
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
384 pages (hardcover)
 
Summary: On the outside, Annabel Greene appears to be the perfect girl who has everything. She’s gets good grades, is a part of the ‘cool’ crowd, has beautiful popular sisters and is a part-time model. But after a summer party gone wrong, Annabel finds herself shunned by her closest friends, utterly alone. Annabel deals with this the same way she’s always dealt with troubles in the past — by staying silent. That is, until she meets Owen Armstrong, an intimidating schoolmate of her’s. Owen’s blunt and honest, always ready for a confrontation, the complete opposite of who Anna is. Through Owen, Anna learns not only how to speak up for herself, but also the fact that people are willing to listen.

My Thoughts: This book was recommended to me by my sister. At first I was a bit hesitant because the summary on the inside of the dust jacket made it sound like it was about some popular girl who falls from her high status in school and learns to become a better person, something like that. But I read it anyway and I was pleasantly surprised. This is a really good book. Annabel is not a popular, stuck-up, gossip-hungry high school girl. She’s the kind of person who tries her best to please everyone, even if it means burdening herself. She’s the kind of person who will tell white lies so nobody’s feelings get hurt. The fact that she’s sort of popular and a part-time model, those are just extra things. They do not define her, as she will realize herself. When I first started, I had little idea as to what the story was about. This book deals with a whole range of issues that could pop up in a high school situation, from friendship to eating disorders to rape. And you’d think, in dealing with so many themes, that maybe the storyline will trip over itself somewhere or the plot will become too ‘busy’, but that’s not true at all. It was all very nicely pieced together. I think this book sends a really important message to teen girls, the most important one being that if you are experiencing problems in your life, talk to someone. Someone will listen to you. Don’t think you have to bottle it up or that forgetting will fix everything.

All the characters were brilliantly written out. I was particularly fond of the relationship between Annabel and her two sisters, though I have to say, Annabel’s mother kind of annoyed me, hahaha. I really liked Annabel’s relationship with Owen too. From the beginning, it was obvious (at least, to me) that Annabel and Owen are going to end up as a couple by the end. But what was so nice about it was that it didn’t start off with a bang, like two teenagers who just suddenly realized they have feelings for one another, or one of them secretly harboring a crush and it was just a matter of the other one falling in love too. No, this relationship started off slowly as barely friends and crept on you, but never quite reaches the climax where they both confess their feelings. It’s subtle, but still obvious. It’s nice because it feels like a real relationship. Even at the end, nothing is explicitly stated but much is implied.

This is a great book. If you’re looking for something a bit deep, something a bit ‘real’, then this is the novel for you.

My Rating: 4/5