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breezy610's review against another edition
4.0
this was pretty good. I felt like I could connect with the characters.
lindsaybrownb's review against another edition
5.0
This is a great book for teens to read when they are having trouble with anything. If they are depressed or don't know what to do about a serious issue. I loved reading this book. It really touched home.
lulu15river's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
outoftheblue14's review against another edition
5.0
As for me, I fell somewhere between my sisters and their strong personalities, the very personification of the vast grey area that separated them. I was not bold and outspoken, not silent and calculating. I had no idea how anyone would describe me, or what would come to mind at the sound of my name. I was just Annabel.
I had already read Sarah Dessen's Just Listen last year, but I liked it so much that I picked it up again and read it more carefully. It is a very good story.
Annabel Green, seventeen year old, seems to be the girl who has it all: good looks, good grades, and a part-time modelling career at Lakeview Models. However, as she returns to school for her senior year, things aren't going so well for her. Annabel's best friend, mean and bossy Sophie, has dropped her and accuses her of having slept with Sophie's boyfriend; Annabel's sister is anorexic, which means no peace at home; and Annabel's modelling career isn't fun for her anymore. Moreover, Annabel is shaken by an attempted rape from her best friend's boyfriend, which she hasn't confessed to anyone.
For these reasons, Annabel is very withdrawn into herself and lives with a series of lies surrounding her. At school, however, she meets and makes friends with Owen, a boy who is in Anger Management class after being in a fistfight and whose policy is always being brutally honest. Thanks to Owen's friendship, Annabel discovers that she can be more honest about herself, thus battling the ghosts in her recent past.
One of the main themse in the book is listening. Listening to music (Owen is a music fanatic and has his own radio programme on a local radio station), but also, of course, listening to each other. Learning to listening to each other helps Annabel's family to cope with their daughter and sister's anorexia problem, while it also helps Annabel overcoming her difficulties with being honest with herself.
Just Listen is a very good book, like all the books I have read by Sarah Dessen. I'd definitely recommend it.
I had already read Sarah Dessen's Just Listen last year, but I liked it so much that I picked it up again and read it more carefully. It is a very good story.
Annabel Green, seventeen year old, seems to be the girl who has it all: good looks, good grades, and a part-time modelling career at Lakeview Models. However, as she returns to school for her senior year, things aren't going so well for her. Annabel's best friend, mean and bossy Sophie, has dropped her and accuses her of having slept with Sophie's boyfriend; Annabel's sister is anorexic, which means no peace at home; and Annabel's modelling career isn't fun for her anymore. Moreover, Annabel is shaken by an attempted rape from her best friend's boyfriend, which she hasn't confessed to anyone.
For these reasons, Annabel is very withdrawn into herself and lives with a series of lies surrounding her. At school, however, she meets and makes friends with Owen, a boy who is in Anger Management class after being in a fistfight and whose policy is always being brutally honest. Thanks to Owen's friendship, Annabel discovers that she can be more honest about herself, thus battling the ghosts in her recent past.
One of the main themse in the book is listening. Listening to music (Owen is a music fanatic and has his own radio programme on a local radio station), but also, of course, listening to each other. Learning to listening to each other helps Annabel's family to cope with their daughter and sister's anorexia problem, while it also helps Annabel overcoming her difficulties with being honest with herself.
Just Listen is a very good book, like all the books I have read by Sarah Dessen. I'd definitely recommend it.
ananya2112's review against another edition
2.0
Click on the link if you want to know my honest review on the book! http://fictivemind.blogspot.com/2015/06/just-listen-spoiler-free-review.html
avonleagal's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
eesh25's review against another edition
5.0
Don't you hate it when, after reading a book, you take some time to let it settle in your mind and postpone writing the review. And the next thing you know, it's been a week and the review still hasn't been written and now you have to think hard to remember half the shit you wanted to write in it? Because I really fucking do. And I do it all the time. Like now.
So, bear with me here. This might be good, or it might be a complete mess.
This novel is the story of a girl named Annabel, whose life has undergone a bad transformation. Her mean-but-exciting best friend, Sophie, dropped her, things at home are no good ever since her older sister became anorexic, and she just doesn't know what to do or how long she can hold on to things.
The she meets Owen, who seems like a breath of fresh air after all the lying and hiding, and "being nice". Some might call Owen rude, but the truth is, he's honest. Always. And maybe he'll be able to help Annabel deal with her problems, and with what really happened between her and Sophie because, on her own, she might never do anything.
And that's not to say that Annabel is weak. She kind of is, but also isn't. She's not easily hurt, or breakable; she just doesn't like confrontation. She can't stand anger, or people being upset because of her. So she pretends that her problems don't exist and never says anything to anyone, hoping it will all get better on its own. Because that always happens, right? All bad things are going to vanish into pixie dust.
It's a naive hope and Annabel is a naive girl. But her problem with confrontation is very serious, as we slowly see. She's terrified and lets that fear control her to the point of it being unhealthy. And her journey to growing up and learning to face her demons was beautiful to read.
She had help from Owen, of course, who I love. Owen is exactly the kind of characters that I like since I hate liars and he's taken an oath of honestly. He's also funny, a bit strange and just a really good guy. He and Annabel complement each other very well. He makes her more brave and she calls him out when he's judge-y or a music snob. I love their interactions and the fact that things started off with them becoming friends. There was no instant attraction or "he was the most handsome guy I'd ever seen" (that shit is getting old) and the relationship moved at a very natural pace.
Overall, this was a very well written book with many compelling characters, all of whom we were acquainted with early on. It wasn't just about Annabel and Owen. It was also about her mom, her sisters, her friends. All of it beautifully told.
A hell of an introduction to Sarah Dessen, for me. And I highly recommend this book and I'm eager to read more by the author.
the_illustrating_reader's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
If you had asked me how many stars I would give this as a teen, I’d say 5. Now it’s a solid 4. Still a great book, but it’s got its issues.