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prettyangel98's review against another edition
5.0
oh my wow, such a good book. Owen was the perfect guy. I love how the book wasn't about them being in love and all that crap. It was more than that. I feel like a different person after reading this. Owens fascination with music really got to me, as i also love music, i felt like i could connect with him.
THIS IS A MUST READ. :)
THIS IS A MUST READ. :)
daphx00's review against another edition
4.0
I’m running out of Sarah Dessen books to read! After reading five of her other novels, I thought it might get predictable, or boring.. but Just Listen was neither of those things. It was, once again, everything I could have wanted from a contemporary. Believable characters with personality, witty dialogue and heartfelt moments made for a great read.
Annabel has issues. Her sister has an eating disorder which causes havoc in her family and her best friend dumped her. From a once popular model, she tumbles down the social ladder and becomes somewhat of an outcast. Until she starts talking to Owen. He has a reputation that precedes him, and his burly physique doesn’t help him. However, when Annabel gets to know him, she learns that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Not everything is as it seems, which is something Annabel found out the hard way.
While reading, Annabel has flashbacks and we unravel the night her best friend Sophie dumped her, bit by bit. Getting a new piece of the puzzle every time, you get to figure out what happened along the way. Even though the reason for their separation was a little predictable, I really liked how Dessen has intertwined the different storylines and Annabel’s past into this story. There were several moments that were so heartfelt, so intense, that I found my cheeks to be wet from tears. In between some heavy subjects, Dessen has put lighthearted and quirky dialogue and yes, some romance (would it be a Sarah Dessen book otherwise?). I loved how she incorporated music in this one. I prefer This Lullaby over Just Listen, but both have their charm and I loved reading both of them.
Find this review and others on Loving Books.
Annabel has issues. Her sister has an eating disorder which causes havoc in her family and her best friend dumped her. From a once popular model, she tumbles down the social ladder and becomes somewhat of an outcast. Until she starts talking to Owen. He has a reputation that precedes him, and his burly physique doesn’t help him. However, when Annabel gets to know him, she learns that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Not everything is as it seems, which is something Annabel found out the hard way.
While reading, Annabel has flashbacks and we unravel the night her best friend Sophie dumped her, bit by bit. Getting a new piece of the puzzle every time, you get to figure out what happened along the way. Even though the reason for their separation was a little predictable, I really liked how Dessen has intertwined the different storylines and Annabel’s past into this story. There were several moments that were so heartfelt, so intense, that I found my cheeks to be wet from tears. In between some heavy subjects, Dessen has put lighthearted and quirky dialogue and yes, some romance (would it be a Sarah Dessen book otherwise?). I loved how she incorporated music in this one. I prefer This Lullaby over Just Listen, but both have their charm and I loved reading both of them.
Find this review and others on Loving Books.
sourday's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.25
the caracters are incredible, but the pace is a little slow... like, i didn't want to know about her parents or her sisters (only whitney, i really liked her), i wanted to focus on the main people, so i found boring, but is a good book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Gaslighting, Eating disorder, Rape, Mental illness, and Physical abuse
keen23's review against another edition
3.0
Kind of dragged. You knew where the plot was going, but it took a long time to get there.
rachel_emily22's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
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.
lyla_m'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.