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A review by knuckledown
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
4.0
I think I may have jinxed this book by commenting that "her books keep getting better." I also had pretty high expectations for a strong musical element, quite understandably derived from the girl with the iPod on the cover. I have deduced both from reading and writing experience that musical references are hard to pull off if you're also trying not to date your book too badly. Dessen avoids this by using real names and songs from older groups that are fairly timeless and making up anmes for the "current" music. This is fairly effective but at times a bit distracting.
Also i have to take into consideration the fact that this is Dessen's seventh young adult novel, and I have read them all, often multiple times. I'm very familiar with her style. As I have noticed with other authors, this can make it difficult to ignore the patterns that are inevitable in a writer's body of work. Not to mention the fact that Dessen sets all her books in the same area with the same fictional stores popping up in different books. This can be fun for a fan like myself, especially since she has now begun giving characters from past books cameos in the newer ones. Still, I think in a way she's made it harder for herself to keep each novel feeling fresh.
Okay, I'm making it sound like I didn't enjoy this book. That's not true! I loved it as I love all of Dessen's books and read it in three days flat. Annabel is a main character withholding a secret, which is pretty much always intriguing. Owen Armstrong is an awesome leading man who manages to remain unique from leading men past. He wasn't as goofy as Dexter or as stoic as Wes. In fact, I wish Owen had been in the book more. Conversations between him and Annabel were so fun to read. The family storyline just couldn't compete.
Also i have to take into consideration the fact that this is Dessen's seventh young adult novel, and I have read them all, often multiple times. I'm very familiar with her style. As I have noticed with other authors, this can make it difficult to ignore the patterns that are inevitable in a writer's body of work. Not to mention the fact that Dessen sets all her books in the same area with the same fictional stores popping up in different books. This can be fun for a fan like myself, especially since she has now begun giving characters from past books cameos in the newer ones. Still, I think in a way she's made it harder for herself to keep each novel feeling fresh.
Okay, I'm making it sound like I didn't enjoy this book. That's not true! I loved it as I love all of Dessen's books and read it in three days flat. Annabel is a main character withholding a secret, which is pretty much always intriguing. Owen Armstrong is an awesome leading man who manages to remain unique from leading men past. He wasn't as goofy as Dexter or as stoic as Wes. In fact, I wish Owen had been in the book more. Conversations between him and Annabel were so fun to read. The family storyline just couldn't compete.