Monday, October 24, 2011

Book Review: Just Listen by Sarah Dessen


Once again, a Sarah Dessen book has ended up in my hands. And, once again, it was fantastic. Dessen again succeeded to wow me with her amazing writing. Her characters were very three dimensional and had great development throughout the novel. Her dialogue is the sort of stuff every aspiring writer should study. Basically, Dessen knows how to write really well.

Here's a quick synopsis: Annabel is starting her junior year of high school with no friends and a horrible status with her used-to-be-best-friend. Annabel should confront people about what really happened, but she likes to be "nice" and she hates confrontations, so she holds the truth in. That is the main story line, but of course Dessen has more than one. Annabel's sister Whitney is dealing with an eating disorder, but that sort of thing affects the whole family. Then there's the mess up with Annabel's old friend, Clarke. Throw in Owen, the boy who gets Annabel to think about her past and actually start to change. Add some influential music and an enthusiastic 12 year old, and you get a beautifully written, intense and insightful Dessen novel. I highly recommend this book, but be warned: I rate it PG-16 due to descriptive, slightly disturbing scenes and some swearing.
Sarah Dessen's writing will blow you away.
Happy Reading!

1 comment:

Luxembourg said...

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, was a compelling book that grasped your attention with every word. It was very difficult to put the novel down after picking it up. You would think that Annabel Greene was the girl who had everything, but as you take a closer look and analyze her character, her problems and flaws become evident. Throughout her story, Annabel finds out who she really is along with the help of Owen Armstrong, a music connoisseur, and her family. Family, friends, and music are major themes and serve as messages throughout the story. For instance, Owen's many genres of music represent the many different layers he possesses as a character. I liked the way this book was written, it accurately nailed the usage of the foreshadow element and highlighted the past and present perfectly.