Just Listen (2006)

Sarah Dessen does a great job writing books about teenage girls who are struggling with an issue that is bigger than they are. An abusive boyfriend, an eating disorder, rape---whatever the issue at hand happens to be, Dessen will convey the attendant avoidance, pain, and confusion in heartbreakingly familiar and believable terms. The only problem is that her characters seem to be interchangeable. The female voice in "Just Listen," could be the very same female voice in Dreamland.

Granted, Dessen is a very young writer, and my hope is that she learns to branch out and try something new. "Just Listen" was a good read, and totally broke my heart in the same way that "Dreamland" did. I think it would resonate most with impressionable and young teen girls from an upper to middle class background, looking for a dramatic high school/ family drama with just a hint of romance. ( )

Definitely one of Dessen's best! Annabel Green is completely alone after her sister moves away to deal with an eating disorder and her mother becomes engrossed in grieving her grandmother, but to make matters worse, her best friend hates her after what happened at a party one night. No one knows the truth about that party, and no one will talk to Annabel except Owen. Owen has already gone through anger management for punching classmates that annoy him (though that's basically where his bad-boy image ends). He lives in his iPod, is obsessed with telling the truth rather than bottling it up, and is the only one who can help Annabel find the courage to stand up and stop someone else being hurt.

I liked their conversations, and the carwash scene was cute. ( )

Annabel used to be the girl who has everything. Now she has nothing, but she's reminded of her former life every time she sees the commercial she shot for Kopf's Department Store before everything fell apart. After her best friend Sophie dumped her, Annabel became a social outcast. Then she meets Owen Armstrong, a former bad boy who is obsessed with music (and the truth). Maybe with Owen's help, Annabel can confront her past and make peace with who she is.

Just Listen is classic Sarah Dessen, and that isn't a bad thing. The characters in Dessen's novel are layered and complicated. The story moves along quickly, revealing new aspects to the mysterious event that shattered Annabel's relationship with Sophie and is compelling enough to keep readers wanting more. Dessen's plotting is solid, and her story is strongest when dealing with Annabel's relationship with her two older sisters.

What is problematic about the novel is the simple characterization of mean girl Sophie. We are never given any insight into why Sophie is the way she is. At no point is it clear why Annabel became friends with her. While it is true that sometimes these kinds of friendships just happen, it is jarring in a book that has so many other well-developed, thought-out characters. For a character who plays a role in changing the protagonist, it seems like a large oversight.

However, the book is stronger than the one weak character and is highly recommended to Dessen fans as well as readers who enjoyed Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak. ( )

Reminiscent of Speak with the "what really happened" and the impact of dealing with painful situations as a teen - another winner from Dessen ( )

I forgot how much I love Sarah Dessen's books. If Twillight was addicting, her books are more so and so much better written. ( )