kellykaiser28's review
4.0
This book was by far my favorite Sarah Dessen novel out of all of them. The chemistry between the characters is undeniable and at the end of the book I smiling with happiness for the main character. I definitely recommend this book!
roses_readingspace's review
5.0
At first look the book might come off as a teenage romance but it's so much more than that.
The protagonist is a girl named Annabel Greene, who is struggling with an inner demon but the reader is not aware of it at first. She just had her summer vacation and for some reason she's terrified of going back to school.
.
Annabel looks like the girl who has it all - she's a model, is popular in school, has a wonderful family consisting of her parents and her two elder sisters and lives in a beautifully designed glass house.
As we start reading we get to know that not everything is as it appears. She hates modelling, something happened during the vacation that resulted in a fight between her and her best friend and she has isolated herself from everyone.
.
The perfect glass house where she lives although it seems you can see what's going on inside, the house does conceal so much of her family's secrets - like she's hiding what happened during the summer vacation and lying to her family, or that one of her sisters is fighting an eating disorder or that her older sisters are not speaking to each other.
.
As the story unfolds and Annabel faces up to what happened to her, figures out a way to talk to her family and finally goes for confrontations. Entwined with her is the story of her two sisters, poles apart but still finding it in themselves to care for each other and their family.
.
The author has focused on a lot of issues in this book such as sexual assault, victim blaming, anorexia and things like feeling like you're not beautiful enough, anger issues and even depression. After knowing these we might feel the book would be depressing but surprisingly these messages were beautifully entwined with the story and when we come out of the book we would feel refreshed and empowered.
.
I loved how the author has tried to convey all the serious issues with this sweet highschool story. I was really impressed.
So if you want to read a book that feels like it shook the very foundations of your life read this one.
The protagonist is a girl named Annabel Greene, who is struggling with an inner demon but the reader is not aware of it at first. She just had her summer vacation and for some reason she's terrified of going back to school.
.
Annabel looks like the girl who has it all - she's a model, is popular in school, has a wonderful family consisting of her parents and her two elder sisters and lives in a beautifully designed glass house.
As we start reading we get to know that not everything is as it appears. She hates modelling, something happened during the vacation that resulted in a fight between her and her best friend and she has isolated herself from everyone.
.
The perfect glass house where she lives although it seems you can see what's going on inside, the house does conceal so much of her family's secrets - like she's hiding what happened during the summer vacation and lying to her family, or that one of her sisters is fighting an eating disorder or that her older sisters are not speaking to each other.
.
As the story unfolds and Annabel faces up to what happened to her, figures out a way to talk to her family and finally goes for confrontations. Entwined with her is the story of her two sisters, poles apart but still finding it in themselves to care for each other and their family.
.
The author has focused on a lot of issues in this book such as sexual assault, victim blaming, anorexia and things like feeling like you're not beautiful enough, anger issues and even depression. After knowing these we might feel the book would be depressing but surprisingly these messages were beautifully entwined with the story and when we come out of the book we would feel refreshed and empowered.
.
I loved how the author has tried to convey all the serious issues with this sweet highschool story. I was really impressed.
So if you want to read a book that feels like it shook the very foundations of your life read this one.
jazmin's review
4.0
“Don't think or judge, just listen.”
Three Sarah Dessen books in three days, not a bad start to my Dessen binge read! Just Listen wasn’t what I was expecting going into this, not in a bad way, though.
⇢The Plot
First off, I really enjoyed the plot of this book. There were quite a few entertaining and very distinct storylines: Annabel and Owen and their music, Annabel’s modelling, Annabel’s relationship with her peers, and Annabel’s family being a few of them. While this book was in many ways less dramatic than the other Sarah Dessen books I’ve read so far, the messages it taught as well as the struggles the main character faced were no less moving and impactful. In many ways, the subtle struggles the characters faced were even more poignant than the ones that are super in your face.
“There comes a time when the world gets quiet and the only thing left is your own heart. So you'd better learn the sound of it. Otherwise you'll never understand what it's saying.”
The largest conflict in this book was, in my opinion, an internal one, surrounding the mysterious event that changed Annabel’s relationship with her best friend Sophie. Unfortunately, it was precisely this conflict that let me down. I think I would have enjoyed the book more if I had actually been wondering about what the event was, but it was obvious to me from the start which sort of eliminated the suspense. The resolution of the issue (which I’m not saying to avoid spoilers) was really satisfying so I’m not mad about that, but I think the way it was introduced could have been executed a lot better.
⇢Annabel and Owen
Moving onto the romance, I think it was the best developed out of the three couples I’ve now read about. That being said, they weren’t necessarily my favourite couple. While I did enjoy all of their interactions, I just never really felt that passionate and invested in their relationship. I don’t think that’s a bad thing per se because this book focused on so much more than a relationship, but it would have been nice if the romance would be a little more compelling.
That being said, I think both Annabel and Owen were great characters, Annabel especially. Being in her head was both fun and disheartening because of the conflicts she faced, and Owen’s personality was honestly one I’d never seen before from a male love-interest character. It was actually really enjoyable to see someone so outside of the regular mold for YA love-interests.
“So you're always honest," I said.
"Aren't you?"
"No," I told him. "I'm not."
"Well, that's good to know, I guess."
"I'm not saying I'm a liar," I told him. He raised his eyebrows. "That's not how I meant it, anyways."
"How'd you mean it, then?"
"I just...I don't always say what I feel."
"Why not?"
"Because the truth sometimes hurts," I said.
"Yeah," he said. "So do lies, though.”
. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ❦ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .
MY LINKTREE ❦
live_greene's review
3.0
A few years ago, this book captivated me. It lead me to be intrigued by Sarah Dessen and her writings which I followed to the point that I have now read all of her books. Going back a second time, I didn't feel the same undercurrent of passion for this story as I did before, but it was still spectacular.
prunechips's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder and Emotional abuse
Minor: Rape
theycallmerash's review
5.0
This book is so powerful. I love everything about it. It's a great read!
isla_brett's review
4.0
Emotional.
I read this book when i was really young and I don’t think I really understood it, like at all.
I cant count the amount of times I was tearing up.
Yes Owen and Annabel were adorable but I think the reason I liked this book was so much more.
Whitney was a really good portrayal of an eating disorder, she wasn’t magically healed and she had real human emotions.
Media often tries to romanticize eating disorders, but Whitney was real and she had outbursts and wasn’t a perfect girl.
Annabel was just:(
Whitney went through something really, really tough but often in situations like these. One child is moved out and living life, one child is going through something that requires lots of attention. Annabel gets Ignored. The way she constantly had to lie about how she was because her parents barely cared.
Like Annabel went through such terrible things yet she had to be the sibling to hold them together.
When they asked what Annabel remembered from her birthday, the day Whitney broke her arm. I was just itching for her to just say she remembered getting ignored from the point on.
Annabel was so strong and so sad and it made me so sad.
I think this is a young adult book but it’s very emotional and not something I could digest at a younger age.
I read it all in one sitting.
Check tws as always!!
I read this book when i was really young and I don’t think I really understood it, like at all.
I cant count the amount of times I was tearing up.
Yes Owen and Annabel were adorable but I think the reason I liked this book was so much more.
Whitney was a really good portrayal of an eating disorder, she wasn’t magically healed and she had real human emotions.
Media often tries to romanticize eating disorders, but Whitney was real and she had outbursts and wasn’t a perfect girl.
Annabel was just:(
Whitney went through something really, really tough but often in situations like these. One child is moved out and living life, one child is going through something that requires lots of attention. Annabel gets Ignored. The way she constantly had to lie about how she was because her parents barely cared.
Like Annabel went through such terrible things yet she had to be the sibling to hold them together.
When they asked what Annabel remembered from her birthday, the day Whitney broke her arm. I was just itching for her to just say she remembered getting ignored from the point on.
Annabel was so strong and so sad and it made me so sad.
I think this is a young adult book but it’s very emotional and not something I could digest at a younger age.
I read it all in one sitting.
Check tws as always!!
silenthillda's review
4.0
Annabel’s summer wasn’t the greatest, a lot has changed for her from friendships to the will power to continue modeling. Life was just different lately. She meets Owen, a boy always with his headphones on lost in music. As she maybe starts to see a new future and potential romance, she realizes that she can’t escape her past and needs to find her voice anew.
Just Listen was a comfy read, like those good YA books that feel familiar yet layered. Annabel’s voice in this is honest. I really enjoyed the slice of life romance with Owen bonding over music. What I appreciated the most though was the family dynamics and especially the stories with the sisters. I felt nostalgic since the book takes place in the early 2000s which is when I was a teen. Flip phones, iPhones and even the language of the characters feels authentic without bordering in excess. Content warning: Eating Disorder, Sexual Assault, and Slight Violence. All this content is handled well and realistic in my opinion. It’s great storylines to have for teens and adults, not just for any shock value but for a different perspective to bring up thought and discussions.
Overall a great read with heart, family, love and the power of healing.
Just Listen was a comfy read, like those good YA books that feel familiar yet layered. Annabel’s voice in this is honest. I really enjoyed the slice of life romance with Owen bonding over music. What I appreciated the most though was the family dynamics and especially the stories with the sisters. I felt nostalgic since the book takes place in the early 2000s which is when I was a teen. Flip phones, iPhones and even the language of the characters feels authentic without bordering in excess. Content warning: Eating Disorder, Sexual Assault, and Slight Violence. All this content is handled well and realistic in my opinion. It’s great storylines to have for teens and adults, not just for any shock value but for a different perspective to bring up thought and discussions.
Overall a great read with heart, family, love and the power of healing.
charlottexclarkson's review
2.0
More two and a half stars than three.
This was my first Sarah Dessen book and honestly I expected much more. Certainly not the best book I've ever read.
This was my first Sarah Dessen book and honestly I expected much more. Certainly not the best book I've ever read.