Sarah Dessen was my favourite author last summer. I read all of her books in a matter of weeks, and I absolutely enjoyed all of them, but only a few were 5 STAR AMAZING. Here is one of them, Just Listen.
Here we have Annabel Green, the girl who's perfect, at least in her modelling shoots. But her life isn't all that great anyway. Many problems in her life are all rushing and causing her to think-her sister's eating disorder to her and her best friend's friendship ruined. Her problems come to an end, well at least for a little while, when she meets Owen, the music-obsessed guy who has a bad reputation. Being with Owen helps Annabel realize that it doesn't matter what other people think of you, you just have to listen to your heart and the good will eventually come out.
As another vivid Sarah Dessen reader, we all come to realize that every narrator that "the author/queen" writes about is always in some bad situation at the time. But here, Annabel's situation might be the worst of them all, relating to Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak, in many ways, and that's an honouring resemblance, because you know, Speak is Speak.
I think that Annabel had certain traits in which the author wanted her to become. Being the slim-beautiful model might sound like perfection, but deadly things happen in the modelling world as well, when you look at Annabel's sister, Whitney, and what she became of. Although Annabel did have "that image," us readers came to see that Annabel is a confident, but insecure at the same time kind of girl, and that she's a great character that many of us girls would want to be around with. She has a terrific story to tell, even though it's fiction, things like this happen everyday, and we have to be aware of it.
Unlike Sarah's other novels, this is not your average teen summer contemporary romance. It's something much more, much deeper, and most of all more beautiful. Do you like to listen to music? If that's a yes, then this book will help you come to realize how much it helps you in life and how much it can help you deal with situations just like those people who you love can help you.
Just listen everyone, read this book.
While I've heard of the author, I haven't actually read any of her books but this one sounds interesting. I'll have to add it to the library of books to read.
ReplyDeleteYes, I mean, who hasn't heard of the one and only Sarah Dessen? She has made YA book history. :)
DeleteI actually haven't read anything by Sarah Dessen. I keep meaning to... I'll have to move her up on my TBR.
ReplyDeleteYay!
DeleteSounds like an interesting read! Thanks!
ReplyDelete:DD
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