Don't Speak, Just Listen

I have finished Just Listen by Sarah Dessen. Annabel is struggling with herself more than ever. She seems to think things are the way they are because of her; that she’s the reason. Her best friend hating her guts, her sister’s eating disorder and her mother pushing a modeling career on her don’t help at all. Annabel confides in Owen, the sizably huge music-obsessed loner that she starts to eat lunch with. She starts to look forward to the Sunday mornings she listens to his radio show and the days at school she gets to argue with him.  It seems like she may find a light at the end of the tunnel.

When Annabel listens to Owen’s radio station, she gives him comments and critics his choices. He plays a pop song to mock her, because she likes it and he doesn’t, and she calls him on it. On the phone, he asks her to breakfast, and she doesn’t know what to think. Then, thankfully to relieve the tension, Owen’s friend is in the backseat. They go eat breakfast together and Owen’s friend tells Annabel about this girl he’s in love with, who turns out to be Clarke, Annabel’s best friend from Middle school. Owen lends Annabel his jacket, because it’s cold, and forgets his IPod in it, so she goes to return it.

Upon arriving, his sister, who is obsessed with Annabel’s modeling, has a model shoot at her house with her friends. Annabel comes to drop Owen’s IPod off, but is hoodwinked into helping with the shoot. She is startled when Owen turns out to be the photographer, and he is as surprised to see her at his house, with his sister.  When she catches him alone in a small room, they share some feelings. But his sister and her friends get in the way. Later, they get in a heated argument and somehow they end up in a carwash. They, of course forgive each other, and make up (and maybe make-out).

He invites her to a club to see a band, which she does. Clarke turns out to be there, and with Annabel’s help, is introduced to Owen’s friend. They talk and click, but Annabel doesn’t feel right and leaves. Without telling Owen, so He’s angry at her. They confront each other later, and she still can’t come clean about her past, which is revealed. Finally she tells Owen and he tells her that she needs to speak out about it. She is hesitant, but tells her parents and sisters.  She does do something about it and it ends as Owen does something stupid, but deserved, to the guy Annabel had all that trouble with. She forgives him though, and they decide to tell the truth from now on.

This is a good book. It shows the destructiveness about keeping things inside. It can tear you apart from the ones you love and the things you love to do. I think Sarah Dessen is an amazing storyteller and author. She brilliantly tells this tale about confrontation. I definitely recommend this book to anyone. There isn’t much to say about it, but a lot to read.

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

RED’S ALL STAR RATING: 4 out of 5. It was a good book and great writing by the impeccable Sarah Dessen. Well done.

MASS APPEAL: Girls. There are probably no guys interested in this book, but that doesn’t mean it’s not good.