Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Just Listen By Sarah Dessen

Summary:

This is a story about a girl who is perceived as perfect. By some people at least. She is a model and has appeared in commercials and ads for various companies. This is the Annabel Greene that everyone sees. What they don’t see is that her best friend now hates her and her sister has an eating disorder. Being isolated at her school and at home, she retreats into herself. After a confrontation with Sophie, the ex-best friend, she meets Owen Armstrong.  Annabel learns about self-acceptance with Owen's help and may finally be ready to tell about what really happened when she and Sophie stopped being friends.

Review/Thoughts:

This is one of my all-time favorite stories. I have read this story many times over and still love to read it again. I highly recommend this book as well as many of Sarah Dessen’s books. She is currently working on a new one that her blog said was titled Someone Else’s Summer. It is set in Colby as are a couple of her other books. I don’t know much else about it, but I plan on re-reading her other books so that I might be able to pick up better on some of the references to other books.

Quotes:

1.       “I didn’t hear the footsteps. Or see the shadow. Instead, from where I was crouched on the ground, the green of the grass filling my vision, the first thing I made out were hands, a flat silver ring on the middle finger of each. One was clutching my notes. The other was reaching out for me.”

2.       “So, you must really like music.”-Annabel

               “Don’t you?”- Owen

               “Sure,…, I mean, everybody does, right?”

               “No.”

               “No?”

               “Some people think they like music, but they have no idea what it’s really all about. They’re kidding themselves. Then there are people who feel strongly about music, but just aren’t listening to the right stuff. They’re misguided. And then there are people like me.”

               “People like you,”…, “What kind of people are those?”

               “The kind who live for music and are constantly seeking it out, anywhere they can. Who can’t imagine a life without it. They’re enlightened.”

3.       “You did not,”…”Just cover your ears. Did you?”-Owen

“It was an accident,”…”I just—“-Annabel

“That’s serious.”…”I mean it’s one thing to listen and respectfully disagree. But to shut it out entirely, and not even give it a chance—“

“I gave it a chance!”

“You call that a chance?”…”That was five seconds.”

“It was long enough to form an opinion.”

“Which was?”

“I covered my ears,”…”What do you think?”

And there are many more great quotes from the book. If you want to find out what they are…find a copy of the book and read it! So until next time, Keep the Pages Turning!