It says a lot about an other when they can take a person with personality traits that you find extremely annoying in real life and spin them into a flawed person that you absolutely love. I think another standout aspect of this book is the romance. A lot of the issues Annabel deals with in her own life and her family are extremely relatable to for readers in this book’s target audience and I think this book will give hope to readers in similar situations to Annabel. As a main character, Annabel serves as a positive role model to the target audience of this book by learning how to face issues head-on and to speak up for herself. This book will definitely hit your emotions hard.Īnnabel is a complex and deep character that experiences a lot of growth throughout the novel. I think Sarah Dessen especially handled Annabel’s secret with poise and placed flashbacks to the even well throughout the novel. Sarah Dessen provides so many different perspectives on one theme that it really gives the book a well-rounded feel. Each character deals with a different issue that contributes to a larger theme throughout the book. I think Just Listen is one of Sarah Dessen’s best works because of the layers present throughout the book.

Since I reread this book recently, I thought I would share all of the reasons that I adore this book. Every time I reread Just Listen, which I’ve probably done over ten times, I find something else to love about it and something else to connect with in the story line. To this day, Just Listen remains my favorite Sarah Dessen book and one of my favorite books of all time. I remembered my sister recommended The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen to me, but I went to the library, I picked up Just Listen instead. There are two authors who defined my high school reading: Meg Cabot and Sarah Dessen.

Then, Annabel meets Owen Armstrong known for his music, anger issues, and always telling the truth. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen follows Annabel Greene, a girl returning to high school after a summer of self-imposed isolation following a fall-out with her best friend and a secret she never wants to tell.

Just listen to me when I say that you need to read this book!

Just listen dessen