Just Listen

Reader reviewed by Courtney

Just listen tells the story of an outsider who needs to grow up through her difficult life and learn that she just has to speak and everyone else has to just listen. When she meets Owen he helps her discover herself and stand up to everyone else, her parents, her sisters, her X friends, Owen, and even herself. Will she have the courage to stand up to her mom and quit something she really doesnt love?? and will she find it within herself to tell the story about the night she lost it all?? Can she tell the court letalone her parents what really happened? Just read and you will see how a person can truly change your life and how you can change your own by Just speaking up. This book can help you through a hard time or even just entertain you with the story of a teenage girl...facing life!

Reader reviewed by lia

I;ve read this book like 20 times and i do not get tired of it. this book is about Annabel who Last year, was "the girl who has everything"at least that's the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf's Department Store.This year, she's the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong. Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to truth-telling. With Owen's help,maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends.

The best book of Sarah Dessens books!

Reader reviewed by Lori (End)

WARNING; This review may be consisting of one gushing fan girl (i.e. me) still smiling over finishing the book Just Listen by Sarah Dessen. First, may I mention, I have searched, and searched, (and can you believe searched) to find a book coming in close with my love for Stephenie Meyer's creation Twilight and of course it's sequels New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. So to pick up her book, on my day at chapters, assuming it to be just another book, with just another character, about just another "Once upon a time" and "happily ever after" love tale. Then reading it, from cover to cover in a day (simply because I couldn't even start to put it down, It was at my side the WHOLE day) and finding I had a new love, a new passion, a new insanity, was a blessed surprise. I immediately fell for the characters (cough, Owen) and Dessen's style of writing. The way she wrote the words, I felt as if you could almost read between the lines, as it were. Like there were always more then one way to look at it, it could easily be taken literally, still making a full amount of sense, or take it just as easily, metaphorically, still, making sense. It was .."profound" I guess you could more simply say. I've read it three time since, each time needing more of the relationship between Owen and Annabel. Each time wanting to be the protagonist. Each time, feeling Whitney's pain, or grinning at Kristen's bubbly-ness. Laughing at Rolly (who, by the way, is an amazing character, I couldn't get enough of him, not to mention his lovable behavior) or wanting everyone to understand what it was really like for Annabel Greene ; The one who has it all, yet nothing she needs.

In short (if you had the patience to read all that) I LOVED the book, I think if you want an enticing read, and if you loved her other works (as both Remy/Dexter and Macy/Wes make an appearance) you'll fall head over heals with this book.

Reader reviewed by Amanda Marasco

One night Annabel goes to a party with her friends but when she's caught in a compromising position with her best friends boyfriend....well let's just say they're more like enemies now. Even though that night was horrible for Annabel. Everyone at school that matters seems to hate Annabel because of the rumors her old "friend" has spread about her. Except of course for Owen. Owen befriends Annabel when she needs it.

OH MY GOSH! This book is one of my favorite books ever! I mean seriously! I have NO complaints. The book was so realistic and touching! You can't help but relate to at least one of the characters or issues!

Go buy this book right now!

Reader reviewed by The Book Girl

Annabel is alone. When Sophie moved to town, Annabel ditched her only true friend for her. But now Sophie has turned on her and that leaves Anna nobody to turn to. Except Owen, who never talks to anybody, only listens to his IPod all the time. There've been many rumors about him but as they get to know each other she sees that the rumors where mostly just that. That Owen is a wonderful person who might just be able to help her put her life back together.

I love all of Sarah Dessens books, but this one is by far one of my favorite. I love how you get to piece information together through out the book instead of it just laying it out for you; Especially the part about the night everything fell apart for Sophie and Annabel. Owen is my favorite character by far. Hes so caring and honest, and I like how he never lies. The book goes into problems at school and home, including the ones with her sister dealing with an eating disorder from modeling. Everything about this book was amazing and the ending was looking brighter if not actually able to be called happyily ever after. You could tell that everything would eventually be ok.

Reader reviewed by rachpaige11

Let me just say that I absoultly loved this book!Music and reading are my obsessions and Sarah Dessen did a divine job of combining the two.

Annabel is a social leper after her best friend catches her in a comprimising situation with her boyfriend. Annabel is all alone. Her mother crams modeling down her throat and her anorxic sister won't talk to anyone. Then Annabel meets Owen Armstrong another loner with an addiction to music. They start to like one another, then something from that night with her ex-best friend's boyfriend comes back to haunt her. she keeps quite and avoids everyone, even Owen. Then she finally opens up and tells her story.

This book was great. I wish I could find a boy like Owen, but of course the best boys are fictionous! Just kidding. Read the book! It's great!

Reader reviewed by Alexis

I thought this book was really good. It kept you guessing what was going to happen next. I really liked how the flashbacks tied in to the chapter instead of being really random. I can't wait to read more Sarah Dessen Books. I really liked Annabel, the main character, she tried to be really honest, but it was hard for her, like the rest of the world. I think Owen was another really good character, although at times he was kinda perfect, at the end even he shows he still has some problems with anger management. I reallly liked this book and I would reccommend it to all my friends.

Reader reviewed by Sammi

Wheni purchased this book it was randomly because i was doing a project. i started reading it that night and i couldnt get enough. i finished the book in 4 hours. it was that good.

The characters int he story are not that relatable to some but they can be understood . OWen and his problems are wreally inteesting and i like te fact that he defies almost every rule he made for himself in defending annabel.

Reader reviewed by Kelsey

Last year, Annabel was "the girl who has everything"at least thats the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf s Department Store.This year, shes the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong. Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to truth-telling.With Owens help,maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends.


I have read this book about 3 times before. It is fabulous. Dessen is a popular YA author and deserves it extremely. Her writng is meaningful, inspirational, and funny. Some people I have heard think she is sappy, I am here to tell you otherwise. Dessen writes about important sublects for teens.


This book is wonderfully writen and any teen who has read it, I think would agree. This book an issue that happens everyday, rape and anorexia. Those things could happen to anybody and that is what Dessen is trying to say. While reading this book (the first time) I couldn't put it down. When I was finished reading it i actually read it again, which happens when I read an extremely good book (Twilight Saga, HP 7). Dessen is very captivating. Her books will keep close to your heart well after your done. I highly recommend her other books.

Reader reviewed by Hillary

Annabell's best friend now hates her. And now she's got no one, all she's got is her modeling. But then there's Owen. So at first he totally scares her to death, but then she gets to know him. They're an unlikely couple...actually, they're totally abnormal. They become friends. But she has this problem, she doesn't seem to be able to tell people anything. If it has the possibility of causing a conflict then she'll keep it to herself, even if it makes them hate her. Owen is the complete opposite. But in the end, will she finally be able to tell her ex-best friend what happened that night, or maybe even everybody? Will she be able to tell Owen the truth? Will it all work out?

I think that this book is my favorite of all of Sarah Dessen's books. I love them all but I think that this one was wonderful. Maybe that's just because I read it last but it was great either way.

I would recommend any of her books to anyone looking for a great book to read. You really get attached to the characters. Like if a character wasn't mentioned for a chapter I would actually miss them...weird. And it just cane out in paperback.

Also, the new Sarah Dessen book, Lock and Key, is coming out in April! So be sure to get that one too!