As I mentioned in an earlier post, I've been anxiously awaiting Sarah Dessen's new book, Just Listen. It's finally out, and I finally got time to read it. And, of course, I read it all in one sitting.
In the commercial for Kopf's Department store, Annabel looks like the girl with the perfect life - cheerleader, homecoming queen, the whole deal. The truth is, new school year is going to be rough for Annabel. She's been ditched by her vicious best friend. Rumors about what happened at the part last spring still abound, and no one wants anything to do with Annabel. She's sick of modeling, but she's afraid to tell her mother she wants to quit. The year looks bleak, until she meets Owen. On the fringes himself, Owen has a bit of a rep as a bad boy, but Annabel discovers under the rough exterior Owen is just trying to make his way, deal with his family & his anger, and listen to his music. Music is Owen's passion, and he slowly draws Annabel out of her protective shell by sharing what he loves most with her. Owen's support might give Annabel the strength she needs to share her real feelings with her mother, but it takes the strength of someone else - a former friend - to inspire Annabel to tell the truth about what really happened last spring.
A little bit reminiscent of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Just Listen probably isn't' Dessen's best book, but it's definitely good. I love Owen - if I were 16, he'd be just my type. Dessen's blog and the playlist she has posted to accompany Just Listen add additional layers to the book and give kids a change to get inside the author's mind.