The next instalment in my series where I re-read books from my teenage years, and we have the first entry from Sarah Dessen with Just Listen. Now, this book, is definitely a must read for teens. There are a wide variety of topics covered including: toxic friendships, family issues, bullying, body image issues – the list is endless. The character development and arcs are on point, and I just have a lot of love for this book.
Before we dive into the review I am just going to put out a trigger warning. This book does tackle some difficult subject matters such as sexual abuse and eating disorders - if you are not in the right place to read this kind of content then perhaps this book is not for you. I am continuing my re-read of the books from my teenage years, and nothing embodies that more than a Sarah Dessen book. I have six in total, although I did have seven and I have lost one apparently, and while I remember reading Just Listen I didn't quite remember it being such a heavy hitting book.
Just Listen follows the lives of the Greene family, primarily that of youngest daughter Annabel - the girl who seemingly had everything. Perhaps that was true, before the start of the summer. Now: her best friend hates her, no-one at school will talk to her and the Greene family have been completely blown apart. Something heartbreaking happens to Annabel at the annual end-of-year party, and she hasn't told a soul about it. The story starts as Annabel returns to school, while also revisiting various moments in time were she had made error's in judgement that led to the place she is today.
The journey that Annabel takes highlights the dangers of toxic people and relationships, the importance of honestly and understanding who you truly are. The story also allows for important character development for various individuals aside from Annabel - primarily in the form of her older sisters Whitney and Kirsten. While Kirsten tackles her own character arc away from the main story, Annabel resides under the same roof as Whitney which results in the reader getting a first hand account of her journey of recovery (note my trigger warnings).
Although Whitney isn't the main character of the book, I do find myself being incredibly invested in her story. Seeing the snapshots of her recovery and watching her find herself once more is incredibly inspiring and highly emotional. There is another character I wish to discuss in a similar vein but I can't because I don't want to spoil the journey - but if you've read it or you're going to, you will know who I am talking about by the end.
Of course a Sarah Dessen book would not be complete without our romantic interest, in this case he comes in the form of Owen Armstrong - the schools resident ex-bad-boy turned loner. Similar to Kirsten, most of Owen's character development happened prior to the start of the book. Instead Owen uses the lessons he's learnt to help Annabel deal with her personal demons. Dessen does this in such a way that while Owen is needed to help Annabel face the things she's hiding from - she isn't a damsel in distress and very much tackles her own issues without relying on Owen to do it for her, rather he teaches her methods to cope herself. I have only positive things to say about Owen, apart from perhaps his music taste - but then maybe I'm just not enlightened.
My only note where perhaps the book is lacking slightly for me might be relating to Annabel's ex-best friend Sophie. While I don't like her, and never will, the book alluded to her having her own issues - which was definitely under explored in the book. Sophie did horrible and unforgivable things, she also made some confusing decisions, but I feel her character was cast aside towards the end.
The overall arc and pacing of the book I really enjoyed, it is quite the page turner and I really didn't want to put it down. The flashes between past and present were seamless, and I particularly enjoyed the realistic ending. I wouldn't say Annabel's story ended in a cliché happily-ever-after but rather she's working towards one.
If you've read any of my reviews so far, you'll know I love a strong female lead and Just Listen did not disappoint. While Annabel wasn't portrayed like Celia from The Night Circus or Camille from Enchantée, she was stronger than she knew. Annabel cares and loves her family endlessly, willing to do anything to keep the peace and everyone happy - even to the point of sacrificing her own happiness. Watching the destruction around her, and growing up in an environment that was unknowingly destroying the three girl's self-worth - Annabel made many poor decisions that she believed she couldn't take back or mend. As Annabel's self-worth and self-discovery grows and develops throughout the book, her growth is completely empowering - an important message to teenagers of today. I did go in to this thinking perhaps it'll read a little young for me, but that wasn't the case at all.
The book is crammed full of important lessons, from the importance of honesty to the emphasis on being true to ones self. One of the more abstract messages though was that of there being many sides to one story. While this is evidenced in many different situations, the book takes the time to focus on one particular moment that all five members of the Greene family remember very differently - the results are astounding and very thought provoking, this completely went over my head as a young teenager but I appreciate it so much more now as a mid-twenty year old.
My final note will be thus - the importance and delicate nature of communication has never been more important. Sometimes you don't need to fill a silence and plough into unnecessary details, perhaps speaking more concisely is needed. Sometimes you should...
"Don't think or judge, just listen."
Thanks for reading,
Rhi
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