Just Listen By Sarah Dessen: Book Report

“‘Make your new year the best one yet… ‘It’s time to go back to school” (Dessen 3). This book is all about having new experiences and loving what life has to offer you. The main character, Annabel Greene, has been through many different experiences, ranging from really good, to unfortunately, really bad. Annabel has two older sisters named Kristen and Whitney, who all share one thing in common. They all used to model. Obviously modeling is very competitive and comes along with lots of risks. Throughout the book, issues such as eating disorders, comfort ability, and love play out. Meanings, listening to what is happening around you, and trying different things, are how the title plays out in the book, Just Listen, by Sarah Dessen.

When I hear the words, “just listen,” I think of one of two things; either something really serious, or music. In this case, it is both. Whenever Annabel Greene sees Owen Armstrong, he always has headphones on. What does he
Today, there are so many major events going on; events as exuberant as the FIFA World Cup, and events where there is complete duress. It seems as though our world will never be perfect. If you stop and Just Listen to everything that is happening around you, you can help someone out. “‘Um,’ I said. ‘I was… just for a little while. Unless you want me to-‘ ‘No, I’m fine’” (Dessen 204). For Annabel, that person was Whitney. Because of Whitney’s eating disorder, people treated Whitney like a fragile piece of glass. She didn’t have much freedom, and no one saw the situation through her eyes. It wasn’t until Owen introduced different music to Annabel, that Annabel opened up and felt for her sister. After Whitney was diagnosed with anorexia, she felt all alone. Annabel very slowly eased herself back into her sister’s life, and the two have become very connected again. By just listening to Whitney, Annabel grew as a