From the Bookshelf of Addicted to YA…

Just Listen

Sarah Dessen

Start date: April 1, 2013

Finish date: April 30, 2013

Discussion: Stand Alone

Why we're reading this: It won the poll for the April personal struggle themed BOTM.
[close] It won the poll for the April personal struggle themed BOTM.

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Stand Alone

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last updated Oct 04, 2025 06:25PM

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What Members Thought

Nov 09, 2013 Renuka rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, romance, realistic, chick-lit, contemporary, reviewed

Holy wow. I blew threw it. I couldn't put it down. After being sorely disappointed by Dessen's Lock & Key, I wasn't sure whether to give her another try. But eventually, I caved and read this one. And I am so glad I did, it was so much better!

This isn't just a romantic story. Owen is a great guy that helps Annabel a lot, but it's also a story with a lot of focus on family. Mother's depression. Whitney's eating disorder. Kirsten's inability to slow down. Annabel keeping things bottled up until t ...more

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Feb 03, 2009 Katie rated it really liked it

This is the second time I've read this book, and my opinion basically didn't change between readings. "The Truth About Forever" definitely remains my favorite of Dessen's books. This story is just as empathetically written, allowing easy access to the protagonist's thoughts and feelings. The structure and many of the emotional fluxes are a little too similar to "Truth" to acknowledge this later book as wonderful in its own right.

I do enjoy Dessen's tendancy to connect her stories by including s ...more

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Mar 26, 2010 Lana rated it really liked it

There's something about Sarah Dessen's writing that transports me back to high school. She captures the hopes, loves, and pains of adolescence so poignantly and with such honesty. Her characters practically breathe on page - they are so fully formed and complex. I loved this book. ...more

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Mar 07, 2008 Courtney rated it really liked it

Shelves: teens

Anabelle faces the school year without any friends and a less than ideal home environment. Her long time best friend, Sophie, dropped her. Her sister is struggling with anorexia. At lunch she is drawn to music obsessed Owen, a loner with anger management issues. The two form a friendship and help each other overcome their issues. Another group of interesting characters. As always, the supporting characters are just as interesting, perhaps even more fun, than the main characters.

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