Shelby McNulty’s Reviews > Listen > Status Update

As the book progresses, the characters interact more and their lives intertwine in interestingly. Carrie sees Kurt as one of the abandoned animals that she steals to help them, and the reader learns about the boy's past as Carrie does. All of the characters are linked in odd ways, including a kidnapping, tutoring, rescuing, and abandonment. They find each other and use their friendship to get through their troubles.

Will sees Kurt all the time. When he's out with his crush, Claire, he ends up noticing Kurt in some way, which leads the reader to think that they will have more crucial interactions later. Kurt steals a dog, Buddy, from the park that he thinks is mistreated, and Carrie calls him a hero. We get a glimpse into Kurt's savior tenancies as we learn that he did something violent to protect his mother from a man, Mark.

Kurt and Carrie's relationship develops quickly when Carrie enlists Kurt to help her recapture the cats that ran away from her. Kurt begins to show the same signs of self-righteousness that Carrie has, and the reader sees that Kurt's ideals can be shaped very easily. Carrie's illness deceives her and those around her. She's convinced Kurt, and herself, that its okay to steal people's pets when she deems it necessary.

Kurt and William interact for the first time on page 41. William is tutoring Kurt in English, and there is conflict between Will thinking that Kurt is a weird, creepy underclassman, and Kurt thinking that William is a know-it-all. It is interesting seeing them interact, because Kurt's thoughts are shared in italics, while still showing what William is saying. This further solidifies the joint pov that the book has.

In "Listen" by Nancy Coffelt, Part 1 starts with the character, Will, writing in his blog. Starting the book in this way leads the reader to think that the whole book will be in this format, so when the focus moves from Will to Kurt, a student at Will's school, it is a shock. The other character that shares her perspective in the book is Carrie. This change in voice and point of view is confusing, but also intriguing

In "Listen" by Nancy Coffelt, Part 1 begins with the character, Will, writing a blog. This is an interesting way to begin the book, because it leads you to believe that the whole book will be in this format. However, the point of view later shifts to Kurt, another student at Will's school. The other character that shares the voice in Part 1 is Carrie. I'm interested to see how this change in voice affects the plot.