Just Listen By: Sarah Dessen

1. Just Listen By: Sarah Dessen Sara Mullet Honors English IV Period 7 January 14, 2010

2. Annabel is portrayed to have the perfect life in her commercial, but her life is anything but perfect • Through a series of flashbacks and present time details, we learn that Annabel has abandoned an old best friend, Clarke, to become friends with the most popular girl in school • However, now she has been excommunicated by this friend, Sophie,forsome unknown reason • Our only clue as to what has happened is the phrase that has plagued Annabel ever since this incident… “Shhh Annabel. It’s just me.” Basic Character Information: • Main Character= Annabel Greene • Oldest Sister= Kristen • Middle Sister= Whitney Summary

3. SUMMARY CONTINUED… As the story unfolds, it is revealed that Annabel’s sister, Whitney has a life-threatening eating disorder, thus sending her family into disarray While her family is so wrapped up in Whitney’s problems, Annabel is put on the back burner and tries her best to stay out of the way Getting through the school day is not easy now that Annabel’s best friend, Sophie, is furious with her and will not speak to her other than hurtful and rude one-word insults However, the mysterious and famously angry boy, Owen Armstrong, who sits near her on the wall at lunch has suddenly struck her interest Through his gentle, helping hand in the epitome of her crisis, Annabel finds herself developing an unlikely friendship with Owen His love for all sorts of unusual music and the conversations that he has with Annabel about this music help her find the courage to consider revealing what actually happened to her the night her friendship with Sophie came to an end With Owen’s motto, “Don’t think or judge, just listen,” Annabel’s hidden world becomes unlocked, although reluctantly, as she knows that he is a true friend and will not judge her

4. Just when it seems as if her life is finally becoming livable once again, disaster strikes as Annabel becomes aware that one of her former friends, Emily, has been subjected to the exact same thing as her. • This time, however, Emily is not afraid of speaking out against what happened to her. • It is at this point that Dessen finally reveals what happened to bring about the end of Annabel and Sophie’s friendship . Sophie thought Annabel slept with her boyfriend, Will Cash. However, the truth was that Will actually raped Annabel, but she was too scared and embarrassed to tell anyone the truth. • This newfound news caused Annabel to begin acting strangely, potentially ending her friendship with Owen • Emily encourages Annabel to testify against Sophie’s boyfriend in court with her so that he will be punished. Annabel is unsure if she should go through with this offer. • Meanwhile, things are coming around for Whitney as she is becoming healthy and is once again speaking to Kristen, the person who told her parents about her eating disorder in the first place

5. DA DA DUMMMMMM… Does Annabel ever reunite with Owen?! Do Owen’s anger issues play a role in helping Annabel receive justice for the injustice that Will has bestowed upon her?! (COUGH COUGH HINT COUGH COUGH) Does she decide to go through with the trial and put Will Cash behind bars once and for all?! You’ll have to read Just Listen By: Sarah Dessen to find out.

6. My Thoughts… The themes in this book made it quite relatable Themes: 1. Things are not always what they appear to be The Greene household appears as though it is the perfect set up to passersby through the glass front of the house, but internally, the family is in turmoil (On a smaller scale: Annabel’s hidden secret about being raped; The family coping with Whitney’s eating disorder; The fight between Whitney and Kristen; Owen appears scary and angry but is not) 2. “Don’t think or judge, just listen.” Owen’s motto throughout the novel. . . Since Owen seems to be the only person in the world who is completely honest and will not judge Annabel on any level, she finds the courage to at last seek justice and reclaim her life after her rape

7. My Thoughts Continued… Character development=very good in this novel Dessen focused on each of the characters periodically throughout the book, providing important background details, character traits, and insight into their pasts All this time spent on character development made the characters quite relatable: Anyone who has ever felt alone in a sea of people, has been afraid of judgment, or is afraid of confrontation can relate to Annabel Anyone who has ever been misunderstood can relate to Owen Anyone who has ever lived in a family who constantly puts up the façade that everything is alright when it really isn’t can relate to the Greene family

8. My Thoughts Continued… The back and forth structure of the novel (flashback to present time) aided the reader in discovering crucial details about the characters and their past Example: Readers learn, through a flashback, about the truth behind what happened on the night that Sophie and Annabel’s friendship came to an end The flashback reveals a party where Annabel finds herself alone in a room with Will Cash, Sophie’s boyfriend, by mistake Readers then learn that Will overpowers her and rapes her, just as Sophie enters the room to see what is going on This also reveals the birthplace of the phrase, “Shhh Annabel. It’s just me,” which haunts Annabel throughout the novel

9. My Thoughts…Wrapped-UP Overall, I enjoyed the book and would highly recommend it It is a combination of romance, overcoming obstacles, and finding oneself, while developing new, unlikely friendships and finding a balance in life Inspirational read, despite the seemingly depressing plot The plot structure was descriptive, yet left the reader with the freedom to predict what would happen next and draw their own conclusions before it tied up all loose ends. However, the ending did leave me wanting a bit more.

10. Who Should Read It? This book contains very mature content including references to sex and strong language Additionally, the characters deal with heavy problems such as anorexia and rape As a result, this book is meant for mature audiences only…between the ages of 17-25. I do not think that anyone far out of high school or college would enjoy this book simply based on the fact that it has a mostly high school setting and revolves around high school and young adult characters. Anyone older than this may not find the characters to be very relatable.

11. The End