Weekly Blogpost: Just Listen

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen.

          Just Listen is a book that reflects on problems that most teenagers have probably been through and what teenagers will go through. This book takes you on a journey through heartbreak, friends, and family. It's the entire package and although that's a good thing, it can be sometimes overwhelming. This book really makes you think about your life and how everything can from perfectly fine to disrupting in a second. You feel as if you go through Annabel's (the main character) experience.

          Heartbreak is not necessarily Annabel's problem although she is caught up in her ex-best friend's heartbreak though. This makes me wonder if that could happen between me and my best friend. But not only is Annabel caught up in the problem, she gets blamed for cheating on her friend's boyfriend when she really didn't do anything at all. Accusations are made a lot in this book. Accusations happens around me a lot too. Teachers, family, even friends. It makes me feel how Annabel must have felt when she got accused. It's really unfair when someone accuses you of something you didn't do; like when it happened to Annabel.

          Friends is a big problem for Annabel and most of the kids on the world. Everyone needs a friend, not necessarily a lot because just one friend can get you through the day. Although Annabel does have a friend, Owen, she has lost a lot too. Sophie, her ex-best friend, Emily, and even Clarke. Without Owen, Annabel was a loner. Being alone feels horrible. I have been through that because I never had any close friends; just a big group of friends. "You can't trust anybody these days." is my favorite line from the book. I once had really close friends before and then I realized that I couldn't trust them. Annabel kind of had the same problem except she was the person that people couldn't trust. In Annabel's world, very much like our world, there are rumor mills. Rumors ruin friendships. I remember in 6th grade when I spread a fake rumor about this guy and within an hour, everyone in my class knew about it. But some rumors are even more drastic, ruining friendships like it ruined Annabel's with Sophie.

           Family is the biggest problem of all for Annabel and for many teenagers too. But our usual "family drama" is probably getting grounded, lectured, or not wanting to go to family gathering. For Annabel, it's way different. Her family drama consists of her sister not eating, but it's not only that. Her sister, Whitney has had an eating disorder before so she basically puts down everyone. I've never really thought about having a sister with a eating disorder, but this book made me think about my family.  I feel lucky that my family drama isn't so...so weird. I do know that there are families like that though and I feel bad for them. Annabel looks like she has it all: a modeling career, a cool guy friend, and she's become a role model. But she's so much more different in the inside and that made me think about how looks can be seriously deceiving.

          This book made me think about my life and how some people's lives were so much more different. Just Listen makes you really want to listen.