Sarah Dessen

As a general rule, I don't really like pop fiction books. The two exceptions to this rule are Sarah Dessen and Nicholas Sparks. Roll your eyes all you want, I'm a sucker for a good love story. I recently finished Just Listen by Dessen and it wasn't exactly my favorite book of hers. Maybe it was because I didn't feel like I could relate to it, but I've enjoyed her other books much more. Dessen's novels tend to include dramatic events that, though rarely, do actually occur to high school girls. While others include orphans, pregnancy, divorce, or drinking, Just Listen focuses on eating disorders, family, and friends. Overall, the main character was not very likable. I thought that she complained a lot, about everything from her parents to her house to the fact that her sick sister got more attention than her. Even on her modeling career, she complained that there were prettier girls. She makes one friend in a boy named Owen, who she originally did not like at all and was quite rude to. Similar to character though, she pushes him away and then decides that she does want him as a friend. I was happy for Owen when he treated her rudely back. I mean, how am I supposed to root for a character like Annabelle? She appreciates nothing and Dessen expects readers to want the best for her. Just Listen isn't a book I should have finished, I should have given up on it. I just kept hoping it would get better. I was very, very wrong in those hopes.