Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Annabel has been keeping a lot inside of her lately. As the youngest of three girls, she has always felt secondary to them and their issues. In addition, she's lost her best friend and is afraid to tell her mom she wants to quit modeling. When Annabel returns to school after a troubling summer, she connects with an unlikely person. Owen is a music obsessed outcast with anger management issues. Slowly their relationship helps Annabel learn to open up.
Annie, Librarian

*************************************************************************************

Before I read this, I was already obsessed by Sarah Dessen's books, specially This Lullaby. Her new book Just Listen is very good, almost as good as This Lullaby (I'm prejudiced because that was my first Dessen book). However, I think the main difference from this book is that Annabel had to deal with a traumatic experience. She had to find a way to get pass the trauma and had to deal with the effects it had on her life. On top of that, her family was also broken and needs to be healed. In the process of healing she realizes important lessons about sharing yourself and not keeping it all locked up inside you. She goes through it with Owen who taught her to be honest and to just listen.
Remy Starr
10th grade
16 years old