Just Listen

"It was a little slow to start but I ended up really liking it! My first Sarah Dessen book and I will be trying more!"

"This was a great book for me to get back into reading. This story really pulled me in, I didn’t want to put it down because I wanted to finish it as if I was watching a movie. Don’t get me wrong, the book Blindness had an interesting concept and the other book Gone with the Wind was pretty good reading last year but it felt like it went on and on.<br/><br/>This book made me feel emotions while reading which was something I hadn’t felt for a long while when I read for academics (high school and college) and wanted to go back to the way I felt as a younger kid reading books. That’s something I missed a lot when I got burnt out of reading and felt forced to analyze every sentence, every phrase, every page to find deeper meaning or decipher the meaning of every metaphor/simile/hyperbole/etc. to be able to write a report, question or have an objective view to what I read, or spit out information and facts especially for tests/essays/homework.<br/><br/>I missed reading for the sake of reading and let my mind wander or do what it wanted as I read, not worrying about trying to find details, find deeper meaning in something, try to apply it to real life, etc. I guess you could say I wanted to do mindless reading.<br/><br/>I personally got mad and frustrated at the main character a few times because she didn’t speak up or say something I would have in the moment as I think I would have done if I was in her situation. Even though it’s for YA, I personally enjoy them because I still feel like I’m at that level of maturity and perhaps personal development and growth in my own life. I still see remnants of that in my work life where there’s still always gossip and rumors going around as if we were in high school. I related to at least the main character and her middle sister when it came to personality. I have a mix of both of theirs so it was interesting to see it split into 2 people.<br/><br/>This book is very reminiscent of another book I read, Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson. Just a little less darker, the main character had developed friends throughout the story, she wasn’t completely alone, and I think it was a much happier ending compared to Speak. I don’t fully remember how Speak ended but the ambiance in that book was different, a little more foreboding."

"⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️"

"I love this book. It’s been a long time since I’ve read it (early high school) but one of my favorite Sarah Dessen books and I have read them all "

"So boring..."

"I thought the way the story was told out of order was interesting. Sophie never grew on me. Liked Annabell and Clarke and Owen. I found the discussions about music to be highly amusing. SPOILERS: I applaud the author for tackling difficult issues head on. I appreciate that one of the characters spoke out and another kept it inside. I think it is a very hard thing to talk about especially for someone who has first hand experience. Making it present in books and having characters speak out will encourage people in real life to do the same. I just wish there were details about the conversations had within the family about both main issues. Because the questions of "how would I start?" "what would I say?" It would be nice to have examples in print."

"It was pretty good just confusing sometimes "

"Really good book! My first book I read that got me into reading again. I love the story line and the characters!"

"I’m in a major YA lovey mood! So I’m currently reading Alex, Approximately! It’s pretty good! My favorite Sarah Dessen book is This Lullaby! I read it when I was younger and want to read it again, but worried I won’t love it as much now that I’m older! "

"It’s been a long time since I read it. (Maybe 10 years) But I remember enjoying it! "