Author - Sarah Dessen
ISBN - 0670061050
Publication Date - April 2006
Plot - Annabel Greene should have it all. She is intelligent, a model, and one of the most popular people around. That is until her world comes crashing around her after she is raped by her best friend Sophie's boyfriend Will. Sophie does not believe her and ends the friendship; her mother will not listen to her; and everyone at school ends up making her an outcast. No one seems to want to listen to her. That is until she meets up with Owen Armstrong. He is the prototypical emo boy. He wears his emotions out on his sleeve, so much so that he seems to have anger management problems. In an ironic twist, he runs a radio program called Anger Management, where he has a chance to blow off steam about any of the various issues he has with life. Through this, Annabel ends up learning that telling the truth, and having people listen to you is more important than hiding the truth and trying to protect someone else's feelings. By novels end, she has quit modeling; Owen and she have gotten together as a couple,; Owen has punched out Will for raping Annabel; and Will has landed himself in jail as he ends up raping someone else along the way and getting caught; and Sophie winds up alone.
Critical Review- While the novel could have easily wound its way in a kind of a chic lit Fashion, Sarah Dressen makes sure that both the pace of the novel and the message do not resemble anything that would go on in a chic lit setting. She focuses heavily on the message of communication. Through openness, everyone is able to better themselves. By Owen communicating with others, he is able to work out some of his anger management problems. If Annabel had communicated with the police, someone else would have been spared a rape at the hands of Will. And her communicating with her mother at the end of the novel, spares her needing to go back to modeling, and feeling like she has to live up to her mother's expectations. If Annabel's sisters had communicated with their mother about the pressures and stresses of the job, maybe the mother would not have laid so much of her expectations on Annabel.
Also the book does a good job of exploring the need to contribute in the other area of communication: listening. As the book is entitled just listen, it is obvious that listening is a skill that is much needed. Yes one does need to communicate verbally one's problems and not expect others to guess what they are. But others need to be willing to listen to what other people have to say or they cause irreparable harm to others. Sophie will not listen to Annabel about the rape, leaving Annabel out in the cold. Her mother will not listen to her problems. And the classmates will not listen to Annabel's side of the story. If anyone would have taken the time to listen to begin with, it would have spared everyone a lot of harm.
Also the book does a good job of exploring the need to contribute in the other area of communication: listening. As the book is entitled just listen, it is obvious that listening is a skill that is much needed. Yes one does need to communicate verbally one's problems and not expect others to guess what they are. But others need to be willing to listen to what other people have to say or they cause irreparable harm to others. Sophie will not listen to Annabel about the rape, leaving Annabel out in the cold. Her mother will not listen to her problems. And the classmates will not listen to Annabel's side of the story. If anyone would have taken the time to listen to begin with, it would have spared everyone a lot of harm.
Reader's Annotation- When the world comes crashing down around you. and life seems to be going against you in every conceivable way, sometimes you need someone to just listen.
About the Author- Born in Illinois, but raised in North Carolina, Sarah Dessen spent vast amounts of time connected to higher education. Both her parents were university professors involved in the arts. So her parents at an early age were exposing her to Shakespeare and mythology.
She loved to read from a very early age; and, she complains, that most of her early gifts were books when she might rather have been getting other kinds of present. But at the age of around nine, they gave her a gift that would transform her for the rest of her life. It was a manual typewriter. She would begin to sit and type her first stories on that machine, developing a sense of humor and the ability to embellish.
She says her high school years were extremely important to her. She developed a large social circle, out of which she has been able to create a lot of her young adult stories. She never exactly intended to be a young adult writer, but her editors felt she seemed to have that kind of a voice that came out in her writing.
She loved to read from a very early age; and, she complains, that most of her early gifts were books when she might rather have been getting other kinds of present. But at the age of around nine, they gave her a gift that would transform her for the rest of her life. It was a manual typewriter. She would begin to sit and type her first stories on that machine, developing a sense of humor and the ability to embellish.
She says her high school years were extremely important to her. She developed a large social circle, out of which she has been able to create a lot of her young adult stories. She never exactly intended to be a young adult writer, but her editors felt she seemed to have that kind of a voice that came out in her writing.
Genre - Drama
Curriculum Ties - Reading / Literature
Booktalking Ideas - Discuss the nature of keeping secrets and peer pressure. How does it affect ones standing in a community? Is the simple answer to always speak out?
Reading Level/Interest Age - Grade 9+
Challenge Issues - There is multiple rapes in the novel.
Overcoming challenges - Have brochures on rape at the library and how it is important that these people speak out. Express that the message of the novel is for people to speak out about their issues.
Overcoming challenges - Have brochures on rape at the library and how it is important that these people speak out. Express that the message of the novel is for people to speak out about their issues.
Why Included - I have seen Sarah Dressen's books around my library, and the plot seemed interesting. Plus there was a further connection as there was an "emo" type individual in the novel.
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