06.07.07
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
Annabel Greene seems to have it all. However, that is not the case. At school, she is shunned because she’s hiding secrets about an end of the year party. At home, family peace hangs in the balance because she’s hiding secrets about her sister’s anorexia. Her life is changed when she meets Owen Armstrong, the school’s loner who is obsessed with music and telling the truth.
Kay EJSHS said,
June 14, 2007 at 11:44 am
The whole premise bothered me at first. How many families do you know whose children are all models? But the story develops fast and modeling becomes secondary. I really liked Owen and think that Annabel learned a lot from him. Wanting to know what the big problem was with Sophie really kept me going!
Kris AHS said,
June 14, 2007 at 1:04 pm
I was so frustrated by the way that Sophie behaved towards everyone… and that Annabel allowed her to have such power over her. I couldn’t wait to see if Annabel could overcome her oppressive influence and so I felt compelled to read and find out.
Annabeth CBHS said,
November 19, 2007 at 5:47 pm
Just Listen is a book i can somewhat relate to. No, my parents do not persue my siblings and I to be models. I am not a loner either and my sister is not anorexic, but turning to music i something i do. I have my problems just like any other kid One way i deal with my emotions is to just grab my ipod and take a walk, I love to just zone out to the music. Sarah Dessen is an outstanding author. I love how there is always a guy that helps the main character find out who she is. I loved how Annabel learned a lot from Owen. Just Listen was the kind of book I could not put down.
Melissa 2 VHS said,
December 1, 2007 at 3:11 pm
I like this book though I really hate Sophie. I dont understand how Annabel first even thought about being her friend after how she was treated at the pool. I thought it was horrible how she treated people and how Annabel didnt stand up to one of her best friends, Clarke, or others who was tormented by Sophie. As for Annabel’s mom and the whole modeling thing, I thinbk it would have been ok when she was younger but Annabel should have spoken up about later on when she didnt want to do any modeling anymore.
Taylor CBHS said,
December 8, 2007 at 8:55 am
Sarah Dessen is one of those authors that catch your attention when they write a piece like this. She uses colorful description that dances on the page and makes an absolute vision in your eyes. My favorite quote from the book is: “I closed my eyes and saw not the flat black of the dark but something else. Something brighter, closer to the light, shining small, but ever steady. More than enough to go on as a part of me pushed up and out, finally, to meet it there” (363). It was clearly an entertaining book and worth reading twice.
Elizabeth VHS said,
December 21, 2007 at 4:02 pm
This book gets an 8 out of 10 from me, because at times it was a little hard to get through, but mostly this was a good book (teehee…I threw this one too…).
Tell three occurrences in the book that relate to the title.
1)Owen gives Annabel a CD titled just listen.
2)Annabel asks Owen to just listen as she tells what happened to her that night
3)Annabel has to just listen to the little voice in her head that says, ‘Shh, Annabel…It’s just me…’
Montgomery RHS said,
December 28, 2007 at 2:29 pm
I really enjoyed this book. she is by far one of my favorite authors, so to see a book written by her on this list pleases me a lot. the book was very good. i was intrigued from the beginning, and i like how the plot unfolded bit by bit, as to keep your interest. i liked that each character gained more and more depth as the story went along, and everything seemed connected in a way. All the character relationships were interesting, and kept you guessing, you could hear yourself rooting for some, and booing others. i liked that the story was real, something you could actually see happen, despite all the sisters being models. though i did like that they weren’t super models, they were pretty girls who did commercials for the local mall. so though the modeling was a bit out of touch, the fact that they weren’t amazingly rich or famous, brought it closer to real life. all in all i really enjoyed the book, i definitely recommend this book to others.
Maggie EJSHS said,
February 6, 2008 at 11:07 pm
Is honesty the best policy? Standing from a moral, theoretical, physiological… viewpoint, of course honesty is the best policy. Everyone is told to tell the truth. For the most part, I would say this would be a good way to go about it. Annabel’s story was a great example why honesty is so important. In Just Listen, she locks everything, thoughts and emotions, inside her, pretending everything is fine, until she finally realized she was mashing herself up inside by letting it just sit there. Throughout the whole book, I wanted to scream at her, “just tell someone!” because her suffering was so intense. It didn’t just affect her either; it affected every single one of her relationships, as well as her personality, and mentality. She had no confidence, just because she couldn’t tell the truth about her opinions, and experiences. However, like everything else, there is a middle and better road to honesty. Some honest remarks, depending on the circumstance, time or mood, can totally mess a situation up. However, instead of thinking “well, I’d hate to see how they would react to me if I said that,” think, “can they use this? Will my honesty help them out?” I think that Owen was good at this, especially toward the end of the book. He knew when to keep quiet. Maybe it’s not just honesty, but how to put something, or if your input is worth the hurt feelings of a friend. So, use honesty more times then not, and with discretion, using the handy middle road.
Mary EJSHS said,
February 7, 2008 at 10:26 pm
#2-Tell three occurrences in the book that relate to the title. In the book “Just Listen” by Sarah Dessen, I believe, there are more than just three occurences in which the book relates to the title, however, this question only calls for three, so here they are. First off, Owen introduces Annabel to what he considers real music. He tries to enlighten her by telling her, even sometimes arguing with her, about his views and ideas about what he thinks is “good” and “bad” music. Owen then tells Annabel about his radio show and tells her to “just listen” to it and try to be enlightened by it. When she tells Owen her honest opinion about the music it is the beginning of her journey toward complete honesty with others and eventually herself. The next occerrence of the title relating to the book is when Owen, once again tries to educated and “enlighten” Annabel in real music when he gives her the stack of 10 cds he had made for her. He claimed they were filled with real music. One of the cds Owen gives Annabel is titled “just listen.” When he gives it to her he says don’t think, don’t judge, just listen, then she can make up her mind about it. When she finally does listen to it that’s exactly what she does, she listens, allowing what was on the cd, or not on it, to answer all her questions which we later find out in the book was not what she was supposed to be listening to. Lastly, and perhaps the most important occurence of the title relating to the book, was when Annabel allows herself to “just listen” to that little voice inside her head and be honest with herself. The voice kept saying to her “Shhh, Annabel. It’s just me.” It turns out that it wasn’t Will Cash’s voice that was haunting her, tearing her apart, it was her own. She was trying to tell herself it was okay, all she needed to do was “just listen,” then and only then, she could finally escape it, what was holding her back from being the “honest” girl Owen knew she was.
Tasneem EJSHS said,
February 10, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Annabel’s mother is no doubt doing the right thing. Annabel began modeling when she was just a baby. Through Annabel’s childhood, her mother scheduled events for Annabel and continued to until Annabel finally had the courage to confront her. Annabel was allowed to make her own life decisions for a long time. Her problem was fear. Annabel herself once said, “ I don’t do confrontations.” Teenagers should be allowed to make life decisions when they, themselves, are ready for it. For example, Annabel was ready to make her own choices at the end of the book, where she had the courage to confront people unlike her younger self in the beginning of the book who could not react to people similar to Sophie without giving in.
Tasneem EJSHS said,
February 10, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Response to Melissa 2 VHS:
I agree with Melissa. Sophie represents all the evil that can be created by not standing up for yourself. If Annabel had stood up to Sophie, like Kristen had, Annabel probably would not have any of these problems. If she fought back, like Emily had, she would not have to suffer another lonely school year. Sophie built on fear and Annabel lived under fear and it was only after Owen introduced her to things like honesty (which needs courage) was she able to overcome her fear.
Hannah EJSHS said,
February 12, 2008 at 7:40 pm
Personally I think that Annabel’s mother is wrong by making these decisions for her in her modeling career. If her mother really wanted what was best for her she would let her decide on the events she wants to participate in and not make those decisions for her. The amount of importance Annabel’s mom places on her modeling clearly compels Annabel to agree to things that truly are not important to her. Seeing how her mom loves having her daughters’ model and how much pride she takes in it shows that she’s almost wrapped herself up in it leaving her daughters and their feelings behind. Although she does ask her daughters if this is something they want to do, she seems to do it in a way that says, “ I’ll be disappointed if you say no, but the decisions up to you.” Annabel is old enough to make these decisions for herself, and she has been for a long time, but the life that she leads makes it hard for her to do that, and say what she truly wants to say rather than just what will make others happy. This all ties back into the point of the book. Yes she can make decisions for herself, but weather she will truly make the decisions she wants, instead of the decisions others want her to make is hard for her to do, but with the help of friends, she finally reaches that point in her life that by learning to “just listen” she finally learns to stand up for herself and make decisions on her own.
HailEJSHS said,
February 19, 2008 at 9:02 pm
Before I answer a question I just want to let everyone know that this is an amazing book! I never really enjoyed reading because I could never find a good story, but this book made me enjoy the better side of reading. It has a good moral and anyone can relate to the characters.
-Is honesty the best policy? How or how not is it evidenced in Just Listen.
Honesty is always the best policy. If you don’t tell the truth you’re not only lying to everyone else but yourself as well. If you lie it only puts you in a deeper and darker hole. In the story Annabel Greene had always had the perfect life, so she thought. But, in one night that all changed. That night something terrible happened to Annabel, in which she refused to tell anyone. As a result her life was turned upside down. Friends were lost and everyone started resenting her. All she had to do was tell the truth. However, that was not her only problems. She was having troubles with her family as well. She was keeping a big secret from her mom. She does not enjoy modeling anymore, but to tell her mom would break her heart. Annabel had told no one her secrets, until she met Owen Armstrong. When she started opening up to him her life was suddenly starting to turn around. As a result of telling the truth, good things started to happen. Therefore, telling the truth, being honest, is always the way to go.
Amanda EJSHS said,
February 19, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Is honesty really the best policy? I believe it is. Most children are told not tell lies when young and to always tell the truth. I believe that honestly will lead to a better life in the long run. The book Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, coping with telling the truth is tough for Annabel Greene in the beginning of this book. Annabel is the girl who always held her secretes inside of her and everyone disliked her for someone she was not. Personally, I would rather have everyone hate me for being honest and being myself then everyone hating me for lying. Annabel doesn’t know how to cope with telling the truth until she met Owen. He tells her to never keep secrets in, just talk about them, and to always to tell the truth no matter if it hurts the person’s feelings or not. He teaches her a life lesson about it and he tries to pry out her deepest darkest secret so she knows she at least someone can just listen to her. I believe that Annabel’s family had to do with some of her secrets and her telling the lies part of the time. For example, she has to deal with her sister’s eating disorder and that is kind of hard to tell people about. Also, Annabel really can’t be who she really wants to be when her mom wants for her to model. Honesty can change a person’s outlook on life and make them a better person even though it can be a little bit tough sometimes.
Bich EJSH said,
February 20, 2008 at 3:35 am
After reading Just Listen among my required reads I feel like there are many aspects that could be discussed. However I chose this question because I believe very strongly about having rights to make own decisions. I have also always been interested in modeling. However I feel like it is my own choice not my mothers. I don’t believe Annabel was treated right by her mother. Even though her mother thinks that’s the best for her does not mean that it is. Annabel was in a sense forced into continuing the modeling career that her mother set out for her. She didn’t get an actual say in what she wants. In just listen Annabel plays a role that just is very weak. She never is able to say what she thinks or do what she wants. Annabel’s mother could have been supportive of her career however she didn’t have to go on about Annabel’s life like it was hers. It wasn’t her life anymore, it was her daughters. A daughter who had lost interest and desire to model. Modeling is a very strenuous task, it takes perfection on stage and off. It can also be stressful. Annabel as the book progresses, progresses as well, she learns that she could be happy, and that she could make decisions. In meeting Owen, he is able to bring more out in her. She is able to think without being afraid about what her mother might say. She develops a sense of identity and also of comfort. She learns how to be herself, to laugh more and to just be happier. In Just Listen the controversial subject reflects off the style of parenthood. Some are more suggestive and controlling than others such as her mother who was living through her, being forced to have decisions made for you will just make it harder for later to actually make accurate mature decisions. A teenager can be alright to make lifestyle choices as they grow and reach maturity in eyes of most.
MiaEJSH said,
February 22, 2008 at 9:11 pm
1. Annabel’s mother makes decisions about Annabel’s modeling career. Is this right? At what point should a teenager be allowed to make life decisions?
I don’t think that Annabel’s mother was right by making decisions about her career. Her mother should’ve been able to tell if something was wrong and whether she liked it or not. Her mother should’ve noticed when things were wrong with her. It was kind of like her mom was living her dreams through her daughters. I believe she was blinded by her own happiness of doing this, that she couldn’t see that this wasn’t making her daughters happy.
I think everybody is different, so there isn’t really a set age where I think they can make their own life decision. What age the person should be allowed to make their own decisions depends on the person and their maturity and responsibility level. If the specific person shows that they can, for the most part, take care of themselves and can seem to make the right decision the parent should realize that they need to start learning how to control their own life. It’s like letting a person get their driver’s license. For a year, that person has to drive with a responsible adult and after that year and with a signed consent of actually driving that year can they get their license. It’s similar for a person and them making decisions. For the 1st decade of their life their guided through by their parents, like what close to where, what food they eat, ect., ect. By the time they hit their teens, they’re going to want to make decisions and it’s time for the parents to let them go (with some supervision) and let them make their choices and most often mistakes. And parents need to realize that mistakes are good (for the most part) and teach us lessons.
I really enjoyed this book because 1- I’m a sucker for teen love stories and 2- Music is a major part of my life and that’s one of the main points of the book (in my opinion). I give this book an 8 ½ out of 10.
Kristen EJSHS said,
February 24, 2008 at 4:07 pm
-Is honesty the best policy? How or how not is it evidenced in Just Listen?
I do believe that honesty is that best policy. If you are not honest then you are lying, which never ends up working out. Once you start lying it becomes harder to stop. One lie generally leads to more lies and they get bigger. If you are honest you don’t have to worry about getting in trouble for lying. Being honest can be hard for some people because they don’t want to hurt other people by telling them the truth. In Just Listen Annabel is not honest with anyone to begin with. She keeps secrets from everyone. In her case because she is not honest, she becomes unhappy in life. In one particular case Annabel doesn’t like modeling anymore, but she doesn’t tell her mom because she knows that it will crush her. In the story Annabel meets Owen who encourages her to tell the truth to people. Owen always tells the truth to people unlike Annabel. It takes a while for Annabel to tell the truth, but eventually she slowly begins to. Once she starts telling the truth she finds that she is happier. So in her case telling the truth and being honest was a good thing for Annabel. The lesson is learned right there. Being honest will always work out in the end, even if it doesn’t at the beginning. Honesty is the best policy by far and I am glad that it worked out for Annabel. Hopefully she won’t go back to lying and keeping things bundled up inside of her.
AlyshaEJSHS said,
February 24, 2008 at 5:36 pm
2. Tell three occurrences in the book that relate to the title.
During most of the book, Annabel seems to be a loner and doesn’t have anyone in her family who she feels comfortable talking to. Annabel and her ex-best friends (Sophie and Emily) all had a falling out at the party that took place the last day of school before summer the previous year. After eating lunch alone almost every day, she started to talk to Owen. Owen was the tough guy at school who had gotten in a lot of trouble the previous year due to his anger problems. Annabel and Owen started to talk at lunch about music. Owen always had his headphones in at lunch and Annabel wanted to know what he was listening to. The two of them became close friends and eventually boyfriend and girlfriend. When this happened, Owen made Annabel 10 CDs so that she could learn how to appreciate “real music.” Every CD had a title and the last one was “Just Listen.” Just Listen is the title of the book, which led the reader to believe that this CD would be meaningful later in the novel. The title of the book was also mentioned when Annabel had finally decided to tell Owen what was pestering her for way too long. As soon as she felt ready to tell him, she had said, “Just Listen.” The CD titled Just Listen was what caused her to eventually tell him her enormous problem. Her problem occurred on the night of the last day of school party. She went with Sophie and Emily and wanted to hang out and have a great time. Sophie and her boyfriend Will were in a fight, which caused Sophie to be in a foul mood. Annabel was at the party and had to go to the bathroom. She headed upstairs and heard someone call out her name. She went into the bedroom and it was pitch black. She tried to leave but couldn’t find the door handle. The person in the room was Will and he made Annabel’s night one to regret for many months. When she finally had the courage to tell her parents about this incident she told them to “Just Listen.” The title of this novel was used more than once and symbolized many important parts of the book.
Sara SHS said,
February 26, 2008 at 11:00 am
i give this book a 10 out of 10. it was deffinatley one of my favorites because it kept me interested, to the point where i didn’t want to put the book down. i think that music is the answer to all problems and this book really shows how music can help you through the good times and bad.
Alexia EJSHS said,
February 26, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Three things that occur in the book and relate to the title are when…
1. Annabel had to listen to the voice in her head saying ” Shhh, Annabel it’s just me.”
2. Owen made her a CD and he said “Dont think or judge, just listen.”
3. when Annabel told Owen her story about what happened between her story she said “Don’t think or judge, just listen.”
I agree with Melissa 2 VHS about how the book was great but Sophie was so rude to everyone. she treated everyone terribly, like Clarke, and even Annabel both times at the pool. she was such a bully and Annabel didn’t stand up to her for herself or Clarke. Annabel left Clarke behind because Sophie did not like her.
Alexia EJSHS said,
February 26, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Three things that occur in the book and relate to the title are when…
1. Annabel had to listen to the voice in her head saying ” Shhh, Annabel it’s just me.”
2. Owen made her a CD and he said “Dont think or judge, just listen.”
3. when Annabel told Owen her story about what happened between her story she said “Don’t think or judge, just listen.”
I agree with Melissa 2 VHS about how the book was great but Sophie was so rude to everyone. She treated everyone terribly, like Clarke, and even Annabel both times at the pool when she was snotty and said things like ” Why would I hang out with you?”. She was such a bully and Annabel didn’t stand up to her for herself or Clarke. Annabel left Clarke behind because Sophie did not like her.
AliciaRHS said,
February 27, 2008 at 10:53 am
Just Listen was the kind of book that i love to read. I love when books have something going on between a boy and girl and how it shows the different sides to their relationship. It also makes you keep reading to see what really happens between them. What also made people relate to the book was the character Sophie. Every girl in high school has some sort of drama with another girl and this book really showed how cruel some girls could be, but that you could stand up to them anyway. This was one of my favorite books and i think everyone should read it.
Kitti said,
February 27, 2008 at 10:29 pm
Just listen was a wonderful book that could teach anyone the value of honesty. Annabel was the kind of girl hid the truth to keep anyone from getting hurt even if it came to her not being happy. Her life was falling apart. It wasn’t exactly “the girl who had everything” like in the commercial she did for a back to school clothes line. Annabel’s life was starting to take a turn for the best when she met Owen who taught her the value of honesty. I feel that honesty is the best way to go. Even though it may hurt some ones feelings to be honest with them, in the long run they realize that they are glad they found out rather than live not knowing. Being honest with some one up front can show that person you trust them or they can trust you to be there for them. For teens it is hard to be honest of our feelings due to peer pressure, but it is a big stress reliever to get it off you chest.
Kaitlinshsdoerr4 said,
March 9, 2008 at 8:05 pm
1.Annabel’s mother makes decisions about Annabel’s modeling career. Is this right? At what point should a teenager be allowed to make life decisions?
NO, absolutely not Annabel should make her own decisions about what she likes and dislikes. When they are mature enough, and know the difference between good decisions and bad ones.
2.Tell three occurrences in the book that relate to the title.
She wants to tell her mom about quitting modeling and doesn’t tell her because she thinks she will hurt her mom’s feelings, the CD Annabel received, and at the end when she tells her family her biggest secret
3.Is honesty the best policy? How or how not is it evidenced in Just Listen?
Yes, it is the best policy. Annabel doesn’t tell her family the truth about her life or what happens in it, and because of this she pays deeply.
Bridgett VHS said,
March 10, 2008 at 12:39 pm
1. Annabel’s mother makes decisions about Annabel’s modeling career. Is this right? At what point should a teenager be allowed to make life decisions?
NO, it is not right for a mother of a sixteen or seventeen year old to make a dicision about what career the teen wants to do. It depends on the teenager, if they are responsible and do what they are suppose to do then around 15 years of age. But if they aren’t responsible then around 17 or 18 years of age.
TaylorM EJSHS said,
March 13, 2008 at 11:21 am
“Just Listen,” is an awsome book. I related really well to this, not that I have had all the problems that Anabell has, but I relate alot of my emotions to music. It’s how I tune out and get over my problem. Three occurences that relate to the title are, when Anabell wants to quit modeling, when Owen makes her the CD, and at the end when Anabell tells her family she was raped. In each of these events she only wanted her friends and family to “just listen”. When Owen gave her the CD she was told to “just listen” and not judge the initial sound, but listen to the lyrics. At the end of the story when Anabell told her family she had been raped she wanted her family to “just listen.” Finnally in the begining when she wanted to tell her mom she wanted to quit modeling if her mother would have “just listened” Anabell wouldn’t have been put in some of her situations. I agree with Maggie that honesty is the best policy. If Anabell and her friends and family would have been able to communicate effectivly, Anabell would have been much happier even though Owen ended up being a very good thing for her. Sarah Dessen is an awsome author who relates teen issues with music which many teens realte to. I give this book a 10 out of 10.
Zan SHSDoerr6 said,
March 16, 2008 at 11:46 am
I agree with Bich EJSHS.
It should be YOUR choice to do something, and you should never have to do something that you don’t want to do. Life is too short for that.
This book was pretty okay in my eyes. I could really relate to Owen. I enjoyed his character, and in my opinion, HE’S the one that made the book interesting. If he wasn’t there, the book would probably be REALLY boring. (I thing that the author should right a whole separate book about him, but yeah. I don’t think that’ll happen… o__O)
I don’t know what everyone else thinks, but I found this book rather predictable. The only thing that made this book slightly different from three other books I’ve read with the same theme was Owen, and the poetic value of music. Those parts made me smile.
I also saw a lot of stuff in the book that seemed to be taken from that movie “Mean Girls”. Ex: The Army Pants and Flip Flops. XD I LOVE THAT MOVIE, so anytime I saw something that looked like it came from it, I got some humor out of it. hahaha XD
I could relate to this book occasionally because I was a model once upon a time. I ended up getting fired though because I was too young to do any jobs. -__- They seriously though I was 14 when I was 11, but when they looked at my resume and saw my birth date on there, they’d shoot me down. Now that I look back, it was kind of funny. hahahahahahahaha
1. Annabel’s mother makes decisions about Annabel’s modeling career. Is this right? At what point should a teenager be allowed to make life decisions?
I, personally, don’t think that it’s right. Whever I’M in a certain situation, and MY mom tries to choose for me without at least consulting me first, I freak out. XD I’m just not fond of doing something I don’t enjoy, it’s takes the fun out of my life when stuff like that happens. I think a teenager should be able to get advice and advice ONLY from their parents. They should always be able to make desicions.
2. Tell three occurrences in the book that relate to the title.
The situation with Sophie (She wouldn’t “Just Listen”), The situation with Annabel’s mom about the modeling thing, and Annabel telling everyone that she got raped by Will Cash.
3. Is honesty the best policy? How or how not is it evidenced in Just Listen?
I believe that it is. In “Just Listen”, honesty was one of the themes in the book. Honesty was what allowed Annabel to go on with her life after all of those terrible things happened to her. Honesty was what saved Whitney from STARVING herself. I think Music and Honesty are the two things that rule Owen, as well.
***Zan
Jacobj EJSHS said,
March 16, 2008 at 6:03 pm
2. Tell three occurrences in the book that relate to the title.
The title of this book presents a recurring theme of downfall by lack of communication (substituted by assumption and rumor). The truth of this statement lies in textual proof of both literal and figurative natures, the first of which being Sophie’s false declaration of Annabel’s “adventures” with her boyfriend as purposeful. The second is a verbatim quote of the title–the name of Owen’s disc which so sways Annabel. The third (though there are many more) revolves around the concept of the first, in which Annabel demands a verbal confrontation with Owen to explain that she had not erred.
Though in a sense I agree with Sara VHS, I have to say that the ultimate message of the novel regarding the music aspects was not that music is the answer to all problems, but rather that music has so much power to control, that lack of music creates a void so strong that it can perform the impossible–or at least unlikely. Owen gives Annabel a blank CD, a disc filled with eerie silence. It is because she recognizes Owen’s adulation for music that she realizes just how significant the silence is.
Kendra EJSHS said,
March 17, 2008 at 10:59 am
3. Is honesty the best policy? How or how not is it evidenced in Just Listen?
Yes honesty is the best policy because you should be honest no matter what! Her mom wanted her to do modeling, but she didn’t tell her mom. So she had to suffer and be miserable because she was not honest with her mom and tell her she didn’t like it.
Summary: Annabel Greene always seemed to have the perfect life. She was a model and every young girl looked up to her. Deep down inside she was not happy. Her sister had anorexia, she didn’t like modeling, and her friends weren’t really what they seemed. A horrible incident happened when she went to a party which affected her school life but the truth was it was not her fault. She was raped but did not tell anyone. Then she meets a boy that she could open up to about the incident.
Input: I loved it!! It had a good moral. I liked it a lot because it was realistic and amazing!!!
sabi. J ELCHS said,
March 18, 2008 at 1:35 pm
3. Is honesty the best policy? How or how not is it evidenced in Just Listen?
iN THE STORY SOMETIMES WITH THE EVENTS SHOWN HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY, BUT LIKE ANNABEL SAID SOMETIMES THE TRUTH HURTS AND NOT EVERYONE CAN HANDLE, AND I AGREE WITH ANABAELL SOMETIMES ITS BETTER JUST TO SOFTEN THE TRUTH UP JUST FOR THE PERSONS FEELINGS.I KNOW TELLING THE TRUTH IS GREAT ADVICE BUT NOT HOW QIDE OPEN LIKE OWEN DOES IT.
Kara EJSHS said,
March 19, 2008 at 9:08 pm
I Choose question one. The question asked my opinion on whether or not I think Annabel’s mom should make her choices for, her and when a teenager is at the responsible age to make his or hers own choices. My opinion behind it is that, yes her mom should make her decision but to an extent. Choosing her career path for Annabel is not the right thing, but taking over her life choices is what a responsible parent should do. Sophia went over board within controlling her life, but she was also there in her life, and these days not a lot of parents are. yes her mom does take it a little over board, but she knows annabel makes the perfect model.
I do not agree with Kris when she says, “I was so frustrated by the way that Sophie behaved towards everyone… and that Annabel allowed her to have such power over her.” Annabel thought her mom was doing the right thing and that her family was perfect. Maybe she should of spoke up when her mom started getting involved, but kids need to understand that parents only have our best interest at hearts and they try to do what they think is right for us.
I think this book does relate to me a little, I am no model but I would love to be, but it would be my choice not my mothers. My mom and I do discuss what I will do with my life and the choices I will and should make, but she does not make the choices for me. She only tries to help and does what she thinks will benefit me in the future.
Lisa EJSHS said,
March 19, 2008 at 9:16 pm
-Is honesty the best policy? How or how not is it evidenced in Just Listen?
In Just Listen, Owen vowed to always be honest. Annabel, who wasn’t the most honest person on the block, had a hard time believing him. By the end of the book, I think Annabel respected Owen much more for always telling the truth.
In my opinion, honesty is the best policy. If you have to tell someone a small lie to keep from hurting his or her feelings, I think that’s reasonable. But, you always need to know that small lie can turn into a big problem in the blink of an eye. Then, it is even harder to break it to them. So, to keep from any problems, why don’t we just tell the truth in the first place and have the outcome be as minimal as possible?
Lisa EJSHS said,
March 19, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Reply to AliciaRHS;
I couldn’t agree with you more. Everything in this book somehow relates to life as I know it, and I’m sure everyone else feels the same way. All of Sarah Dessens’ books are like this, and I can really understand and connect to the book when I can relate it to some of my own life experiences.
Kaelin EJSHS said,
March 19, 2008 at 10:47 pm
Is honesty the best policy? How or how not is it evidenced in Just Listen?
Honesty is the best policy because if you hold something in like Annabel did then you are just going to be miserable. Telling her mother that she wanted to quit modeling might be hard but in the end it will help her. Her mother might be disappointed but Annabel will feel better that she was able to tell her mother.
Annabel also had confusion at school, because her classmates thought that during the summer something happened and that what the cause to her and best friend to stop talking completely. I think that the situation would have been better if people knew the correct story rather then a lie, honesty is always better.
People say “sometimes the truth hurts”, well this is very correct. Honesty can be hard to tell people but the end result, everything will be better.
I agree with HailEJSHS “I never really enjoyed reading because I could never find a good story, but this book made me enjoy the better side of reading. It has a good moral and anyone can relate to the characters.” I agree with her and I can relate a lot of things in this book to my life. This book had good morals; I would definitely recommend this book for teenagers to read. It is now one of my favorite books.
JasmineG EJHS said,
March 20, 2008 at 12:51 am
Annabell’s mother should not have mad decisions about Annabels’s modeling career. At age 16 a teenager should be able and aloud to make their own important life decisions. I say this because, if you are old enough to decide to drive through a red light and you get killed or you kill someone else, which is a life decision, then you should be able to make a decsion about a mdeling career. On the other hand Annabel’s mother had a reason to make a decision for Annabels about her modeling career and Annnabel should also respect that. Her mother is older and wiser.
My Response to Another Person (AliciaRHS):
I agree. This book completely illustrates the daily life of some girls who are experiecing something very similar to what Annabel was experiencing with Sophie. The book is easy to understand because we can relate to things in this book that are similar t oour everyday lives. Just listen makes people realize that they can overcome the MEANGIRL mentality of their enemies.
Kaelin EJSHS said,
March 20, 2008 at 11:33 am
Is honesty the best policy? How or how not is it evidenced in Just Listen?
Honesty is the best policy because if you hold something in like Annabel did then you are just going to be miserable. Telling her mother that she wanted to quit modeling might be hard but in the end it will help her. Her mother might be disappointed but Annabel will feel better that she was able to tell her mother.
Annabel also had confusion at school, because her classmates thought that during the summer something happened and that what the cause to her and best friend to stop talking completely. I think that the situation would have been better if people knew the correct story rather then a lie, honesty is always better.
People say “sometimes the truth hurts”, well this is very correct. Honesty can be hard to tell people but the end result, everything will be better.
I agree with Hail EJSHS “I never really enjoyed reading because I could never find a good story, but this book made me enjoy the better side of reading. It has a good moral and anyone can relate to the characters.” I agree with her and I can relate a lot of things in this book to my life. This book had good morals; I would definitely recommend this book for teenagers to read. It is now one of my favorite books.
KaraEJSHS said,
March 20, 2008 at 11:59 am
Quetion one.
The question asks my opinion, on whether or not I think that parents should have a say in their teenager’s life and if Annabel’s mom should choose her career path for her. In my opinion I think, yes a parent should make some choices in their teenager’s lives, the choices that we as teens are not responsible enough or mature enough to decide yet. Our parents make the choices that they think are going to help us, and that will be the best for us in the future. Annabel’s mother should not make Annabel be a model, simply ask her if it is what she would like to do and be more of a mother and not such a business manager.
Kris says in her blog, “I was so frustrated by the way that Sophie behaved towards everyone… and that Annabel allowed her to have such power over her.” I do not agree with this because, her mom had her daughters best interest at heart. She thought if Annabel was a model she would be set for life. Her mother knew she made the perfect model. Yes I will agree she should have approached the situation different and talked to Annabel about her career.
This book does relate to me a tiny bit. I am no model but would love to be one. My mom does make decisions for me, but only the ones she thinks will help me in the future. My family is not really close, and we have our issue, as does every family. Sometimes I too feel like an outsider. I do eat alone sometimes and do not get along with everyone, but for the most part there are a few good people in my life that make it all okay. Just like Annabel with Owen.
Elle EJSHS said,
March 23, 2008 at 1:38 pm
1. Annabel’s mother makes decisions about Annabel’s modeling career. Is this right? At what point should a teenager be allowed to make life decisions?
In the story, Annabel’s mother makes all the decisions about Annabel’s modeling career. I don’t believe this is right because a mother should want what’s best for their daughter and what makes them happy. If a mother doesn’t want that for their child, there’s definitely something wrong with them, and they should rethink their parenting skills. Continuing to make decisions like that could cause problems in the teenagers life. Their dislike for the decision could make them angry, and that anger could be taken out onto others that don’t deserve it. In Annabel’s case, she felt forced to continue with her modeling and didn’t speak out against it.
There is a certain point in a teenagers life where they are capable of making their own decisions. I believe this is somewhere around the age of thirteen or fourteen. At this age, a teenager is somewhat trying to figure out who they want to be in life and what they want to do. Parents can’t baby them through this because it’s not their life. Every decision a teenager makes will affect them, and they’ll have to learn from the bad ones.
Sierra r/w said,
March 28, 2008 at 4:58 pm
This was definitely a good book because it seems like it really could happen. It really frustrated me that they didn’t listen to Kristen when they told them the girl was not okay and it wasn’t just stress and why didn’t Annabel say something about being raped?
KoreyEJSHS said,
April 1, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Annabel’s mother makes decisions about Annabel’s modeling career. Is this right? At what point should a teenager make life decisions? I definitely do not think that it is right that Annabel’s mother makes these decisions about her modeling career. Even though her mother does not really realize this because she thinks Annabel is totally into it. For Annabel’s mother she makes these decisions automatically because Annabel has been modeling since she was about nine months old. But yeah how would have Annabel’s mother known that Annabel did not like to model anymore when she pretended to all the time. So this was all her fault for not telling her mom when she first did not want to model instead of dragging it out so long. An then when Annabel finally told her mother she wanted to quit modeling she was fine with it. Well I guess maybe not completely but she understood if she did not want to do it anymore because it is her life, her own decisions. So Annabel’s mother thought that at that, point in her daughter’s life when she said she wanted to quit modeling was the time in her life that, she thought she could make her own decisions for her own life. What I think though may vary from what Annabel’s mother may have thought was correct. So I think that a teenager is ready to make life decisions when they are ready. By that I mean when the teenager knows what they are getting into or they know the consequences from doing it or not for, whatever it may be. With that there is not really a specific age, year, or time in one’s life that they are ready to make their own life decisions.
RebeccaEJSHS said,
April 1, 2008 at 10:08 pm
I agree with MaggieEJHS on the fact that honesty is indeed the best policy. When we were young, our parents always told us to “always tell the truth”. However in the book Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, Annabelle Greene had a little issue with telling the truth. In the book, Annabelle is a model for Kopf’s “the girl who had everything” at least that’s what people thought. However in real life, Annabelle doesn’t have the “easy life”. She lost her best friend, rumors about her are spread by evil Sophie, and her family lost its peace since her older sister Whitney developed an eating disorder. To sum it all up though, she doesn’t have the courage to tell anyone about it. That is until she meets the determined Owen Armstrong who always tells the truth, despite the consequences. Annabelle’s friendship with Owen grows stronger as well as her ability to be honest. Soon, Annabelle learns how important telling the truth is. She used to keep everything locked inside her like a diary filled with secrets. Keeping the truth inside and not telling anyone, she soon feels alone with no one there. I too wished I was with her to convince her to tell someone, spill it out!!! But she wouldn’t and found herself crying in the library all alone. Soon, she found the guts to address Owen and tell him everything: her dislike for modeling, her affair with Will, her sisters’ eating disorder. After telling him, Annabelle felt stronger and finally told her mother how she really felt about modeling. Honesty is definitely the best policy. Without honesty, life would be different. We would keep everything inside and feel like Annabelle had felt: alone.
MoniqueEJSHS said,
April 2, 2008 at 8:32 pm
In my opinion, honesty is always the best policy. Lying is no good because you’re just getting yourself into deeper trouble and in the long run, it’s just going to hurt you. Telling the truth is always the best option no matter how much it hurts.
Telling the truth makes someone a better person and more people will trust them if they do it often. Owen was a great person because he always told the truth, no matter what. Because of Owen, Annabel slowly started to tell the truth. When she went to see him two months after ditching him at the club, she told him everything. Everything that was bothering her, and she started up that friendship she once had with him again, all because she told the truth and hold him everything that was on her mind.
That then led to her telling her mother she didn’t want to do modeling anymore and the whole incident with Will at the party. It was good that she told the truth and got this out of her system, because it would have just eaten her up if she didn’t tell her parents at some point about the modeling and Will. When Owen told Annabel why he was late showing up at the courthouse, he told the absolute truth, although he hesitated a few times. If he didn’t, he might have gotten Annabel upset or mad, when she would have found out later that he was lying. But, he didn’t lie, and that’s why Owen is such a great friend. You can trust him because he’ll always tell you the truth. It’s good to have friends and people around you that you can trust.
Brittany VHS said,
April 22, 2008 at 3:58 pm
Teenagers have always been rebellious in thier own way, and will need guidance from someone who has had more life experience then they have. That doesnt mean that parents should dictate what thier child does or will do in the future. Annabel’s mother did unknowingly dictate how her career as a model would be, and in the end Annabel stood up for what she really wanted. That is another leason all teens will eventually have to go through.
Teenagers should be allowed to make life decisions after an extraordinary amount of responsability has been seen, trust has been earned, and mature decision making noticed. Everyone, both young and old, will always need guidance, and it is up to them to seek it.
Chelsea EJSHS said,
April 22, 2008 at 10:42 pm
Annabel’s mother makes decisions about Annabel’s modeling career. Is this right? At what point should a teenager be allowed to make life decisions?
Annabel’s mother is making decisions about Annabel’s modeling career because she believes that Annabel is too young to make such big decisions herself. In some ways, Annabel’s mother should help her make the decisions. But then again, she should also let Annabel have some say in the matter since it is her career. Annabel is a teen and may not know a lot about careers and the right choices to make, but by letting her make the choices and learn from mistakes, it will help her a lot more in the long run. She will learn good decisions from bad decisions and will learn how to make deals. It will not only help her in her current career, but in all of the jobs she faces in the future. She will not be able to make any good decisions as an adult if her mother is always making decisions for her up until she is 18 years old.
I do not that there is a fixed time when teenagers should be able to make their own decisions. It all depends on maturity. If the teen is mature enough to know right from wrong for the most part and they know what they are talking about, then they should be able to make their own decisions. However, it is always a good idea to have a parent or guardian help them with their decisions and support them so they know that they are going down the right path.
katie said,
April 28, 2008 at 9:54 pm
Just Listen was an awesome book. I loved Owen, especially in the part at Mallory’s party where he is about to kiss Annabell and the girl comes back asking for her shoes. He is so surprised(and tall) that he hits his head on the top of the door and says “shit!”
Jessica VHS said,
April 29, 2008 at 3:49 pm
So I am almost finshed reading this book and it is so good. At first I was like I dont think that this book will be that good but I was pleasantly suprised. Owen’s views on music were amazing.
But when it comes to Annabells modeling I think that her mother is doing what so many mothers in America are doing to their kids they are deciding what their children will do weather they want to or not. It really upsets me when they do this. But besides that I think that it was an amazing book that everyone should read.
Angela EJSHS said,
April 29, 2008 at 5:00 pm
1.Annabel’s mother makes decisions about Annabel’s modeling career. Is this right? At what point should a teenager be allowed to make life decisions?
No, I don’t think that it is right that Annabel’s mother should make decisions about her modeling career. Throughout the entire book she treats Annabel like she has no decision in any thing to do with that like she has absolutely no say at all.
Adults are always treating teenagers as more of a child than an adult. This is so totally stupid in my opinion. I can’t tell you how many times in my life I have heard that “Those teen years are always so awkward.” The thing about it is it is only awkward because everyone else makes it seem awkward. People are always treating us as children of which we are not. We have enough common sense into what to say no to and make our own decisions on a multitude of things. There are many stupid teenagers that maintain the reputations that the others try to demolish .I get really sick of hearing about how we are so rude and irresponsible and make such dumb decisions with our lives. Many others say that we think too much of what our peers think of us. This is true about many but not about all. But, then again look at what you guys do to us throw us into an environment where we are compared to our peers by our intelligence or “social status”. We may still need some guidance here and there but, for the most part we ARE adults. So, to answer the question of at what point should teenagers be allowed to make their own decisions the answer is the point that when they realize that what their peers think of them now really isn’t going to affect their future outside of high school.
JessicaEJSHS said,
April 30, 2008 at 7:57 am
#1. Annabel’s mother makes decisions about Annabel’s modeling career. Is this right? At what point should a teenager be allowed to make life decisions?
i don’t think it’s right for annabel’s mother to control her career particularly since she doesn’t even want to be a model anymore and if left to herself would have quit much earlier. on the other hand the main reason her mother is so involved is that it’s all she has left which is what kept annabel from voicing her true opinions at all for the sake of her mother.a teenager should be allowed to make their own decisions once they are mature enough and experienced enough to handle such decisions and situations and annabel had been put through plenty enought for her to be such a person and to give her a better perspective on life and a very accurate list of priorites. though some people may not agree with that if you think about putting yourself in annabel’s position what proirities would you hold the highest. annabel was forced to grow up very fast when she had to start taking care of her depressed mother, her sister who had a severe eating disorder, and at the same time she lost all her friends and was nearly raped by her best friend’s boyfriend, hence not her best friend. even though she was still in highschool i would think she would be very able to make decisions about her life and take care of herself when she’d been taking care of the rest of her family in silence about her own problems for the previous year.
BaileyEJHS said,
May 19, 2008 at 6:29 pm
Consider how much importance we place upon appearance. Is our society heading toward a future like the one Tally lives in?
Currently, the American society is based off of appearance and possessions. Almost every teenager has a cell phone or an ipod, while there are children in other countries who can’t even get their hands on food. Every day, teenagers struggle to pick out the best clothes, have the best shoes, and pile on pounds of makeup. The basis of society is conformity, not personality or depth. Presently, America is drawing away from the very foundation it was formed on: Individuality. Western civilization has the chilling potential to turn into a society like Tally’s in Uglies. With more people getting plastic surgery everyday, America has the possibility to turn into a society of Littlies, Uglies, Pretties, Middle Pretties, and Crumblies.