Margot Hahn

Margot Hahn

Just Listen

Sarah Dessen

Realistic Fiction/Young Adult

Holiday

364

1. In my book right now the main character Annabel has just walked out of the court room where she was testifying against this high schooler named Will Cash. She was testifying against him because he had raped her years before. Also, Will Cash while in the court room had a huge bruise on his face that had a red mark under it. When she walked out of the court house she saw her "boyfriend" Owen and he explained how he punched Will Cash because of what he did to her. It was really hard for Annabel to tell her family about what had happened to her. First she told Owen who was the most honest person she had ever met before in her life. She told him almost anything that was on her mind and she thought she was a liar but she tried so hard not to be one to be good for Owen. After Annabel and Owen's fight way before the whole court room situation she told him that she was not the girl Owen thought she was that she was a liar. But, Owen proved her wrong because she had told Owen that she was a liar on the first day they met when he was giving her a ride home because her sister Whitney had taken her car. If she was a liar she wouldn't have told him that she was a liar (which wasn't true) she would have just said that she told the truth all the time. The fight I referred to before was about how Annabel stormed out of this club Owen took her too so she could see some good music but she ran into Clarke (her former best friend). This brought up all these emotions and she got sick and bolted and she wouldn't tell him why because it all referred back to that night with Will Cash.

2. I like this book very much because I think the characters are very interesting and everybody's specific character is so different than another. Like Annabel is quiet and has a hard time saying what is on her mind and cannot stick up for herself. Where Owen is upfront and honest all the time, and will handle his problems face to face and has anger management. And Mallory is all peppy, annoying and cute and a wanna-be model. SO as you can see these 3 people are all in close relationship but each one of their personalities help the other people become who they are and a stronger person. I also like it because of the plot of the book, I really like how Owen helps Annabel with all of her problems and how Sofie (the mean girl of the school) ruined her and Owen was never affected by it because he lives in his own world with his 7 A.M radio show on mondays and his classic bacon adventure with Rolly.

3. A theme I have noticed in this book is Family. I notice it in the relationship between Whitney(the middle child), Annabel(the youngest child) and Kirsten(the oldest child). There is tension between the three sisters all the time. Such as the issues with Whitney and her eating disorder that she tries to over come every day by her group who is instructed by this teacher named Moira. Also how Kirsten was a model and she changed her career to film making. ALso the tension between Whitney and Kirsten because Kirsten ratted Whitney out to their family about her eating disorder but now in the book they are getting along rather well compared to how they did before.

4. Owen is my favorite character because he is always honest, and he is always there for Annabel. Owen was there for Annabel when she needed a ride from school, when she needed help with the rapist situation, when she had no friends; he was always there. Also, he will always tell the truth no matter how much trouble it gets him in because thats just the kind of person he is. Also he is my favorite because of how big he is he doesn't care about what anybody else thinks around him. He is so secure about that stuff although Owen has his issues with anger management its okay because he tries his best to prevent himself from exploding. Like using his breathing exercises and some other methods from his anger management classes.

5. Sofie is my least favorite character for many reasons. One reason is that she seems so mean and so bossy and can control your reputation so easily because of all her power. She is the mean popular kid who is out to get everyone who upsets her the least bit and doesn't need a reason because everyone is scared of her. Two is that she ruined Annabel's school reputation because her boyfriend raped her. Although she may not have known it at the time but you don't have to go after somebody that much if something like that happened especially if their your best friend.

6. I think that Owen will give Annabel her courage to tell her family about how she does not want to model anymore and she will get her old friends and Karma will take it's place throughout the book and Sofie will be sad and lonely and Annabel will be cheery and happy like things should have been the entire time.