Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen Just Listen is the second book by Sarah Dessen that I've read and I already sense a pattern. A girl troubled by an event from the (recent) past, a (hot) boy with an interesting hobby and a friendship that gradually grows into love. Of course, they don't confess and/or realize it until the very end. I must admit, though, I did enjoy Dessen's storytelling, it's the reason number one why I stuck to finishing the second book once it became clear how the story would develop and end.

While her plot is weak and with few (predictable) twists, the characters are real and realistic. In my opinion, they are deserving of a much better plot, even though they're all copies. Sort of. By copies I mean that Anabelle and Zach from Just Listen are a tad too similar to Macy and Wes from The Truth About Forever.

Just Listen is a good book, sometimes even fun to read, but I find it rather disrespectful to the readers, considering the formula and lack of real twists.The plot keeps developing until about thirty pages before the end, when it reaches its (disappointing) peak.

For an author that seems to understand teenagers and their issues surprisingly well, I felt let down once all the issues were resolved. Because, amongst real teenagers, that hardly ever happens.

So I guess, that if you're looking for a happy escape from reality, this book could be satisfying. But if you're looking for a fun love story I wouldn't recommend it. Personally, I think it only deserves two stars out of five and that's only for Dessen's story-telling talent. Other than that, it's a book with a mediocre plot and good characters that don't seem so good anymore once you realize their issues are painfully cliche. All in all, think before taking your time to read it, because you'll forget you've ever read the book in a matter of hours.

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