My favorite book that I read in 2014 was Just Listen, by Sarah Dessen. It really captivates some of the expectations that modern-day society sets for young people. It truly shows how much pressure teenagers and young adults are put under and what some of the consequences are for pressuring them.
I decided to write about this book because its message struck me the most out of all of the books I read in 2014. It had a kind of mystery to it and just kept me intrigued. It showed the side of someone being pressured by society and family, and masking their true feelings to please everyone...but themselves.
Annabel is a model, has been since she can remember. At a shoot, she looks like the girl who has everything, whose life is perfect...but a picture can hide a lot. Annabel's life is pretty much the opposite. Annabel doesn't want to be a model anymore, but it brings her mom so much joy after losing her mother that Annabel can't bring herself to tell her mom that she's done with modeling. Her best friend, Clarke, from the sixth grade left Annabel once Sophie, the new girl, entered their friendship. Once Annabel and Clarke's friendship was through, Annabel and Sophie became closer. But this friendship doesn't last long. After something went down at a party celebrating the last day of classes, Sophie is out to get Annabel. Sophie starts spreading nasty rumors about Annabel, all which are fake, yet everyone believes her...making Annabel lose all of her friends. On the first day of school, Annabel is reminded of what went down by seeing Sophie and the cause of it all, Will Cash. Will is the reason Sophie hates Annabel now. But she also sees someone else that she is curious about...Owen Armstrong. He's the quiet boy who's always listening to music. After getting into a fight with Sophie, Annabel runs off. Owen found her in the bushes next to the school and made sure that she was okay. After that, they became friends and started hanging out more. He changed her perspective on life. He told her that she needs to be honest and tell her family that she doesn't want to be a model anymore, which she eventually did. Owen was different. He always told the truth, while she almost always lied. Feelings soon start to develop between the two, but the author never really goes into detail about their relationship. Annabel is finally happy with her friends and doing what she wants, not what someone else wants her to do.
I liked how real the book was. It described the life of a girl who wasn't happy with her life. She was doing something that she didn't want to, just to please those around her. She was lied about, judged, and discriminated for something she didn't do. But, like in Cinderella, with a little bit of struggle and hard work, everything will end up being better.
The thing that will stick with me from Just Listen is how relatable it was, not only to me, but to anyone who has experienced being bullied or made fun of. It shows how things like rumors or "jokes" can affect people, but true friends could be made in the process. True friends that will stand up for you and help you through bad times, to show you that you are not alone. This is what is going to stick with me after reading Just Listen.
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