Review, Contest, and News

Today I'm going to review Just Listen by Sarah Dessen. I named my blog after this book. I adore it, but before the review a couple of things first. This is going to be a long post.

There is an AWESOME contest going on over at another blog right now, definitely check it out if you're interested in some great books to read! Some of which are ARCs!
http://www.lushbudgetproduction.com/

In other news, have you heard the latest? Barnes and Noble is being sold! It really could mean nothing, it could just mean a change of ownership, but in one of the many articles I read about this news, it compared Barnes and Noble to Blockbuster. Which scares me, because well, Blockbuster is basically going out of business. It's been outranked by Netflix, Redbox, and all the other ways people now acquire their movies. I hope that this doesn't happen to Barnes and Noble because of all the e-readers out there. So crack open your piggy banks and put in a bid for Barnes and Noble. It's going for about 700 million plus. If I was that wealthy I know I would try to buy it!

Now on to the review.

Title: Just Listen

Author: Sarah Dessen

Author website: http://www.sarahdessen.com/

Rating (1-5): 5

Cover rating: 3.5

Description: When Annabel, the youngest of three beautiful sisters, has a bitter falling out with her best friend- the popular and exciting Sophie- she suddenly finds herself isolated and friendless. But then she meets Owen-a loner, passionate about music, and his weekly radio show, and always determined to tell the truth. And when they develop a friendship, Annabel is not only introduced to new music but is encouraged to listen to her own inner voice. With Owen's help, can Annabel find the courage to speak out about what exactly happened the night her friendship with Sophie came to a screeching halt?

Now, Sarah Dessen, is probably my absolute favorite author, ever. She is wonderful and eloquent with her words. She makes each of her readers really feel. I can always feel a connection with the characters when I read her books, it never fails. I adore her novels so much that my wonderful boyfriend made me a frame with all her book covers in it to hang in my office for our two year anniversary. That really isn't a good picture of it, but I assure you that it is beautiful and I love it so much. Just Listen is my favorite of all the Sarah Dessen books, but I don't think it is my favorite book of all time. Even though Sarah Dessen is my favorite author, her books aren't my all time favorites, but they are definitely up there in my ranking. To me, they are more of the reliable books than the best books. I can always read Just Listen and all other Sarah Dessen books and have a smile on my face. I kind of think of it as Just Listen is that shirt in my closet that has been there for years. It isn't my favorite shirt, but it is definitely the most comfortable, the most reliable. It will always look the same on me as the first day I tried it on, and it will survive countless spring cleanings for years to come. It's one of the shirts that I'll always come back to, it's a shirt that I automatically go to when I need something to wear. Just Listen is like that for me, no matter the books I read between my re-reads of this, it will always have a place with me. I'll always go back to it and feel as if I was reading it for the first time. I think Sarah Dessen has a power to do this to her readers. She draws them in and keeps them coming back for more. Always, always wanting more of her words, characters, friendships, and love. And, then I have my favorite books and these books are like my favorite shirts that I've had over the years. I wear them on the weekends when I'm going out, but after a few months or so, I've found a new favorite shirt, and after a while I never go back to the old favorite shirt. I have favorite books like this, too. I find a book and I become obsessed with it. I can read it over and over again. But, then I find something just a little bit better, something I'm more drawn to, especially after I've read my favorite book countless times. But, Just Listen, I'll never be tired of or really any of Sarah Dessen's books.

Annabel and Owen are probably my favorite couple in literary terms and that is probably because they remind me so much of my relationship with my boyfriend. He is, as is Owen, obsessed with music and tries to teach me all about it. But, I'm the same as Annabel I disagree with a lot of his choices and challenge him. I adore Annabel and her voice. She is a strong female, even in her time of heartache and trouble, she is strong and reliable for her family. I love that she continues with her modeling career for her mother. It shows how nice and caring of a person she is. The relationship is shares with her sisters is so real. I love how you can see how one incident effected them all in different ways. And, then there is Owen. First off, I adore the name Owen, always have, always will. He is a strong male lead for this book and perfect for Annabel. I can't even describe how much I respect his honesty. Honesty is everything I ask for in anyone I know. It is the most important thing in any relationship. I like how Owen wasn't the popular kid. He wasn't a football player that always had problems with those who weren't popular. And, then a girl comes along and discovers that he doesn't even like football, he's more into poetry and art. He's sensitive and all that. Okay, I'm sorry, but yeah right. I like the average guy, the one that maybe you over looked for years. Maybe the one that you've noticed, but always been intimidated by. Because those guys, the ones that all the girls aren't pining after, are the ones that usually are worth something. And, I think Owen is the epitome of that thought. I recommend this book to almost everyone I come across. And, I'll love it for years to come. I hope Sarah Dessen is writing until I'm a little old lady in a nursing home, because I am sure that I will love her words and thoughts until the end of time.

Last thing, I will probably be posting more reviews throughout the day. One of which is for a book I just finished last night, but I haven't decided how I feel about it, yet. And, finally, finally, FINALLY, it was my turn at the library to check out The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting. I'm so excited to read it, I've heard so many wonderful things.