Just Listen

The prolific author of over a dozen YA novels, Sarah Dessen received the 2017 Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association (ALA) for outstanding contributions to young adult literature. Her work has sold millions of copies in more than 30 countries. Though all her books are New York Times bestsellers, she is best known for The Truth About Forever, Saint Anything, The Moon and More, Along for the Ride, Lock and Key, Just Listen, and This Lullaby. The 2003 romantic comedy-drama film How to Deal, starring Mandy Moore and Trent Ford, was based on her first two novels: That Summer and Someone Like You. Dessen’s books are frequently chosen for the ALA’s annual YA lists, including the Teens’ Top Ten list and the Best Fiction for Young Adults list.

All Dessen’s novels are told from the first-person perspective of a female teenager. Dessen’s linked narratives examine teenagers dealing with important topics such as love, grief, abuse, eating disorders, drug addiction, divorce, family, friendships, and more. Her most common recurring themes include the protagonist’s growth through gaining new perspectives from other characters, female friendships, family dynamics, overcoming loss (including the death of a parent), and romantic relationships with compelling young men. Just Listen specifically includes themes of honesty and speaking up, overcoming rape/trauma, and learning to trust again, as Annabel grows into an empowered young woman who shares the truth about how she was raped by her best friend’s boyfriend.

Alongside recurrent themes, Dessen includes allusions to other books in her fictional universe, particularly connected characters. These connections function as Easter eggs for Dessen’s fans while emphasizing the shared themes between the novels. For example, the band Truth Squad is fronted by Dexter, the love interest in This Lullaby, and Annabel finds Truth Squad’s CD in Owen’s collection. She also hears a Truth Squad song on Owen’s radio show, and she and Owen go to see them perform at Bendo. At the show, it's revealed that Remy, the protagonist from This Lullaby, and Dexter are still together, which provides a snippet of a happily-ever-after for Dessen’s fans.

Likewise, links to Just Listen appear in Dessen’s later novels. In Lock and Key, protagonist Ruby works at a jewelry stand that Owen’s sister visits in Just Listen. Nate, the love interest, listens to Annabel on the community radio, and another character enlists a friend of a friend—Owen—to help him with a music project. In What Happened to Goodbye, the protagonist Mclean sits across from a couple—Annabel and Owen—who are sharing earphones and arguing good-naturedly about what they’re listening to. As with This Lullaby, Dessen creates secret, tiny epilogues for fans wondering if the couple is still together.

Besides linking her characters through plotlines, Dessen uses real-life influences for her work. Just Listen was inspired by a personal experience with a single photograph. On her blog, Dessen explains that she was browsing a random high school yearbook and saw a photo of three blond sisters. She thought they were beautiful and must be popular, cool, successful, and well-supported. Later, she considered whether anyone can really get a full picture of someone’s life through a photograph and began imagining Annabel’s story as an it-girl who is secretly struggling. This anecdote about inspiration and the novel’s roots highlights the book’s focus on Appearances Versus Reality and provides an example of how this theme can be applied in the real world.