Continuing my reread of Sarah Dessen audiobooks, I picked up Just Listen and absolutely flew through it. As an audiobook, it was a fantastic listen, although the narrator made an effort to give every character a distinct voice, which could get a little cartoonish at times.

This was never one of my favorite Dessen novels as a teen, but as an adult, I really love it. The emotion is so strong in this book, and Annabel's character shines. She's passive and conflict avoidant, but Dessen does a wonderful job of crafting a story around a character who, for the most part, doesn't make things happen on her own.

My two main issues boil down to excess and flashbacks. It felt like the story had a bit too much meat on its bones. There were some scenes and characters that didn't seem to contribute anything, and didn't really need to exist. And so much of the story was told through flashbacks, almost like the bulk of the story was the flashbacks. It made it feel less immediate.

But those were fairly minor critiques because I adored this book. It's less romance focused than some other Dessen novels, and while there is a main romance, the story centers more around Annabel's family and in particular her sisters. I really enjoyed that, and I'd recommend picking this up if you want a heavier contemporary (tw for sexual assault, eating disorders) that deals with family.