I read one Sarah Dessen novel and I kind of liked it, so I have not been able to pass up her books without reading them. She seems to like to take an issue that is pertinent to young adults and form it into a novel. The Truth About Forever is about grief. This Lullaby’s main character is coping with an absentee father. Dreamland is about teen drugs and abusive relationships and finally, Just Listen has teen rape and eating disorders as well as dealing with parent’s expectations.

Do these, teen issue driven stories make for good reading? Yes. She keeps the tone in check, so it’s never too emotional. I wouldn’t consider it misery lit or chick lit. It’s somewhere in the middle. There is usually a love story, but that doesn’t dominate. Her stories tend to be about self progress that is facilitated or not (in the case of Dreamland) by a someone. Her leading men are not usually considered super hot either. In This Lullaby, the love interest is funny and kind of cute but not hot. In this novel, the guy is tall, has small dark eyes and blond hair. That’s what we got. I guess my point is, that these stories are not your typical teen drama. There is some substance to them and not a lot of whipping cream.

Just Listen

Sarah Dessen. Speak 2008, Paperback, 400 pages, $2.98