Owen's Radio Show

Outside Reading Blog #15
Just Listen
By: Sarah Dessen

Annabelle finds a guy at her school named Owen who she seems to have a thing for. He is really different from all the other guys at her school and they immediately bond. He doesn't really pay attention to the repuatation that Annabelle has been given and she doesn't really pay attention to the fact that Owen is well... a little big taller than most guys at her school. One day Annabelle is stranded at school and Owen offers to give her a ride home, and she accpets it. He then tells her about his radio show that he has and she promises that she will listen to it the next morning... even though it is at 7 in the morning. And just like Annabelle promises, she listens to the show the next morning and to her surprise, it is a anger management station. The songs are all things that she has never heard before. The next day Owen asks what she though about the show and he is telling her to be completely honest, she tells him it was intresting. Owen knows that she isn't telling the truth so she eventually tells him that she really didn't like it, but it was nothing personal. I think that Owen is really good for Annabelle because he teaches her that she can be herself around and always be herself. Instead of lying and not saying what is actually is on her mind, she expresses her feelings to him. This situation can really relate to reality because it conveys the idea to never judge a book by it's over, because in the end, the story may be much better than the picture on the outside displays it to be.

A Model Mishap

Outside Reading Blog #14

Before I Die

By: Sarah Dessen

Annabelle had been doing Lakeview Models since she was fifteen. As she was at one of her shoots, a man Greg offers them a beer. The pressure that models have these days to fit in, literally is really high. The expectations they have to be perfect in size and everything is just not fair. This reading really relates to the reality of this situation - that teen models are hurting their bodies. When Annabelle's friend Emily tries to pressure her to drink, it's then when the reality hits. That certain cliques and groups in schools and life have things that they do and everyone else must do to be accepted into that group and many teens fall into peer pressure and make mistakes that harm them in many ways. Though the modeling in this book is not brought up again for a while after this chapter, I believe that they will get caught doing something that is wrong and become penalized for it while Annabelle makes the right choice and stays out of trouble to keep her modeling career. I think that the theme here is that even though all your friends might think that the cool thing to do is smoke or drink, you have to realize that you put yourself at a lot of risk in theses situations and that sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing to do are the same. 

Wimpy Whitney

Outside Reading Blog #13

Before I Die

By: Sarah Dessen

After Annabelle's sister becomes really sick, her whole family becomes devastated. The change that she is going though is a really tough one. After Annabelle and Kristen hung up from talking on the phone, Annabelle goes back to her room and crawled into bed, sleeping two more hours until she heard the garage door open and knew they were home. When she went downstairs to the kitchen, she could tell her mother was so hurt by what was happening. As she turned around to hug Annabelle, she had never seen her so different. A sudden panic made her want to wrap herself around her, putting herself between her and the world and everything it could do to her, to any of them. And then it happened, her mother started crying. Her eyes welled up, and she looked down at her hands, which were trembling and then she was sobbing, the sound seeming so loud in the quiet of the kitchen. Annabelle didn't know how to handle things, and really I don't blame her. Just think of how hard it would be to see your mother crying and know that there was nothing you would do about it. Whitney's eating disorder corrupted and effected the whole Greene family in a manner that was so life threatening and allowed them not to take life for granted and teaches the reader not to either.

The Start of Something Old

Outside Reading Blog #12

Before I Die 

By: Sarah Dessen

In this part of the book, Annabelle and her sisters begin taking up modeling up again which has been a great family past time. Once Kristen started getting regular work, Whitney wanted to try it as well, and soon they were both making the rounds, often even going up for the same jobs, which only added to the natural friction between them. Their looks, though, were distinct and different as their temperaments. Whitney was the beauty, with the perfect bone structure and haunting eyes, while Kristen was somehow able to convey her bubbly personality with just one look. Whitney did better in print, but Kristen popped on screen. And so on. Because of this, Annabelle was well known at the local circuit, which consisted of mostly print ads for department stores and regionally cast and shot for commercials. While her dad chose to take a hands-off approach to them working- as he did to everything even vaguely girly, from Tampax to broken hearts- her mother thrived on it. She loved ferrying them to jobs, which I believe is a quality most moms don't have anymore. Annabelle and her sisters are lucky to have a mom that is so intrested in their lives, and even though they may not realize it, they are so fortunate. This relates to many girls this generation who have lost touch, or closeness with their mothers. 

Just Listen

Outside Reading Blog #11

Just Listen

By: Sarah Dessen

As i begin a new book, I find myself to be very much like the main character, Annabelle who faces many challenges in life. I really think this book will be a great read because the problems she face are very realistic and realteable to. Annabelle Greene is the girl who has everything. At least, that's what she portrays in her modeling shoots. But Annabelle's life is far from perfect. Her friendship with Sophie ended bitterly, and her older sister's eating disorder is weighing down the entire family. Isolated and ostracized at school and at home, Annabelle retreats into silent acceptance, Then she meets Owen - intense, music-obsessed, and determined to always tell the truth. And with his guidance, Annabelle learns to just listen to herself and gain the courage to speak honestly. She will be able to tell everyone what really happened the night her and Sophia stopped being friends. It was a horrible night and I believe that this book will do a great job of teaching teens how to let their voice be heard when things that are wrong happen to them, since sometimes it can be very dangerous and harmful things that are happening to them and the situations are very difficult to get out of. I am really looking forward to this book and I feel it will be very life like.