Listen

by Nancy Coffelt

Three lives intersect unexpectedly in this unique, compelling story. First there's Will, an eighteen-year-old living alone since his mother died and his drug- and alcohol-addled brother went to jail.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Library Binding
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1934813079
• ISBN13: 9781934813072
• Release Date: September 2009
• Publisher: West Side Books
• Length: 213 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.8" x 8.7"
• Age Range: 14 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 9 to 12

Customer Reviews

Listen

This novel begins with a boy who can actually taste words; a weird character detail that adds absolutely nothing to the story. However, once the action gets started, it is a hard book to put down. There are three main characters, all of whom are in some way disconnected: Will, a high school senior who has no parents and lives by himself in the family home; Kurt who appears to be a budding juvenile delinquent with mysterious scars on his arm; and Carrie, a middle aged animal collector whose idiosyncrasies start to look more and more like mental illness. Slowly, all three lives intertwine by the story's end. Each person has a secret, which is slowly developed throughout the narrative, and the more information that is revealed, the more the characters' quirks begin to make sense. This YA is unusual in the sense that several dogs and cats in the book are supporting characters, which will appeal to animal lovers. A note of warning: one animal dies, and readers are left hanging as to the fate of some others. There is not exactly a happy ending, but readers are left with some feeling of hope. Reviewed by Leslie Wolfson

Intense, Powerful, and Moving

Listen is a powerful story of abuse, mental illness, and hope - this book is intense but not disturbing (though the subject matter is not for the faint of heart), and its compelling and believable characters make it almost impossible to put down. Highly recommended - Listen will stay with you long after you finish the last page.

An amazing read.

The book "Listen" is thought provoking and very intense. My 12 year old son was fascinated with it, and it brought up a lot of questions for him. Life is not easy, and it was through the book that he was able to put his questions into words, and find out some of the lesser "spoken of" parts of life. After he finished it, I read it, and while it is a gritty read, the issues raised are quite important. Ms. Coffelt writes with integrity, and her writing style is very easy to read. I really enjoyed the book, and appreciate what it taught my son, and myself.