In Just Listen, Owen Armstrong truly believes that honesty is the best policy. Maybe it's because it's been drilled into him in his anger management classes, but he takes it to heart and convinces Annabel to start telling the truth as well. Even though she's not exactly a liar, Annabel holds back a lot of information because she fears hurting other people. She's afraid of telling her mother that she wants to quit modeling, and she's terrified of letting anyone know what Will did to her.
Annabel—like a lot of the people around her—also lies to herself a lot. But by hanging around with Owen who holds nothing back, she learns to slowly admit to the truth to both herself and others.
Questions About Lies and Deceit
- Why does Sophie continue to stand by Will even after Emily goes public with the rape? Does she really believe that he's innocent?
- Why do you think Mrs. Greene believed Whitney when she claimed she didn't have an eating disorder at first?
- Does Clarke really hate Annabel? Why does Annabel think that she does?
- What happens when Annabel finally tells Owen and her family the truth about the rape? Does she feel worse or better?
Chew on This
Whitney is unable to start recovering from her eating disorder until she—along with the rest of her family—admits to the fact that she is ill and needs help.
Although Annabel is convinced that not telling the truth will make things easier for everyone, she regrets this decision once Emily is also raped and she realizes that by telling the truth she might have stopped it from happening.