Listen to This
Description
Secrets, rumors, shifting friendships, overbearing parents, and, on top of all that, a first dance—how does anyone survive seventh grade? Told from dual points of view, this novel about two tweens finding their voices and standing up for themselves is for fans of Lisa Yee, Leslie Connor, and Janae Marks.
Lily, Maddie, and Sasha have always been the perfect friendship trio. But this year, everything is changing. Maddie and Sasha made the elite soccer team, and Lily feels that they’re always leaving her behind. And everyone seems to have secrets now: Maddie, and Sasha, and Lily’s sister, and even Lily herself.
Lily’s classmate Will wishes he had some secrets. After all, his life is already out there for the whole world to hear about, thanks to his dad’s super-popular parenting podcast. And Will hates it, but telling his dad that is harder than the hardest climbing wall at Philly Rocks. Until his dad finally crosses a line, and Will’s not sure he can forgive him.
But maybe when Lily and Will meet, they’ll find just what they need: someone who will listen.
Praise for Listen to This
“A dual-perspective story about friendships, crushes, secrets, families, and middle school. Lily and Will are in seventh grade and are each navigating their own conflicts. Lily, part of an inseparable trio of friends, sees the other two chosen for an elite soccer team, leaving her hurt, neglected, and confused. [Will’s] dad has turned his life into a parenting podcast. . . . An authentic portrayal of the middle school years and the conflicts tweens have to deal with on their own. Parental expectations and pressures will ring true. . . . The friendship drama will have broad appeal.” — School Library Journal
“This story of shifting friendships follows two seventh graders: Lily, who feels left out now that Maddie and Sasha are on an elite soccer team together; and Will, who has a crush on Lily and whose every move is fodder for his dad’s podcast. . . . Misunderstandings ensue, largely because, to its credit, the novel allows friend-group dynamics to be complicated. . . . Some of the many characters . . . are touched upon only briefly, but we. . . understand what they’re all learning: that each of them is the main character in their own life.” — Horn Book Magazine
“As Lily and Will navigate their blossoming feelings for each other, they must also learn how to deal with a shared enemy: Sienna, the popular girl at school who might be trying to ruin their lives.. . . . Blecher’s strength lies in her ability to write from a thirteen-year-old’s perspective about the embarrassment of everyday life, as well as in the authentic sweetness she crafts in many of the characters’ relationships. . . . Readers braving or about to brave middle school will enjoy following along . . . in this sweet and funny ode to new relationships.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Two seventh graders discover each other while learning that middle school changes can be a time for exciting, if sometimes awkward, growth. . . . The third-person limited narration bounces back and forth between Lily and Will. They begin a tentative friendship, texting and talking in person. Misunderstandings and missed cues are at the root of several clumsy, wonderful moments. . . . This tender, easy exploration of friendship, family, and first romance hits the mark.” — Kirkus Reviews
