I've been wanting to read Th1rteen R3asons Why for about two months now, but I had to read the stack I had at home first. I bought this book, literally two days ago, and finished it about an hour ago, after which I sat and just thought. Thought about life. About how I treat others. About the snowball effect. About suicide (Not committing it, but the concept of it). About this novel. It's a very deep read- I mean... Wow.
Thirteen Reasons Why is about Clay Jensen, a boy who comes home one day and finds a mysterious package on his doorstep, with no return address. When he opens the box, he finds a set of cassette tapes, and what he finds when he plays them sends him on a whirlwind. The tapes were voice recordings from Hannah Baker- a girl who just recently committed suicide- a girl who Clay had had a crush on for quite a while. As he listens, he finds out that each cassette is dedicated to a person, and each of those people had something to do with her decision in swallowing that handful of pills. Unsure of what he did to be a cause of her death, Clay is forced to listen to each of the tapes as instructed by Hannah through recording, or her story- the real story told through the cassettes- would be given to the public to hear.
A strong novel about suicide, and how your actions affect others, I think this should be a required read. In fact, I'm calling my old English teacher this afternoon to see what I can do about that. I cannot urge you strongly enough to go out and pick up a copy of this book. Go out, snatch it up, and please... just take the time to read it. It could save someone's life.
I would recommend this story to every single person out there - reader or non-reader they may be. I've never read something so deep and thought provoking, which is saying something, since I'm a fan of John Green. I give this a five of five stars. On a ten scale rating, I'd give it ten in a heart beat. I spouted off the number ten with ease and certainty when my mom asked about twenty minutes ago. I hold this book with the highest regards- now the only trouble is deciding whether I want to keep this copy for myself, or pass it around so that more than just myself can get a chance to experience the rollercoaster I've just ridden.
Well... So much for a short review. I just don't want to stop talking about the Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. If you've already read the book, I suggest you follow the links:
Share Your Story: www.thirteenreasonswhy.com
Listen to Hannah's Tapes: www.youtube.com/Hannahsfriend13
Share Your Thoughts: www.13RWProject.com
Mr. Asher, if you have taken the time to read this review, I just want to say that this is one of the most awe-inspiring books I have read in my sixteen years. I want to personally thank you for writing this, and if I could find that "extremely dark road slicked with ice" on the way to Sheridan, Wyoming, I would go there to see the birthplace of Thirteen Reasons Why. I really would.
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