Book Review: Thirteen Reasons Why

Thirteen Reasons Why

by Jay Asher

Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult

Publication: First published October  2007

Format: Paperback, 288 pages

Author:  Thirteen Reasons Why, Jay Asher, Facebook

You can't stop the future. You can't rewind the past. The only way to learn the secret. . . is to press play.

Clay Jensen doesn't want anything to do with the tapes Hannah Baker made. Hannah is dead. Her secrets should be buried with her.

Then Hannah's voice tells Clay that his name is on her tapes-- and that he is, in some way, responsible for her death.

All through the night, Clay keeps listening. He follows Hannah's recorded words throughout his small town. . .

. . .and what he discovers changes his life forever

I’m really glad that my instinct told me to pick up Thirteen Reasons Why during my last visit to the bookstore. It is an unbelievable read. 

Clay had a crush on Hannah, but never got the courage to tell her about it. And now he will never have his chance to tell her as Hannah committed suicide, leaving seven cassette tapes behind. In these tapes, Hannah revealed what caused her to commit suicide. Each person who received the tapes will have to pass it to the next person or someone will reveal the cassettes to the public.

I loved how the book was written. I think Jay Asher did a great job in writing both in Hannah’s and Clay’s voice.  Hannah sounded very real and Clay’s reaction I love how Clay wondered around the town as he heard Hannah’s reasons was very honest.  Clay cared about Hannah. But he wasn’t brave enough to talk to Hannah for her reputation with all the rumors surrounding her. 

“A lot of you cared, just not enough.” - Thirteen Reasons Why

I know how some would say that Hannah’s reasons for committing suicide are a bit shallow. But still, having no one to talk to and no one who believes in her about it could lead to depression and soon suicide. It’s the bits of small, mean things people did to her that lead her to suicide. 

“... And when you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re not messing with just that part. Unfortunately, you can’t be that precise and selective. When you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re messing with their entire life. Everything. . . affects everything.” - Thirteen Reasons Why

Thirteen Reasons Why is a book I would definitely recommend people to read because it makes you think of the people around you and how you treat people.