13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Penguin Group, 2007. Genre: Fiction
13 Reasons Why is Jay Asher's first novel and became a huge hit. This book is about high schooler Clay Jensen who gets a shocking package. Two weeks before he received a box full of old cassette tapes, Hannah Baker, Clay's old crush, committed suicide. Clay took a risk and started listening to these mysterious tapes. To his surprise he heard Hannah's voice come on. For the next several tapes, Hannah explained all thirteen reasons why she killed herself. Through out the night Clay was lead by Hannah's voice to places that events occurred in her life. During this experience, Clay discovers not only secrets about her and his fellow classmates, but also some things about himself.
"Very clever premise, strong voice, perfect suspense. This one will keep you reading. Jay Asher is a fine storyteller." -Chris Crutcher
This book is a very unique and interesting way of looking at high school. It shows the hardships and pain of it in in new light. Everyone suffers a least a little bit in high school and this book talks about the things that some of us never want to think about.
I've never read any other Jay Asher books. 13 Reasons Why was his first novel. I've read similar books in that they discuss high school. But I've never read something quite like this. By the end of the book you really seem to know the characters and can feel some of their pain.
"But I did, Hannah. And I wanted to. I could have helped you. But when I tried, you pushed me away. I can almost hear Hannah's voice speaking my next thought for me. 'Then why didn't you try harder?'" (148)
13 Reasons Why has become one of my favorite books. Although I am fortunate enough to never have dealt with suicide, I really connected with this. I know several people who are very close to me that deal with depression every day and it's so hard to sit and watch them in pain. This book shows that. I think this book did affect me in letting me think as if I'm in their shoes and to see how they feel. I really did love this book and would recommend it to anyone.
