Title: Th1rteen R3asons Why
Author: Jay Asher
Published by: Penguin Group
Hardback Book
Young Adult Book
Page Count: 288
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker-his classmate and crush-who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah’s voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he will find out why. Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a first-hand witness to Hannah’s pain, and learns the truth about himself-a truth he never wanted to face.
This book was recommended to me by a friend of mine, she told me she loved this book and it was really great. I went to my library here in town and I picked it up. I read the inside cover on what the book was about so I knew it was about a young girl and suicide. I had a friend that committed suicide so it kind of hit home. One thing I loved about this book is that instead of chapters, it goes by cassettes, which I think is neat. Most every book is goes by chapters and it was so different and very awesome.
The story begins by following, Clay Jensen. One day, he receives a mysterious package with no return address, a pack of mysterious tapes, he’s anxious to listen to them, and then he discovers that they are Hannah Baker’s detailed journey to her death. The last words that are spoken are ” I’m Sorry” which now gives me the chills.
Something that I think is interesting is that Hannah makes cassettes about who is to blame and why rather then the usual note, and there not suicide cassettes there more like stories of memories. Normally, or most commonly we see that people leave a suicide note where they say why there are doing it and who or what is to blame, but Hannah makes the cassettes. I don’t want to sound all matter of fact about it or whatever you would call it but I find it to be almost creative, interesting. I loved the idea of the tapes, how Hannah lived on through her tapes and how finally people would be getting some answers as to why she took her own life. I had to know who was the next one on the tapes and for which reason they were on that tape. Hannah explains what drove her to that point. Everyone who receives the tapes has to listen to what she is saying, because each one of them is in some way responsible for her committing suicide, while we read what is being heard by each person on the tapes, we also read the thoughts of one person, who is really like a narrator, tell us the readers what drove her to do the unthinkable. We don’t always think our thoughts or actions are a big deal, when the smallest thing we do or say can just get on someone’s last nerve and they hit their breaking point. Something else that I really loved was that in the package of tapes is a map with stars and coordinates that tell where each thing happened. It is almost like we are on the a road trip traveling with Clay to the spots where each thing happened.
Hannah asks for help without truly asking someone for help, the signs are out there. As we read we see she drops a topic for discussion into a bag that holds possible discussions for a class. She writes down suicide, she tells the people that are listening to the tapes as well as us the readers that her writing down the word suicide isn’t out of the norm for her, she is used to writing it. She is in pain, she wants help. She even gave herself compliments in bags they had in the class to make her feel good, but even those were taken away by a cold hearted individual. Its a real shame when you cant even leave yourself notes to make you feel good. Even talking to a guidance counselor wasn’t helpful, he told her move on, and that’s all she needed to hear, like he didn’t even care to help. Some people may blame Hannah herself for all the things that went on, rumors, bullying etc. Some readers, may think Hannah is to blame because she put herself in the situations. I honestly don’t think she was completely to blame. Sure maybe a little. But I don’t think she is alone in everything that happened. I mostly blame the individuals that are on the tapes, but that’s just me.
While reading I made a list that I felt could cause anyone to feel insecure to the point of wanting to end their life, in this book it was a teenage girl named Hannah that had all kinds of things being said that made her loose it. The things that I felt drove her over the edge and would cause anyone to go over the edge are:
- rumors being started about you
- seeing your name on stupid list that goes around in class ( hot or not lists)- what is so special about stupid lists, I hate lists like the hot or not lists that exist.
- pepping Tom- so terrible, especially for a young teenage girl. hearing the camera clicks, that can make you so uncomfortable, wandering if the pictures are going to be shown to everyone, being made fun of. oh the list goes on.
Bullies- kill, Words-scar, and Rumor-destroy!!!!!!!
Suicide is a very serious problem. People of all ages commit suicide because life is to hard, something tragic happened, being bullied, the list goes on. It is something that happens so often, so many people think about taking their own lives because, it is the easy way out, or to stop the hurt and pain. In some cases the questions we have for our departed are left unanswered, but in this book that is not the case.
My lasts thoughts and comments are that no one deserves to be bullied to death to where they die , where they choose to kill themselves. No one deserves to be told there ugly or fat and to go kill themselves. No one deserves that. I had a friend that committed suicide and it was difficult to deal with but I some how got through it. I was made fun of at times in middle school and in high school. In middle school, I remember bumping into a classmate of mine and he made a noise and his hands went up like he didn’t want me to touch or get near him, trust me I didn’t want too. I moved. I remember when I was in high school a guy who was gay walking past me, well one morning he past me he made a moo sound. It hurt but I ignored it, I was strong enough to ignore it and move on. I know I was not the hottie that every guy wanted to go out with, I wasn’t popular enough to hangout with all the popular girls and guys but I still had friends. I didn’t let it get to me, some people aren’t that lucky and some people are so ugly that they just have to be MEAN. I hate people who make fun of people and hurt people to the point that they commit suicide.
This is a must read book!!!!! I think anyone and everyone of age needs to read this book! I recommend this book to everyone!!! Read it!!!
Bookin' Me Crazy 