Review: Thirteen Reasons Why

Title: Thirteen Reasons Why
Author: Jay Asher
Genre: Fiction & Literature, Social Issues, Suicide
Rating: PG - 13
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: October 18, 2007
Source: Purchased Finished Copy
My Rating: 5*

[Goodreads | Amazon]

Synopsis

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 why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why. Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah's pain, and learns the truth about himself-a truth he never wanted to face.

 Quotes

 "I hope you're ready, because I'm about to tell you the story of my life. More specifically, why my life ended. And if you're listening to these tapes, you're one of the reasons why."

"You don’t know what goes on in anyone’s life but your own. 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."

"A lot of you cared, just not enough."

"You can't stop the future, you can't rewind the past, the only way to know the secret is to press play."

 My Thoughts

Have you read this book yet?  If your answer is no, then why not?

Thirteen Reasons Why is one of those books that you read that leaves a lasting impression on you once you are done..  I personally have recommended it to pretty much everyone who has asked me the question "do you have any recommendations for a good book to read?" in the past month and a half.  In fact, I sent my copy home with one of my assistants when she went on vacation.    This is one of those books that I wish they would make part of the regular high school curriculum.  There is so much to be learned from this book and so much relevance to a teenager's life, no matter what decade it happens to be.  I wish this book had been around when I was in high school.  It would have explained so much to not only me, but my peers as well.

Not everyone who reads this book will like it.  In fact some will hate it and some will tell you that it's not believable.  In my opinion, they are missing the point.

For me, the book wasn't so much about suicide as it was about demonstrating the consequences of of our actions.  To me, the book was about the fact that we are all connected as people and have the ability to influence each others lives, good or bad.  The book was about recognizing that what seems like it's no big deal to you and me, can mean the world to someone else.  The book at it's core, for me, is about recognizing that my actions and my words just aren't about me and that they have the ability to hurt or to  heal; enlighten or deceive.

That is the reason why I will read this book again and again and continue to recommend it to anyone who asks.