Review: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Name of book: Thirteen Reasons Why
Author: Jay Asher
Publication: October 18th 2007 by Razorbill
Genre: YA Contemporary (not sure!)
Source: Borrowed

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

-- My Rating --

-- My Thoughts --

      One of the most emotional, the most captivating, and the most realistic books I have ever read. Jay Asher has truly written a story that will grip the readers' hearts and never let go, it is that much captivating!

     Hannah, a junior in high school ends her life by committing suicide, but it wasn't just teen angst, she has her own reasons. Hannah had recorded 7 cassettes and the people who are mentioned in them, 13 people (overall) , are the reasons why she killed herself.

     It appears that Hannah sent out the cassettes by order of who is mention first, then second, then third, then... We get the narrative of Hannah through the tapes, but the actual person who is listening to the tapes is the ninth reason (person), Clay Jensen, so it is a two-way narrative. But Clay has no idea why he is on the list.

     Who are the other 12 people that led Hannah to kill herself? And what has Clay done to Hannah?  Find out much more when you read this touchy, heart-breaking story of teen suicide, Thirteen Reasons Why....

     I abso-freaking-lutely loved this book, every paragraph, every page, and every chapter! The pace was quick and there was never a moment of boredom, Jay Asher has one of the most lyrical, descriptive voices I have ever read, just look:

" The swaying treetops disappear. The breeze against my skin, the fading pain in my fingers, the sound of this tape winding from one spool to the next, reminds me of everything I’ve heard over the past day.

My breathing begins to slow. The tension in my muscles starts to relax" - Clay

     This book is a very touchy subject to many teens, after I finished reading this book, I started reading other reviews of it. Many of them claim that a teenage girl has no right to take her life so foolishly and that Hannah's motives were not good enough. But I totally disagree, the pressure pressed on teens, the social prejudice and bullying that they experience everyday is hard enough to rock them to the very core. When we are teens, many of us don't realize how our actions (good or bad) affect other people, we don't realize that people get hurt whenever we say a harsh comment. If this story was real, the 13 people mentioned should be thankful to Hannah for making them understand how their self-absorbed actions affect people.

     This book is definitely an thought-provoking and emotional read. The story is centered around Hannah's emotions, how her emotions led her to kill herself, how her emotions changed the lives of the 13 mentioned, and how Clay deals with the emotions that overwhelm him after every tape while he listens to Hannah's voice. This book is heart-breaking and realistic to the core , but it also is a brilliantly executed peace of fine literature that I would recommend to everyone on this globe... (Although, I am pretty sure that aliens will like this too, just sayin!)