Thirteen Reason Why- Jay AsherFrom Goodreads- Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers 13 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.
Thirteen Reasons Why is a young adult book about a girl, Hannah, who commits suicide and leaves thirteen cassette tapes detailing why she decided to take her life, to be passed among a list of people that played a part in her decision. The story begins for the reader when Clay receives the tapes. We hear Hannah's story through the tapes, and Clay's reacting to what he is hearing.
The topic of the book is very serious and relevant to today's youth, and it's done in a original way. The story being told by Hannah through the tapes was a good way to reveal what she was thinking, and keep the story fresh, and new. There were some flaws to the story though. I understood that everything in the tapes was a catalyst to the final outcome, her suicide, but I never felt her desperation. Something just didn't feel right as I was reading the book.
The characters in the book fell flat. They were just prototypes of stereo-typical teens. I didn't feel like I new them, or understood them. Throughout the book we follow Clay and his journey of listening to the tapes, and by the end I never get the sense that he had developed as a person or been changed extemely by what he heard.
Final words, I don't really know how I feel about this book, but I do recommend it if only because of the topic and how relevant it is today.
PRODUCT DETAILS
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Razorbill; 1st edition (October 18, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1595141715
Rating: 3/5
This is one I have read about before and I still want to read it. I just find the topic draws me in.
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