Title Thirteen Reasons Why
Author: Jay Asher
Published: October 18, 2007
Publisher: Razorbill

Rating:

Synopsis:
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.

Read this book. Just grab some tissues, some hot chocolate and read this book. I kept seeing it crop up on various blogs, and it was the book of the month in a reading group I’m in, I just didn’t get a chance to read it in time. This book much like A Monster Calls destroyed me. Clay is a believable character, and his story along with Hannah’s just sent me on an emotional roller-coaster. Hannah is so broken. Labelled due to a rumor she floats and exists through high school, trying to find something to hang on to, but in the end she gives up. Faced daily with reminders of something she didn’t do, knowledge of a duo of horrible things that happened in her presence and the overwhelming feeling that everyone.has.given.up on her. I think most readers can identify with Hannah and Clay. Clay wants so desperately to let Hannah know that there’s someone there for her, someone that wants to know the real her–though he too buys into the rumors, finding intimidation in a fake reputation.

And Hannah notices. Clay’s portion of the tape just had me so angry and emotional. If they had only somehow crossed their paths earlier, maybe things would have been different. This book is moody and eerie. I dislike audiobooks, but part of me wonders how it would translate. The dual narratives worked for me on print, and the audio book probably would have been too intense for me. I am still thinking about this book, and I will probably do so for a long time.

Overall Read this book. It’s heart wrenching, and something that I think everyone should read.