Book: Thirteen Reasons Why
Author: Jay Asher
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.-Goodreads
Review: I feel like this is one of those books you either love or hate. I'll admit that my initial reaction upon finishing the book was not favorable. While I like the idea of the book and the writing style, I didn't find Hannah likable and quite frankly, most of the 'reasons' why she killed herself seemed like typical high school bs most people have to deal with. I actually felt like the most sympathetic character was Jessica. Jessica, Hannah's ex-best friend has the esteemed pleasure of being 'one of the 13 reasons' and it is later revealed she was also raped (and now several people know her personal business...thanks Hannah). While Hannah probably could not have stopped the event, I was surprised she didn't feel more guilty about her actions (or lack there of). I was also looking to forward to seeing how Clay fit into things and his inclusion seemed like a cop out.
Now, thinking about the book for a few days, I realize I've never been depressed. Maybe dealing with high school BS that most people put up with really does have an impact when someone is already emotionally fragile. All the small things build up until the person can't take it anymore. I don't know-this definitely wasn't my favorite book but it certainly was interesting and kept me thinking about it.
Grade: 3/5
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