213 of 228 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not just for Young Adults - Parents Need to Read this Too!, February 7, 2008
I just finished this -- and I am telling you it was compelling. It should be required reading by anyone in high school or middle school -- or anyone who has a child in high school or middle school. Basically it tells of Clay Jensen, a high school student who receives a box of audiotapes narrated by a girl who he had a crush on, Hannah Baker, who has recently committed suicide. The book interweaves her words from the audiotapes with his comments and memories. It gives Hannah's reasons why she did what she did and names the people (who also are receiving audiotapes - each person is to mail them to the next person on the list) and why they contributed to what happened. It may have been something big, somewhat small, something seemingly innocent, something no so much. But it all leads up to Hannah not being able to cope by herself even when she reaches out for help. If anyone can read this and see themselves in it and make changes - or even better see someone else and reach out in compassion, this book will have a huge effect.
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105 of 115 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, October 17, 2007
I don't often write introductions to my reviews. In fact, the last time I can remember doing so was with the wonderful
Pucker by Melanie Gideon, which I read in 2006. However, THIRTEEN REASONS WHY, the debut novel from author Jay Asher, is the type of book that begs an introduction. So if you'd like to skip down to the third paragraph for the "meat" of the story, I won't hold it against you -- but you'll be missing something important.
If you have the chance to only read one novel this year, THIRTEEN REASONS WHY should be that book. It's sad, amazing, heartbreaking, and hopeful, all at the same time. I dare you to read it and not become so immersed in the story that you lose track of time and your surroundings. You'll cry, several times, while reading this story. You'll have no choice but to think about your actions, and wonder what type of effect they have on other people. And, in the end, you might also find the need to say "thank you."
Now, on to the story...
When Clay Jensen finds a package on his front porch, he's excited. A package, for him? With no return address? What could it possibly be? What Clay finds is a shoebox full of cassette tapes, each marked as "Cassette 1: Side A," "Cassette 1: Side B," etc. Of course he rushes to the old radio/cassette player in his dad's garage to check out these mysterious tapes.
And soon wishes, wholeheartedly, that he'd never picked up that stupid package from his front porch.
What he hears when he inserts that first tape is the voice of Hannah Baker. Hannah, the girl he'd crushed on for longer than he could remember. The girl he went to school with. The girl he worked at the movie theater with. The girl who had changed, drastically, in the last several months. Hannah Baker, the girl who committed suicide.
Clay soon realizes that these tapes aren't just a suicide note, aren't, really, even a clear-cut rendition of why she did what she did. Instead, these are thirteen reasons -- thirteen people, to be exact -- who created a snowball-effect of events that led Hannah to believe that suicide was her only option. But why is Clay on that list? How could he possibly be one of the reasons that she killed herself?
As the day goes on, Clay becomes obsessed with listening to the tapes. And what he hears frightens him, disturbs him, and, in the end, leads him to realizations that he never would have expected. As Clay listens to the role that thirteen people, including himself, led in the ultimate death of Hannah Baker, his view of the world, and himself, changes drastically.
You will love this book, because you won't be able to help yourself. You will feel what Clay feels. You will, in a very strong way, experience the highs and lows of Hannah's life right along with her. And there is nothing, in my opinion, that could speak better for the authenticity of a book. Read THIRTEEN REASONS WHY. And then, if you're like me, you'll read it again. And, hopefully, none of us will ever forget it.
Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"
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106 of 123 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
One of the few who did not like this book, March 31, 2011
I am one of the rare minority who did not enjoy this book. In fact, I was completely annoyed with it. I struggled through it and kept rolling my eyes. It took a lot to make myself finish it. I hoped it would get much better, since there is so much positive hype surrounding this book, but unfortunately it did not. I am also going to preface my negative comments by saying that I am not at all mean-spirited, heartless, or think lightly of suicide. I also have been at the receiving end of some terrible things in high school so I do know what that feels like, and so I am not approaching this as simply someone who didn't experience bad things in high school. Suicide is an extremely serious issue, and I think it is extremely important to be explored in books, especially considering the epidemic of teen suicides we have been facing lately. However, I felt like this book did not give it the respect and seriousness it deserves. I loved the concept of this story, and I think a story like this has the potential to be amazing and powerful. Perhaps if it was tackled by a different author or had different characters, maybe I would have thought it was.
I did enjoyed the dual narration format of the book. This was a very interesting and engaging format to choose. However, it did get a little bit confusing for me with the back and forth, not only because it switched from character to character as well as from present to flashback. This might have been because I was not 100% engaged with the book since I did not enjoy it, and so I bet I got a bit sloppy in my reading habits. I also applaud the creativity of the book, because it is such an usual and unique premise. The writing also is engaging, flows well, and is never boring.
My main problem was the characters. While I thought Clay was a very realistic character, and the emotions he went through while listening to Hannah's tapes where very realistic and appropriate, I did not like Hannah. I thought Hannah's voice seemed whiny and annoying. I felt as if she was being a spiteful, vindictive little child in talking to the people listening to the tapes, rather than seriously wanting people to know how their actions affected her. She was laughing and sounded humorous when I feel like she should have sounded somber and depressed. Her actions pointed to somber and depressed, yet her voice came away the exact opposite. This sounds terrible, but my impression of her voice was like "Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah! I killed myself and now you have to feel bad!" That is not at all what I wanted to come away with from this character. With her voice being this way, I could not sympathize with her. I tried and tried, but I just couldn't.
I am also annoyed with the reasons Hannah gave for her suicide. Some of them seemed so minute to me! Yes it's true, these things seem less terrible now as an adult removed from high school, and when they happen they seem like the end of the world, but I feel like the author could have chosen more substantial reasons or made them more significant. I won't go into the reasons, so this will be spoiler free.. but the reasons are all so little and silly, like an embarrassing thing or annoying thing that happened. What Hannah experienced seemed to be the norm for high school, and not valid enough reasons for her to want to kill herself. Now, I know that this book is supposed to show how small little actions have big ramifications, and I'm not trying to say that anyone should be made fun of for their reasons that push them to suicide... just that it didn't seem realistic. It annoyed me was too ridiculous for me. Perhaps Hannah sounded so ridiculous to me because she was written by a male author who maybe doesn't get girls and what they sound like and how they feel. I feel like this was more thirteen reasons why of a twelve year old, not an older high schooler. I also realize that Hannah did give up on life halfway or three-quarters of the way through her reasons, but what she did from then on really angered me. She then began to actively seek out terrible situations and place her self in them on purpose, and then yet saying wish it wouldn't have happened or that people would have stopped it. It was really aggravating.
I feel really bad reviewing this book so harshly. I think if it was a normal fluffy book about an insignificant topic, I wouldn't have felt bad. But I feel bad because of the sensitive nature of the topic. But, I guess you can't change your impression of a book so no use feeling bad about it.
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