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Thirteen Reasons Why Hardcover – October 18, 2007
| Jay Asher (Author) Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author |
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**THE BOOK THAT STARTED IT ALL, NOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES**
“Eerie, beautiful, and devastating.” —Chicago Tribune
“A stealthy hit with staying power. . . . thriller-like pacing.” —The New York Times
“Thirteen Reasons Why will leave you with chills long after you have finished reading.” —Amber Gibson, NPR’s “All Things Considered”
You can’t stop the future.
You can’t rewind the past.
The only way to learn the secret . . . is to press play.
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker—his classmate and crush—who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah's voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why.
Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah's pain, and as he follows Hannah’s recorded words throughout his town, what he discovers changes his life forever.
Need to talk? Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) anytime if you are in the United States. It’s free and confidential.
Find more resources at 13reasonswhy.info.
Find out how you can help someone in crisis at bethe1to.com.
- Reading age10+ years, from customers
- Print length288 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Grade level7 - 9
- Lexile measureHL550L
- Dimensions5.88 x 1.08 x 8.5 inches
- PublisherRazorbill
- Publication dateOctober 18, 2007
- ISBN-101595141715
- ISBN-13978-1595141712
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Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
Review
“Heavy but compelling. . . . Asher’s novel asks us to look at how petty cruelty can deal crushing blows.” —Miami Herald
“Wonderfully realistic in his writing, Asher offers teens and parents alike a great story on an important topic.” —Green Bay Press-Gazette
“It is a brilliant debut that will leave readers feeling a sense of remorse for Hannah, guilt for Clay, and hope for the lasting lesson of the story.” —Bookazine
“Breakneck pace and dizzying emotion.” —School Library Journal
“[Hannah’s] pain is gut-wrenchingly palpable. . . . Asher has created an entrancing character study and a riveting look into the psyche of someone who would make this unfortunate choice. A brilliant and mesmerizing debut from a gifted new author.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review and Editor’s Choice
“Readers won’t be able to pull themselves away.” —Publishers Weekly
“Asher's ability to convey the anguish of someone who was left behind is truly remarkable.” —Book Page
WINNER OF
Association of Booksellers for Children’s “Best Books”
American Library Association’s “Best Books for Young Adults” and “Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers”
Heartland Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature
Florida Teens Read Award
California Book Award
Kentucky Bluegrass Award
Book Sense Pick
International Reading Association’s “Young Adults' Choices” Finalist
Chicago Public Library’s “Best of the Best Books”
Kansas State Reading Circle’s “Recommended Reading List”
New York Public Library’s “Book for the Teen Age”
16 State Award Master Lists
“Thirteen Reasons Why is a mystery, eulogy, and ceremony. Twenty or thirty times, I snapped the book shut when a sentence, an image, or a line of dialogue was too beautiful and painful. But I, afraid and curious, would always return to this amazing book. I know, in years to come, I will often return to this book.” —Sherman Alexie, bestselling author of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
“Every once in a while you come across a book that you can’t get out of your mind, one you have to rush back to if you must put it down for some reason. Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why is one of those books, and is at the very top of my personal Must-Read list.” —Ellen Hopkins, bestselling author of Tricks,Identical, Crank, Burned, Impulse, and Glass
“A spectacular first novel. Jay Asher tells his story with such honesty and simplicity that the tragedy feels shatteringly real.” —Gordon Korman, author ofSon of the Mob and Jake, Reinvented
About the Author
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Product details
- Publisher : Razorbill; 1st edition (October 18, 2007)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 288 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1595141715
- ISBN-13 : 978-1595141712
- Reading age : 18 years and up
- Lexile measure : HL550L
- Grade level : 7 - 9
- Item Weight : 14.6 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.88 x 1.08 x 8.5 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #255,278 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,667 in Medical General Psychology
- #1,720 in Teen & Young Adult Mysteries & Thrillers
- #10,669 in Psychology & Counseling
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Jay Asher's debut novel, THIRTEEN REASONS WHY, is a #1 New York Times bestseller and has been adapted into a Netflix series. He is also the author of New York Times bestseller WHAT LIGHT and co-author of THE FUTURE OF US and the graphic novel PIPER.
Customer reviews
Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2018
Top reviews from the United States
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Suicide. It's a word we often don't like to say, but should. The longer we ignore it the longer it will remain stigmatized--and the more people we will lose as a result.
Before actually sitting down to read Thirteen Reasons Why, I was bombarded by either very positive reviews, or very negative reviews regarding this story. I found a nugget of sense in everyone's opinions, but the drastically different opinions left me sea-sawing uncomfortably. I realized then that the only way to find solace was to read the book myself, and formulate my own opinion, all previous mentions of the story forgotten.
I have finished the book now, but still find myself wavering between approval and disapproval. Suicide is a very serious and delicate topic to cover, let alone respectfully, honestly, and responsibly. I praise the author for trying. It was a brave and necessary thing to do.
My three-star rating has nothing to do with the entertainment factor. It was very well written and enticing. I finished it in two days. But I caught myself frowning quite frequently, not because I was angry at the harsh things the main character went through (which she did), but because half the time I didn't like her, not even a little.
I loved Clay from the start, but with Hannah I could barely sympathize. This says a lot coming from me, considering the severe depression I myself went through at 15. And the very thing that happened to Hannah at the end with the guidance counselor happened to me exactly (I was told to pretend that nothing was wrong, and eventually everything would "go away"; this part of the story was particularly painful to read, because negligence is unfortunately a very common occurrence, especially by those who are actually paid to deal with things like this). My problem with Hannah is not that she was traumatized by what she experienced--she had every right to be traumatized, and every right to ask for help and be helped. My problem is how, in some strange way, she came off selfish. I'm not so sure it's a good thing that I didn't feel devastated by Hannah's suicide. What I felt devastated about was that I DIDN'T feel devastated.
Many people on Hannah's tapes deserved her little payback. Many did not. Lots of these people did things that--though unkind--did not warrant this heavy weight on their shoulders. Clay especially. What was worse was that Hannah stood back and (*spoiler) let another girl get raped. True, she was dizzy and not the rapist herself, but she didn't even bother to make sure the girl was okay after it was over. Then she made her one of the recipients of the tapes, one of the "reasons" Hannah had to kill herself. And the guy who deserved to carry this guilt around more than anybody else got off completely scott-free.
Viewed this way, I don't like Hannah, or how the story was handled. HOWEVER--maybe it is a good thing after all that the author made Hannah so unsympathetic. If people relate too much to her character, especially those going through depression, they may find her choice to take her life very appealing. I also considered how Hannah's apparent selfishness was a result of her downward spiral. Depression changes people; it tends to bring out the worst in them. It clouds judgement and wreaks havoc on the body. So, when I consider things this way, I am pleased with the author's work.
But still I sit here, unable to love it, unable to hate it. Unable to say if it is a good thing or a bad thing. So I will leave it at 3 stars. Maybe some day, after I've have more time to ruminate on it, I will see things more clearly.
If you are contemplating suicide, DON'T ignore it. If you ask somebody for help and they turn you away, ask somebody else. And keep asking. And asking. Don't stop. With 7 billion people in the world, there is somebody somewhere who will hear you. If you have to comb through entire cities or countries to find them, do it. It is okay to not be okay. It is also okay to fight for your survival. Your life is worth it.
The story revolves around Clay, who finds a box of cassette tapes waiting on his doorstep one day. As he listens to them, he is drawn into the story of Hannah, his crush that committed suicide just a couple weeks earlier. The tapes share the thirteen reasons why she made the choice that she did, one for each person that contributed to that decision.
On the surface, it sounds like a horrifying premise for a read. It is a tough read at times, but no less important. Her point of creating the tapes, to be passed to each person on them, was not to be cruel. It was to make a point... the point that how we act toward one another, whether deliberate or not, makes a difference. Any one of those acts can be small in and of itself, but they can add up to push a person over the edge.
Having seen the series and read the book, I have to say something I never thought I would. As much as I loved the book, I felt that the series really showed Hannah's angst just a bit more clearly. Admittedly, some of that was accomplished through changes in the plot and some details. Ideally, I would suggest indulging in both.
Top reviews from other countries
So here's the story in short. Hannah Baker commited suicide but before doing so she left seven tapes which contains her history or I'll say it contains 13 Reasons Why she killed herself.
This book is so close to the reality I hardly realized it is a fiction. But truly how we treat others definitely affect their lives. It'll also give some lesson to the reader.
If you are watching the series but didn't read the book I'd suggest you should read it. Not every day someone write something like this.
And about the book quality, it'll worth your money.
I would say this book is aimed more at a a YA audience than adult. I did at times get muddled between Clay's narration & Hannah's, but this wasn't a major issue. Glad I read the book, but I wish I had read it before watching the show. That way I could have fallen in love with the book first, then appreciated the show for it's adaption opposed to the other way around. Nevertheless, still a good read with such an individual story highlighting the importance of discussion around a traditionally taboo topic.
I have not been disappointed by doing this at all. The book is relatable to both teenagers and adults through the harshness of a high school setting. We've all experienced or are experiencing some of the things that happen in this book and it is a stark reminder that we should take more care of how we treat those around us.
It follows this girl, Hannah who commits suicide on the basis of "thirteen reasons" which are co related to each other and thinks that it's justified to make tapes regarding said reasons.
1. The person listed in the tape would go down this guilt trip which will alter THEIR mental health.
2. The reasons, alone, were really small things that people wouldn't really have noticed.
3. Putting blame on teenagers for these reasons could actually provide as a really big reason for them.
Even though this book is dealing with "depression", the actual word wasn't once mentioned in the book. Not once.
Moreover, it didn't make sense that a person who's mentally exhausted and numb to things around would ploy this mastermind to have these tapes delivered to the people AND to make sure that they listened to it. Sounds something like revenge, doesn't it?
Reviewed in India on May 30, 2019
It follows this girl, Hannah who commits suicide on the basis of "thirteen reasons" which are co related to each other and thinks that it's justified to make tapes regarding said reasons.
1. The person listed in the tape would go down this guilt trip which will alter THEIR mental health.
2. The reasons, alone, were really small things that people wouldn't really have noticed.
3. Putting blame on teenagers for these reasons could actually provide as a really big reason for them.
Even though this book is dealing with "depression", the actual word wasn't once mentioned in the book. Not once.
Moreover, it didn't make sense that a person who's mentally exhausted and numb to things around would ploy this mastermind to have these tapes delivered to the people AND to make sure that they listened to it. Sounds something like revenge, doesn't it?
Here is a quote that I highlighted that really summed up the book for me:
“No one knows for certain how much impact they have on the lives of other people.”
At the end I debated whether this was a 3 or 4 star book for me. The reason that I was thinking 3 star is that the ending feels too soon. I wondered at the end whether it was being set up for a sequel as we don’t explore the reactions of the other students which means that they are almost cast as binary characters - by which I mean we have either good or evil, only Clay and Hannah are painted with the shade of grey but all the other characters are pretty much considered evil and that detracts from the nuance of teenage life.
What brought it back up to a 4 star is that what happened to Hannah is described multiple times in the book as a snowball effect. No one thing that happened to her led to her taking her life and so whilst there were some more serious things that happened, most of them were not horrendous on their own but all added together to create a situation in which she felt she had lost all control. The second reason is that as Clay is following the story on Hannah’s tapes he is supported by various characters who recognise that something isn’t right and that he is upset by something. His mum is supportive and concerned, the man in the diner offers him a milkshake on the house because something is clearly wrong and a school friend sits with him whilst he cries and talks about his feelings - all things that may have helped Hannah if she had received the same kindness. I’ve not seen that mentioned in other reviews but it really stood out to me.
Something I have seen in other reviews is that the depiction of mental health is harmful and that it draws the victim as vindictive but as I mention before I don’t think we would have as good a book without Hannah’s anger. If she read in a more authentic voice then the whole scenario wouldn’t have happened and we wouldn’t have this exploration of how little acts can have a big impact on someones life. This is also aimed at teenagers so it needs to read in a more engaging way which I don’t think it would do in a sadder voice. The lesson from this story is important and the more people that read it the better really.










