Review: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Thirteen Reasons Why

Thirteen Reasons Why

by Jay Asher

Genre: Young Adult

Published: June 14th 2011 by Razorbill

Pages: 288 (paperback), 304 (hardcover)

Source: Purchased Paperback 

You can't stop the future. You can't rewind the past. The only way to learn the secret. . . is to press play.

Goodreads Summary:

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.

My Thoughts: 

The story is being told from Clay Jensen's point of view. Our main character. He received a bunch of tapes from his friend, Hannah Baker, who committed suicide. She recorded her voice to 7 tapes just before she killed herself so that they would reveal the Thirteen Reasons Why. Reasons why she decided to end her life. Then Clay founds out that everyone who got those tapes is one of the reasons and he, somehow, is one of them. (Interesting, isn't it?).

This book is a truly-amazing read. Addictive. Absolutely brilliant. Yet very touchy and leaves you feeling both so emotional and hopeful. I love the idea of using tapes for a suicidal note. It seems old. Unique. Vintage. Okay whatever. I also like how the writer writes the cassette's number and its sides as the chapter titles. It gave us that realistic feel, seems like we're hearing those tapes live. Not reading it. Which explains so much. The writing style is simply enjoyable with a fast pace.

Clay Jensen is a normally good teenage boy, and I feel sorry for him, for losing Hannah. You'll feel the emotional connection between them throughout the story. Hannah Baker is actually kind-hearted and it's just heartbreakingly pathetic how she has been called a slut, which is not true, and how that sucking S word fully changed her life. I constantly feel like yelling at Hannah to keep living, to stop, to fight, but then realised that she is not really there since the very beginning.

There are so many things we could learn from this book: I've learned that we can't just give up and commit suicide no matter how hard life is and we should all be careful of what we're doing and what we're going to do 'cause little things do affect our life.

"No one knows for certain how much impact they have on the lives of other people. Often times, we have no clue. Yet we push it just the same." - Hannah Baker

I highly recommend this to everyone, especially for those who are suicidal or having real bad life problems.
5 out of 5 stars. 

Listen to Hannah Baker Tapes on YouTube