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Thirteen Reasons Why Review
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. User Submitted Thirteen Reasons Why ReviewsDecember 1, 2008 Cool idea/ Bad book I thought the idea for this book was really cool and it was written well (a very easy read). In my opinion the story was horrible and I kept waiting for something really bad to happen to this girl. I hated the main character (the girl who killed herself) she was whiny and blamed others for everything... She complained about others making her life hell when she didn't even try very hard and in the end tried to ruin the life of others. I was pretty much screaming at the main charter the whole time and felt it was a slap in the face to people who have real problems and deal with things much more serious. November 17, 2008 This book might change the way you deal with friends and classmates..... Have you ever found an unexpected package on your doorstep? How exciting to get a surprise, right? Well, for Clay Jensen, this package isn't what he hoped it would be. When he opens it, he finds cassette tapes and a note. The really scary thing is that these tapes have been left for him by a dead girl, Hannah, who committed suicide just a few weeks ago. Pills, they said. But why did she kill herself? She explains who is responsible for what she has done -- in her own words on the tapes, she gives 13 reasons why -- and they all have names. Despite being horrified at what he might hear about himself and the others on the tapes, he forces himself to listen to them. Along the way, following the map included with the recordings, he finds himself both excused and also held accountable. What Clay hears that night changes him forever. Recommended! October 30, 2008 Must Read I loved this book! it was real and there were situations where I could totally relate and other that I empathized with. I would recommend this book to all high schoolers - Asher gives an amazing insight on just how much we effect others through actions and words. October 29, 2008 Thirteen Reasons Why Is Thought Provoking I am a high school English teacher and I found Thirteen Reasons Why to be as riveting as the Jodi Picult novel about the school shooting. Both deal with school problems of bullying and both made me stop and think about what I may or may not see during the school day. The book is a quick read and one that is hard to put down once you begin it so make sure you start it on a day when you have ample time to read. The organization of the 13 messages made the book suspenseful to read because I wondered who was going to be next and each message seemed to carry a different theme. The various chapters would work will in a Literture Group book discussion and cover the usual YA topics in books, but in a different manner. In some ways, the organization reminded me of the 13 Little Blue Envelopes book, although the content is quite different. The book is also a good read for counselors or mental health professionals who are dealing with students who fight drug/alcohol problems. Anyone who is working with at-risk students know that suicide is not a topic to be ignored. The signs were present, but no one seemed to "get" Hannah's message or to reach out to her. One of the most critical reviews here said that she was a whiny girl who never wanted help from others, but that is not how I read it. I read it and saw her as one of those invisible people that we see but don't see, maybe if some of the people she left messages for after the fact had been a little more observant before there wouldn't be a book? The date rape issue could be controversial, but overall I think that most of the spin off questions could be awesome. This has been the most popular book among student at my school this fall and numerous students have asked me if I have read it. Fortunately, I attended a book seminar given by Deborah Hipes last spring and discovered the book there. I read it last summer and discussed it with another English teacher and it is one of our choice recreational reading books this year. It has been a joy to review it. I wish I enjoyed all the YA books I read half this much. October 17, 2008 Thirteen Reasons Why Review Thirteen Reasons Why was an excellent novel that was hard to put down. Clay Jenson receives 7 cassette tapes from his recently deceased classmate, Hannah Baker. Hannah tells thirteen stories that contribute to her decision to take her own life; some a little more scandalous than the next. All her problems are problems every teenager deals with. Jay Asher is a very creative author- I look forward to reading more of his novels. October 4, 2008 Incredible I picked this book up because I was a bit intrigued by the synopsis on the inside cover. I was away for the weekend, and I figured that this would help get me through. I devoured it in one sitting. Once you start this book, it is nearly impossible to put it down. The plot is centered around a young girl's suicide tapes, in which she gives thirteen reasons why she took her life. The reasons center around thirteen different people with seemingly no connection whatsoever. Clay, who receives the tapes, has no idea what he did that related to Hannah's suicide. Throughout the story, he finds out. This book was amazing. After reading it I couldn't fall back asleep; My head was buzzing. It's a truly haunting and valuable tale that will actually make you think. September 30, 2008 A horrible and potentially costly message This is my first review on Amazon, and I am only doing this because I feel it is necessary to warn people about this book. The character that is giving the thirteen reasons for committing suicide is not looking for help, and at every opportunity, pushes those away that are interested in trying. She feels the world revolves around her, and looks for reasons for suicide because other people don't feel the same way. Half of all high-school girls will go through most of what Hannah went through. It is sad, but that is teenage school life. As the book continues on, it becomes harder and harder to feel sorry for Hannah. She is guilty of the same lack of effort she chastised everyone on her list for. At the end of the book, the only people you feel sorry for are those Hannah calls out (with 2 exceptions), as they now have to live with the idea that because they did not put Hannah before them in all things they were the cause of her death. This book sends a horrible message, and will be extremely confusing to teens that are facing real problems with depression, as they see a girl that has plenty of reasons, none of which are anywhere near as bad as theirs, and lose all hope for themselves if someone with so few real problems wasn't able to find a way to get through it. The writing is great and the premise had such incredible potential, but was wasted when Hannah was written as the whiny girl looking for excuses. September 24, 2008 Perfectly Honest I have never enjoyed a book as much as this. It's not funny. It's not lighthearted. Warning: It will actually make you think. You will not see fresher writing anywhere else. Only in books like "Just Listen" have I seen such honest speaking about something so serious, and this is the first one I've really read about suicide. The subject matter is grim, yes, but it will without a doubt change your perspective on life. Everyone can benefit from reading this amazing book. I just can't stress enough the beauty of this book. I can't. It's heartbreakingly honest, captivating, and refreshing. Just read it, please. --SPOILERS-- Did you expect Clay's chapter to be anything but the last one? I know I didn't. Kind of amazing. I wonder what will happen when Mr. Porter gets it. Didn't see that coming, but it fit so well (because when have any of us been given helpful advice from a guidance counselor, right?) I don't know about you, but Hannah's voice, even though she was dead, was the most real and raw thing I have ever experienced. Asher is a brave, brave writer to say what he says, and I love him for it. Everything just fit together so flawlessly. I want to know more. I want more tapes. But just like Clay has to learn after everything is that she's gone, and there won't BE anymore. And that's the heartbreak of the story. This girl, this girl who had such a strong untold story, isn't just one girl. This girl is representative of each and every one of us. Everyone. Don't you want to know the stories? Are you strong enough to hear them? September 5, 2008 My stomach was actually knotted while reading I saw Jay Asher speak at UCLA's Festival of Books a few months back, and when he read part of the book it sounded so intriguing that I immediately put it on my list. Now that I've finally got around to reading it, I'm glad I stumbled into that session on Young Adult fiction those months ago. This is the story of a girl who committed suicide, then recorded 13 sides of 7 cassette tapes, each devoted to someone who drove her to take her own life. The novel begins with the narrator receiving a mysterious box full of cassette tapes, popping one in the player, and finding out that Hannah Baker put him on her list. It's a little awkward in the beginning chapters, and even immature and unimportant, which wasn't really what I was expecting from the story of a girl who killed herself. However, it really picks up steam and tackles some pretty heavy issues in the second half. And it never takes the easy way out and cheapens the story by making concessions, which also surprised me from a YA novel. I look forward to reading more from Asher. September 5, 2008 Amazing writing, deeply moving Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why is the story of Hannah Baker, suicide victim, and the series of events that drove her to her final, desperate act. The story is told in her own voice through a series of tapes left behind for Clay, her would-be love, a teenager baffled by Hannah's actions and searching for some sort of perspective on her death. Through Hannah's story and Clay's reaction, we find just how the thoughtless things we do every day negatively impact those around us, and just how much the loss of a life can mean. Never condescending or dishonest about teen suicide, Asher focuses on the "snowball effect," where no single truly horrifying thing happens to Hannah but, taken altogether and over time, "small" things drive her completely over the edge. Parents and teens will be able to appreciate Asher's fluid style. He flawlessly transitions between voices (Clay and Hannah) and stories as he weaves together a tight and tragic tale of teen hopelessness. If you're looking for a book about peer pressure, the impact of rumors and bullying, or about suicide in order to open a dialog with your teen (or even just to understand what he or she might be going through), this fantastic (and dark) book is the one you want. For more Thirteen Reasons Why reviews click here.
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