Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay AsherPages: 288
Publisher: Puffin
Release Date: 6th August 2009
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 to find a strange package with his name on it. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker - his classmate and first love - who committed suicide two weeks earlier.
Hannah’s voice explains there are thirteen reasons why she killed herself. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out why.
All through the night, Clay keeps listening - and what he discover changes his life…
Forever.
Thirteen Reasons Why is Jay Asher’s stunning debut novel that is everything and nothing like I expected it to be.
I went into this novel expecting It to be gut-wrenchingly sad and quite difficult to read, and it was sad, but I loved it nonetheless. It was utterly addictive. Surprisingly, it wasn’t a depressing story, it was full of hope that someone could make a difference to another person. Both Hannah and Clay’s stories were beautifully written.
The tapes were like a timeline of how Hannah reached suicide. They interweaved and followed on from each other in a way that allowed me to really get to know Hannah and her thirteen reasons why. But it was Clay whom I really liked. He was just a normal guy whose life was changed forever in a single night. I loved how he learned from Hannah’s story and began to start over immediately.
The effect of the tapes on Clay is likely to reflect a little in the readers of Thirteen Reasons Why as well. It brought to mind all the times when somebody was upset and I’d walked straight past and how the simple act of reaching out to somebody could affect them so dramatically. I have to admit, that scared me a little. So did the realisation that you’ll never truly know the influence you have over the lives of others. It really made me think.
Thirteen Reasons Why is an amazing novel that every teenager, and adult, should read.
Sophie
I had mixed feelings about this book and only got through half of it. I liked it, but I found Hannah to be annoying and whiny and blaming everyone else all the time. But I liked how it shows you how your actions effect other people. The CD was good because it had two readers and added to the tape effect.
ReplyDeleteI've been meaning to read this one for a while. I may check out the audiobook by GreenBean's suggestion. :)
ReplyDeleteI liked this book a lot. I read it in one day which is insane and goes to show you how uneventful my life is haha. It's a really great book through, different and gripping.
ReplyDeleteI can't decide whether to read this book or not! I think you might have convinced me with this review. Thank you - great review!
ReplyDeleteI love 13 Reasons Why and I'm glad you did too. :) Great review!
ReplyDelete- Alex
I heard this was a good book and I look forward to reading it.
ReplyDeleteI love this book so much. Brilliant review!
ReplyDeleteI have Thirteen Reasons Why on my WL and your review made me want to read it even more!
ReplyDeleteWow, this is a superb review. Thirteen Reasons Why sounds like a beautiful book about how our actions affect others. I want to know the thirteen reasons why.
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