Thirteen Reasons Why – 1/10 B.o.t.M.
Thirteen Reasons Why
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
- 5 stars
Thirteen Reasons Why is one of the best young adult books I have read in a long time. It tells two stories – one about Hannah Baker, a 17-year-old girl who, by the end of the first chapter we already know, has committed suicide; the other about Clay Jensen, a friend of Hannah who receives a mysterious package of audio tapes in the mail and starts to listen.
The two stories begin to intertwine as Clay finds out the tapes were left by Hannah – each tape is a dedicated to a specific person and each tape tells a “reason why” she killed herself. Hannah’s reasons start out fairly minor, mostly involving rumors and pranks, but they rapidly become much more serious until Clay finally gets the complete picture of what led Hannah to make the ultimate decision.
Thirteen Reasons Why is an extraordinarily well-written and well thought out novel. It is a page turning thriller and an emotional roller coaster. It treats a very sensitive subject with thoughtfulness and tenderness. But most importantly offers a terrifyingly realistic example of how rumors and bullying may seem innocent, but can start a chain of events with unpredictable and tragic consequences.
Posted in Book Reviews, Books, Books of the Month
