13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

I read the book 13 Reasons Why. By Jay Asher. This book is about a girl named Hannah whose problems become to much for her and she gives up. But not in the way most of us give up. She gave up on life. Swallowed a bottle of pills is all it took for her. The title (13 Reasons Why) took its name because just before Hannah Barker killed herself she created a set of tapes. On each one of the reasons for why she had taken her own life. 13 reasons. 13 people. They range from what other people think of her to things that she has seen. But never told about. What are these things? And who would do such horrible things in which would have someone make the decision to take there own life? Read to find out. My favorite quotes form this book are: "You don’t know what goes on in anyone’s life but your own. And when you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re not messing with just that part. Unfortunately, you can’t be that precise and selective. When you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re messing with their entire life. Everything. . . affects everything." The other quote I liked from this book was. “A lot of you cared... just not enough.” The back of the book says...

“ 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher is a heart-wrenching book that you won’t want to put down. With a new twist every time Clay starts a new tape. It will keep you hooked until the end”

An anonymous reviewer says ”This book is the heartbreaking story of why Hannah Baker decided to commit suicide. She leaves behind tapes telling how certain 13 people were involved in her decision to end her life. Although sometimes she can seem cynical, towards the end you can sympathize with her more and more.”

Kirkus Review says; “After her death, Clay Jensen—who had a crush on Hannah—finds seven cassette tapes in a brown paper package on his doorstep. Listening to the tapes, Hannah chronicles her downward spiral and the 13 people who led her to make this horrific choice. Evincing the subtle—and not so subtle—cruelties of teen life, from rumors, to reputations, to rape, Hannah explains to her listeners that, "in the end, everything matters." Most of the novel quite literally takes place in Clay's head, as he listens to Hannah's voice pounding in his ears through his headphones, creating a very intimate feel for the reader as Hannah explains herself. Her pain is gut-wrenchingly palpable, and the reader is thrust face-first into a world where everything is related, an intricate yet brutal tapestry of events, people and places. Asher has created an entrancing character study and a riveting look into the psyche of someone who would make this unfortunate choice.”

Recommended by Ben Burds