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Thirteen Reasons Why: A Novel
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Thirteen Reasons Why: A Novel
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Thirteen Reasons Why: A Novel
Audiobook6 hours

Thirteen Reasons Why: A Novel

Written by Jay Asher

Narrated by Debra Wiseman and Joel Johnstone

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES AND INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

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 from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker-his classmate and crush-who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah's voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why.

Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah's pain, and as he follows Hannah's recorded words throughout his town, what he discovers changes his life forever.

Editor's Note

Haunting & provocative...

A provocative take on how our small, cruel, and quiet everyday actions affect the lives of others. The tape cassettes Hannah records explaining the thirteen reasons why she committed suicide are haunting to hear narrated.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateOct 23, 2007
ISBN9780739356517
Unavailable
Thirteen Reasons Why: A Novel
Author

Jay Asher

Jay Asher is an author of Young Adult novels, and is perhaps most well known for his novel, Thirteen Reasons Why, hich has appeared regularly on The New York Times bestsellers list for the past nine years. It has sold over 2.5 million copies in the US alone and is currently in production to be athirteen-part series on Netflix. His second YA novel, The Future of Us, was co-authored with Printz-honor winner Carolyn Mackler. His other novels also unclude What Light in 2016. His novels have been translated into over thirty languages.

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Reviews for Thirteen Reasons Why

Rating: 3.9215067023086267 out of 5 stars
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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and was hooked from the first page. I thought the concept was unique and extremely clever, but if the author wanted the reader to feel sorry for Hannah, the suicide victim, he failed miserably. While Hannah is a competent storyteller and some of the people in her life are really horrible, overall, I found her to be a a little witch and a cold-hearted schemer. In complete contrast, Clay, the boy who had a crush on Hannah, is a sensitive, loveable character who struggles with his feelings of guilt as he listens to the tapes.I loved how the two narratives intertwine - Hannah's voice on the tapes interspersed with Clay's memories and thoughts, and like Clay who couldn't stop listening to Hannah's story until the end, I found myself riveted to the book until the last page. This will be a big hit with teenage girls!!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    OK, let me start by saying I read this book because I've been affected by suicide. It's a grim, depressing subject. However, I am a firm believer that we have to raise suicide awareness. And let me also say that I've had a hard time writing a review for this book.Part of me feels that in the wrong hands, this book would guide a vulnerable mind in the wrong direction. The book screams take your own life but point the finger at all the terrible people in your life first. How is that helpful? And when she finally turns to an authority figure, she doesn't get help. Although I know some people don't "hear" what's being said, this was a teacher who should be trained for this type of thing. How is that offering options or raising awareness?The other part of me recognises that the book is trying to say that it's usually not one big thing that pushes someone to suicide but many things that, together and over time, make you feel numb and lost. Which in turn, takes aware the feeling that there are other options. And we mustn't overlook the other lesson to be learned here; consequences. We must be aware that what we say and do to others has consequences. A joke is only a joke if all parties know it's a joke. Ultimately, we are all in charge of our own decision making and must live with the consequences.And yet another part of me is whispering that the book isn't meant to focus on Hannah's suicide, it was meant to focus on the reason she is telling these people what their part in her decision was; and it was her hope that knowing this reason would change the person's outlook on life and the way they interact with others. In other words, make them a better person. The ending of the book proves that at least one person did see the error of their ways and change.In all honesty, I didn't mind the book whilst reading it, but now I have to think about how the book would be received by someone with suicidal thoughts, and I must admit that worries me. I usually talk about character building, plot lines and the author's style of writing when writing reviews, but on this occasion none of that seems relevant.It's a well written book, but my gut tells me that the wrong message has taken the highlighted position, which is a shame.I originally gave this book 4 out of 5 stars, but having written this review and gotten my head around what the book delivered, I feel I have to lower that rating to 3 out of 5 stars.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The concept of this book was interesting - Hannah has committed suicide, but she recorded tapes detailing the thirteen reasons why she did it. Except… her reasons are people. She sends the tapes to the first person on the list, with instructions for them to send them on until all thirteen know why she killed herself. And if they don’t? Someone has a second set of tapes, with instructions to let them out to the public if they original set is not passed on. That aspect of the book, I liked. The rest kind of fell flat. WARNING: SPOILER-ISH. The narrator, of course, is the only good guy on the tapes. Boring, predictable, blah. Secondly, Hannah killed herself because of all these guys spreading rumors about her sex life, and all these bystanders who did nothing to help her. I’m sure this can be true to life, but… it seems like a half-ass reason to kill yourself. The bullying wasn’t as bad as other (true) stories I’ve heard. The book was a good read, and I finished it the same night I started it, but it wasn’t as satisfying as I would have liked it to be.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    13 reasons whySome books barely affect you. You read them and a lot has been forgotten before you move on to the next one. Other books you reflect on. They make you think. They fill you with emotion and linger in your memory. “13 reasons why”is definitely in the second category. When Clay receives that shoebox of cassette tapes, he doesn’t realize the impact those tapes will have on him. The tapes are about bullying, mean girls, sexual assault, lost chances, betrayal, dispair and surrender. Going through Hannah’s story and Clay’s story fill you with every emotion from anger to sadness and I deeply hoped the outcome would be different even though I knew it wouldn’t be. Going through life, we encounter so many people on the period of a day. So many people that we don’t know what it going on in their life. We have no idea of something that seems inconsequential to us, can affect someone else so much. How one event we consider little can be devastating to someone else. And how something we do can push someone over the edge. I read most of this book in one sitting. I just couldn’t stop reading it. It’s raw and intense and tragic. A time or two I had to just pause and get a grip before reading on. I rated this book a 5 but for me it’s really a 4 1/2 mainly because sometimes I really didn’t like the jumping back and forth from Hannah to Clay. Sometimes it worked for me, when an event was being portrayed and both their viewpoints on the same event was present. But sometimes something totally different was going on with Clay, not related to what Hannah was referring to and it interrupted the flow of the story. However, this book was a fantastic read; one that I think should be part of a high school curriculum. Especially in a high school setting, meanness, cruelty, indifference are daily things and kids would benefit from knowing how all these things can have terrible consequences and how their words and actions can affect other people. A wonderful debut from Jay Asher.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    See full review @ The Indigo Quill

    Thirteen Reasons Why, Jay Asher's first published book, should probably be read in every High School in America at least once. Is it the absolute best book out there tackling the topic of teenage suicide? No. And I'm sure there are others like it that I have yet to read, but until that happens, I think this could be a very useful tool in our High Schools. There are also Anti-Bullying tours and resources on the website, but I'll get to that later.

    In the book, Hannah had committed suicide two weeks ago. Before she died, she recorded a series of tapes explaining 13 reasons why she did it. Each person the reasons are about has to send the tapes along to the next person. The reader enters into the story when the tapes arrive into the hands of another unlucky person whom Hannah blames for her choices, Clay Jensen.

    When I was in High School, my school went through a year where we had about 5 suicides. This was really uncommon for us, so it was really shocking for our entire community. After I graduated, at least 3 more of my classmates had committed suicide. I wish we had a book like this as a required reading in English (of course, this wasn't published until a year after I graduated).The way the book was written makes it easily readable and relatable for teens. Although it's not the best developed plot I've read, I think it could keep the attention of High Schoolers of different reading levels if it was brought into the school system. It introduces the topic of teenage suicide for discussion and just may open some eyes to see that although their negative actions toward others may seem small to them, the person on the receiving end may be blowing it up 5 times bigger.

    Did I feel like Hannah fully justified her reasons? Honestly, no. At first, I didn't really like her. She sounded self-centered and bratty, and like she had taken normal everyday things that people do to each other way too seriously. I had to stop and tell myself "this girl is obviously sick. There's a reason why all these things added up in her head to being so big that she felt she needed to kill herself." I was then reminded of a few articles I had read in 2012 about a teenage girl from Canada who committed suicide as a result of bullying. To her, the things her peers were saying about her and the way they treated her were maximized, and the good things in her life (including friends she spent time with often) were minimized. It was like there was a voice in her head that kept feeding her insecurities and weakening her will to live. But also, the rumors going around about her also made her a target for the boys just like in Thirteen Reasons Why. In the book, the character of Hannah mentions briefly that many other things were going on in her life, but they weren't important enough to put on the tapes. I think this can easily be identified as the things she minimized because that voice in her head was speaking too loudly for her to hear them.

    I think some of the reasons could have been better ones. There are plenty of examples you can pull up in articles on the internet about different horrible ways that kids bully each other. Some of them are pretty terrible, but unfortunately are very common. Granted, this book is a few years old so it wasn't as common in 2007 for people to post YouTube videos and whatnot before committing suicide like they do now. However, I felt like the story was slightly underdeveloped and could've gone so much further than it did to bring the reality of this issue even more to readers.

    I would recommend picking up this book and reading it at least once. It had a good anti-bullying message and could be used as a good introduction to suicide awareness. However, if you're a teen and you look deeper into the context, you can probably see that Hannah's decision was a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Sometimes, the feelings of hopelessness caused by peers traps people into thinking they're inadequate and unloved, and that their lives will never be anything more than what it is at that moment. But that isn't the case. I remember feeling like that sometimes, and I've been graduated for about 8 years now...and I'll tell you, none of the negative people or situations from High School have followed me. I don't even know who that girl is anymore, and I'm so glad I pushed through any bullying I experienced.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I originally reviewed this book on my blog - The Cosy Dragon. For more recent reviews by me, please hop over there.Hannah Baker committed suicide. That's not the end of her though - she has made a map and audiotape a bunch of reasons why she has killed herself. Poor Clay is on her list, and he feels compelled to keep listening.I didn't actually like Hannah very much. I felt that she could have avoided the trouble she got herself into - it wasn't fair to blame her year level. She should have known better! She gave up.I liked Clay, good boy Clay, and felt he was really short changed by Hannah. He's so nice! And she put him through this after her death. It was so unfair.I found the first chapter of this book confusing more than anything. Initially I thought it was the person who's chapter it was with the interspersed comments, but it wasn't. I checked the blurb of the book multiple times to make sure I wasn't confused.The book was compelling in a weird way. Asher did suck me in and I wanted to know what Clay had done. And then I was disappointed there too. I can't say I found it comfortable to read - but then it wasn't supposed to be comfortable. I ended up skimming the end. I just wasn't into it enough to accept it.I felt let down by this book. I expected so much more, maybe unrealistically hoping that Hannah had bigger problems than just being labelled a slut. Yes, it's bad, but there are other things you can do rather than killing yourself. There is help available! She didn't really try very hard, and although people didn't help her, it was unfair to blame everyone else for a choice that ultimately only she could make. I guess I was looking for depth, but I didn't find it.The discussion question type things at the end are ok. I guess this could make a good school book, which would be ever so relevant, particularly to American teens. Sorry, perhaps Australians are a little less wimpy. I'd recommend this book for teens. I really didn't love it enough to properly recommend it - maybe other people will enjoy it more than me. I know there are a number of people out there who love this book. But it's not me. I feel like I have wasted 10 reviews on 'earning' this book, and I could have picked something with more substance.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The premise: ganked from BN.com: Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers 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. My RatingBuy the Paperback: this is a controversial book, because suicide can be a controversial subject. No doubt, the novel spreads a positive message, but there are negative counterparts that could overshadow the positive. So know what you're getting into with this book: it's about a girl who, before killing herself, sent out a stack of tapes to the people she feels contributed to her state of mind that resulted in her suicide. The book is told from the POV of one of those people, listening to those tapes. It's a very fast read, and the prose is almost too sparse (what do you expect when half is literally story-telling), but it gives the reader a lot to think about. On the positive side, it teaches us that being decent to one another is a good way to live, because we never know how our actions will effect them. On the negative side, I worry that some people might see Hannah as a hero instead of what she is, a girl who really, really needed help to get out of her depressed state of mind and who never got it. I'm glad I read it, as it had me thinking about all the different ways the book could be interpreted, and it's worth reading. IF, like I said, you know what you're getting into. Review style: this book is pretty controversial, and I want to talk about both sides: why it's a GOOD book and sends the RIGHT message, and why it's a BAD book and sends the WRONG message. So yes, spoilers abound. However, if you're not worried about them (or you've already read the book), then feel free to click the link below for the full review, which may be found in my LJ. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome. :)REVIEW: Jay Asher's THIRTEEN REASONS WHYHappy Reading!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Thirteen Reasons Why may not be a perfect book, but it is an important book that provides a starting point for creating dialogue about social and psychological problems with teenagers and teaching them how (and why) to consider the consequences of their actions. This is a suspenseful story filled with intense, almost palpable emotion. Teens will likely see themselves and their peers within the pages of Thirteen Reasons Why, and adults will both remember their own experiences and recognize the ways in which the world for today’s teens is very different.Read my full review at The Book Lady's Blog.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I understand why teens adore this book -- it's suspenseful and full of sordid high school drama. I also give it a lot of credit for encouraging kids to think about how they treat others, and how small unkindnesses can have chains of unintended consequences. The main character is a boy who, like many high school boys, didn't participate in his classmates' casual misogyny ("hot or not" lists and the like) but stood by while it happened and even thought it was a little funny. Watching Clay shift his perspective on that behavior is worthwhile.

    But oh lordy is it overwritten, full of the kind of short incomplete sentences that redundantly beat you over the head with drama:

    "Stupid? Yes. But did it make sense? Yes... at the time.

    You should've called the cops, Hannah. It might have stopped this snowball from picking up speed. The one you keep talking about.

    The one that ran over all of us."

    Also, I never bought that Hannah was suicidal. I understand that depression doesn't need and rarely has an objective cause, so a series of events that seem petty from the outside can build to something serious. I just never believed that Hannah was experiencing that seriousness. She seemed in despair about her classmates being jerks, but I didn't buy the path from that to no longer feeling able to participate in life. I want to be clear: it's not that I don't think that path is possible, just that the writing of this book didn't work for me.

    The ultimate message ended up feeling like, "Suicidal people are going to make whatever decision they make and there isn't much you can do about it even if you try." Clay and others tried and failed, because Hannah shut them out and refused to accept help. I'm pretty sure that wasn't the intended message, but that's how it came across to me.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I read this book because my two daughters read it and there has been a lot of talk about it. With teen suicide in the news so often I hoped it would be a book that would give them insight into how small things can have big consequences, how to be a better friend, and how to be stronger than the haters. The book does a good job dealing with the first two concerns I had, but really, in my opinion, blew it on the third.

    The MC in this book, Hannah, records tapes that "explain" her reasons for committing suicide and sends them to people she feels were a part of her decision. Each recipient gets to hear how everyone else on this list drove her to take her life. We "listen" to the tapes with Clay, a boy who had feelings for Hannah but never really reached through to her. His agonized reaction to the tapes was the part of the book that annoyed me. Here was this "perfect boy" (?!) who would have been there for Hannah, the boy she could have turned to, but instead pushed away, and she sends him the tapes to add to his agony. She is gone, his life will never be the same, she has taken him down with her. Her final act is so selfish and hurtful. While it may or may not be realistic (read other reviews for dissenting opinions) it does not bring anything positive to the discussion every parent should be having with their children.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    First off, if you have been wanting to read this book I highly recommended the audio book! This gave me all of the feels. I was mad and sad and everything in between.The audiobook was amazing! You actually feel like you are listening to the tapes, which just takes this story to another level. I was listening to this in my car, and would find myself sitting in the garage parking lot to finish a chapter before getting out of my car. I know some people are going to hate this since it is blaming others for Hannah committing suicide. However; I think it is a great message to see how much you can really impact someone else's life. Just one action can really play a difference in what can happen. There were definitely twists and turns that I was not expecting. This book deals with more than just suicide. It deals with love, friendship, loss, rape, and so much more.I really enjoyed this and I can't wait for the Netflix show.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    When I purchased this book, I hadn't read any reviews on it. I picked it up because it was on a friend's TBR list and I figured, since we had the same taste in books I would see what it was about. Whenever I pick up an older book (pre 2010) I refuse to check out any other reviews; I want all impressions to be my own and I don't want any one to influence my thoughts on the book.
    Let me just say.... this book is a powerful one! I was a little confused at first, but quickly found out what was going on and I couldn't put the book down! I felt as though I was there with Clay listening to Hannah give her reasons.
    Let me give you a little about the book before I go any further.. otherwise you might not see why I loved it so much.
    We start off with Clay at the post office, he's mailing off a package wrapped in plain brown paper with no return address...Yeah, kinda confused me at first...Then we get brought back to the previous day to Clay arriving home to a similar package. Inside we find that there are 7 cassette tapes ( I know what you are thinking..cassette tapes?, yeah my thoughts exactly). The tapes are numbered 1-13, and feature the voice of Hannah; a classmate and crush of Clay's that has apparently committed suicide. Yes, SUICIDE!!
    Not what I was expecting at all, but this got me more invested in the book. Not often do you find books written about this subject, even though it is a subject that needs to be talked about more.
    Hannah goes on to tell us her reasons for choosing suicide, via these 7 cassette tapes. You learn that even though Hannah was the new kid, she was stronger than most for a long time. A couple of weeks was all it took for everything in Hannah's life to snowball out of control. Some of us may not realize that one simple thing, be it a rumor; a passing comment; or even a silly little high school list; can totally change the lives of not just one person, but many.
    The things that happen in the book are eventually all connected, and that is the power behind this book. We may think that the off handed comment we said to the girl from second period didn't matter, but who's to say what may come of that comment? Who's to say that you didn't just change the path of someone's life?
    Thirteen Reasons Why really makes you think back to how you have treated others. Has something you said or repeated snowballed into something so much bigger than you? Can you really say that you know how everything you have said and done has affected those around you?
    We learn through Hannah, and even Clay; that while you may not be directly involved...You are ultimately involved in everything you are around.... Yes, you may not have written up that list, but you read it and passed it along...You may not have been driving the car that caused a wreck, but you helped those people, and you went to school with those that were involved; even if they never actually hit anyone.
    Asher has written a compelling story, and drew me in from the beginning. I couldn't walk away from Hannah and her story...I cried throughout most of the book, and when Clay finds out just why he is on the list, it broke my heart. This is one book that I am PROUD to have on my shelves!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Even though Thirteen Reasons Why was originally published in 2007, it’s on the Top Ten Most Challenged books in 2017 because Netflix adapted it into a series that became very popular and brought the book back into the spotlight. The series and by extension, the book, caused a lot of controversy because adults worried that it glamorized suicide and would lead to an increase in teen suicides.Thirteen Reasons Why is about a high school girl named Hannah Baker. At the beginning of the book, it’s been just a few days since she killed herself. Clay Jensen, a boy at the same school, receives a package of cassette tapes. On them, Hannah has recorded the thirteen reasons why she decided to commit suicide. Each reason is a person who has wronged Hannah in some way. The first tape informs Clay that if he received the tapes, that means that one of them is about him. He is to listen to all of the tapes and then pass them on to the next person on the list, the list of people who have hurt Hannah. If the people on the tapes don’t pass them on as instructed, then the tapes will be released to the public and everyone will know what they’ve done.I want to get one thing out of the way – this book is not that well written. Asher is in serious need of an editor. He uses So.Many.Words. to describe the most mundane things. It felt like he had been given a certain word count he had to reach so he was going to put in as many extra words as he could until he reached it:“I take the package into the kitchen and set it on the counter. I slide open the junk drawer and pull out of a pair of scissors. Then I run a scissor blade around the package and lift off its top.”Just tell us you opened the damn package Clay! Or, when Clay is looking for something to play the tapes with:“The garage! The stereo on the workbench. My dad bought it at a yard sale for almost nothing. It’s old, so he doesn’t care if it gets coated with sawdust or splattered with paint. And best of all, it places tapes.”For god’s sake Clay, we don’t freaking care about the history of the tape player! I wouldn’t get this upset except that the entire book had this much superfluous, excruciating detail. Luckily, the story was engaging enough that I kept reading anyway. I really wanted to find out what those thirteen people had done to Hannah.The justification I’ve seen used to justify the banning of this book is that it will put the idea of suicide into teenager’s heads. That idea is already there. I think that if your child is reading this book or watching the TV series, it’s important to talk with them about it. Read the book yourself. Watch the show with your kids. Keep your eye out for warning signs that something is wrong. Instead of banning a book outright, parents should make the choice for their own children, not everyone else’s.I can’t end this review without mentioning that Asher was expelled from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators last year after they investigated allegations of sexual harassment that had been made against him. I didn’t know this until after I had already started reading the book. Luckily, I checked it out of the library so I didn’t give him any of my money.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Thirteen Reasons Why was on TBR for a long, long time before I finally read it.

    I read a lot of reviews about it before hand, both positive and negative and so I had mixed feelings about it even before I read it.

    Just like Hannah had a reputation before she even tried to make one.

    This one's going to be a positive review.

    I read a review where someone said that this book glorifies and glamorizes suicide. I didn't felt that way, but everyone has a different opinion, and I read a quote once that went something like, "the reader is the one who writes a story, and every reader writes it differently". So, what I did learn from this book is that something we deem as unimportant or a joke might scar someone deeply. It taught me to know what I'm talking about and know the person I'm talking to.

    I don't really know how to describe this book. It can't be called beautiful or heartwarming or something else because it wasn't. At the same time it wasn't unrealistic or boring either.

    Thirteen Reasons Why, for me, was- I still don't know the perfect word to describe it-amazing. I'm speechless.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I have mixed feelings for this book. It was one of the first times that I watched the series before I read the book and I'm so undecided on which I liked better. I liked each for different reasons. It wasn't my favorite of all times but it was good. I'm glad I read it to see what all the hype was about. 3.5⭐️
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Totally heartbreaking: Terrible how so many seemingly small incidents can affect a person. It just proves that we never know what someone is going through.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book does a decent job of getting the reader sucked into the plot line: Hannah commits suicide and then mails tapes to people she feels caused her to derail. The protagonist, Clay Jensen, can not figure out what he did to Hannah to be included in the list of people who betrayed Hannah.

    I think teens, especially 7th - 9th, would like this book. It would be a good book for a teen book club and generate discussion about their feelings/attitudes towards suicide. One of the best parts of the book, for me, is when Hannah describes a scene in her Peer Communications class and how the students respond to an anonymous note (which is Hannah's) about contemplating suicide.

    Ending is rather cheeseball, though, and a bit melodramatic. Characters are not that dynamic or developed, either.

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up this book. I've been avoiding it for so long because of all the attention when the show came out. This wasn't as bad as I had expected. It was actually a pretty good read and I got through it in 2 sittings. I was impressed. Sure, the book was filled with high school drama but it was darkly interesting to read. Definitely a sad and twisted story but eye opening. Think I'll give the show a shot and see how that goes.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is another controversial book, and probably not for the faint-hearted. But it really does work to demonstrate the importance of treating others with kindness, of the damaging effects of gossip, and about how lonely high-school students (even those that seem to be popular) can feel.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I did not feel sorry for the main character. She annoyed me 90 percent of the time. She made everything about her, then blamed everyone else for her choices. Maybe I would have liked/related to it better if I were 12. These kids ere supposed to be juniors in high school but I thought they acted like 7th graders.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I was hesitant to read this book as it has already been turned into a series on Netflix. However, one of my 4th graders was reading it and I felt it was necessary to be able to discuss the subject matter with her. I do not advocate elementary aged children reading of the book, especially without parental or adult guidance. The story of a teenager's descent to suicide is mature subject matter alone but add to it the inappropriate behavior that can accompany teens who are not being supervised or have parents that facilitate those behaviors is better suited to teens and young adults. That being said, the book is well written and thoughtfully presented.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Hannah Baker, new girl in school, is mislabeled a "slut" -- which becomes a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy -- spirals into depression and indifference. Clay Jenson secretly likes Hannah but never reaches out to her. Ultimately, Hannah kills herself but leaves cassette tapes behind (with a map of important places) for all who impacted her decision. This librarian finally read this bestseller re: a girl's suicide and her "13 reasons"... compelling and surprisingly suspenseful, Author Asher does a good job of not sensationalizing the deed.I can't speak to the Netflix series As an adult and educator, I quibble with his depiction of the teachers and counselors -- in my 35+ years of experience, no professional would treat a suicidal teen they way they did ("setting up" a friendship; dismissing a suicide note, etc.) The book belongs in every YA collection but "screams" for context and conversation upon checkout.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    With this book I can tell why it gets so many mixed reactions. To fully enjoy this book you have to really understand Hannah. I found myself angry at her and sometimes I felt so sorry for her. This book has a deep undermeaning that I think is so important to talk about. Remember you are loved. You are wanted. 1-800-273-8255 .
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Hannah Baker has killed herself. Before she did, she recorded a series of cassette tapes telling her story, and explaining how thirteen people were involved in her decision. Before taking her life, she mails the box of cassettes to the first person on the list, with instructions that when they have listened, they are to mail it to the next person, and so on. If at any point someone doesn't pass the tapes to the next person, a second copy of the tapes will be released publicly.Through the book, we alternate hearing Hannah's voice, and the thoughts of Clay Jensen, who is listening to the tapes after they were sent to him.In addition to the obvious suicide prevention message, the book asks us to be conscious of the fact that our lives intersect with the lives of everyone we come in contact with every day. All of our interactions with other people have the potential to be extremely significant to them in ways that we are unable to see. A few of the people on Hannah's list have done terrible things, which anyone would be profoundly and negatively affected by. But others on her list are only guilty of minor acts that they would never even realize had an affect on someone else's life, or if it did, would assume it wouldn't amount to anything.It's a teen book with some depth that will stick with you.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I first noticed this on a facebook post about the current Netflix series. Reading about it, I thought it sounded like a very interesting topic, until I found out it was based on a book of the same title first published 10 years ago. What followed after buying it and beginning it was one of the most intense, original, and well-written novels I've read since The Hunger Games or The Stand. How has this been such a well-kept secret for the past decade? Every attempt will be made at no spoilers in this review, because the reader deserves to discover anew this haunting story.Simply, Hannah Baker, a very troubled student at a local high school, commits suicide, but it does not end there. She has arranged for a series of recorded messages by her, 13 in all, to be delivered and heard by 13 people who she feels have influenced her decision to end her life. I cannot really reveal any further plot points without spoiling things, but I can tell you the way the author reveals her audio through the mind of the main protagonist, Clay, as he listens to each tape makes for some incredibly compelling reading. Also, the way the story pertains to him and how everything seems to come full circle through his feelings to me is just sheer genius writing.Anyone who attended high school and even halfway paid attention to the dynamics of the relationships, friendships, and various issues that we all dealt with on a daily basis will identify with this book. I've heard some of the criticisms....that this book "glorifies" or "mainstreams" suicide, but nothing could be further from the truth. To me, what this book accomplishes is it enlightens us all to the tragedy and epidemic of teen suicide, and how preventable it is with the right support systems in place. If you are an adult with kids, read this book and use it to discuss with your children what is out there and how this can be prevented. If you are a teenager, especially one with typical teenager issues or something much more menacing, read this book and know that there are people out there to talk to. Thank you.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    i liked it when i first read it. now i'm not sure i would
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I listened to the audio of this one. I suggest if you want to read it, do the same. One of the best audio existences I've had. The story was written to be heard, in my opinion.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Hard to read at times, but wonderfully alive characters - especially,ironically, Hannah.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    And truthfully, I don't know what they could have said to sway me either way. Because maybe I was being selfish. Maybe I was just looking for attention. Maybe I just wanted to hear people discuss me and my problems.Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Hannah Baker! That quote above is exactly all this book is about.Thirteen Reasons Why... Oh how I hate thee - let me count thy ways. If you read this book and didn't get a headache, I want to question the function of your brain. The constant go between of point of views and of italic and normal text nearly killed my eyes. There was nothing separating them so if you read fast enough it all runs together and it is just annoying. I had said over and over and over that I would not read this book but I ended up winning a giveaway of a stack of books and 13 Reasons Why ended up being one of them. Seeing this book itself kept me in panic attacks because I had heard so many terrible things - triggers. but the more I sat and thought on it, I did want to read it, I wanted to be able to tell my friends why they shouldn't read this book because of those triggers on certain pages. I thought to myself, it'll be hard but I DO want to help - if that makes sense. It took me about 4 days of panic attacks to finally dive in and by chapter 3, I was no longer in panic. I. Was. Pissed.I really expected this book to have a deep meaningful outcome - that would just leave you haunted because of the terror your read. But... that didn't happen. Hannah Baker has 13 reasons why she committed suicide. -grab your pitchforks now, because I'm sure I am about to piss a lot of fans off-Her reasons were pathetic. At one point of the book one of the guys says "She was just looking for someone to blame" and I hate to agreed with him, but I do. DO NOT GET ME WRONG!Suicide is not a joke or something to take lightly. But literally everything that happened to Hannah - was things that happen to EVERYONE in high school. People are mean. No ifs ands or buts. Whether you are in school, at work, in a store, or even talking online - people are mean. It happens to everyone - but you don't see people killing themselves over it - and a lot more people go through worse that Hannah ever did. Hannah just seemed spoiled she wanted to be famous-popular. She reminded me of all those women from the 20s-30s who committed suicide because they couldn't be actors like they wanted to be. And because that didn't happen and people were mean to her by spreading "rumors" she decided to kill herself. -I'm sure I am gonna catch a lot of hate for this but I really have to say it, the whole suicide thing was just stupid to me. Why? Because it took her months to do it. Took her weeks to to make her tapes. And I am sorry but when a person is really wanting to end their life - they do it within 24 hours. Trust me, I would know because I have been there - a lot of my friends have been there. So that was just off to me I also hated that the term suicide was called "disgusting". It's not. It's heart wrenching. Calling it disgusting is just adding more stigma.This may contain minor spoilers so reader beware, if you don't mind - keep reading.I hate Hannah. Her reasons to end her life were asinine. She could have stopped someone from being raped but she didn't. She sat there and let it all happen. To make matters worse - later in the book she gets in a hot tub with him, knowing damn well what he was capable of and KNEW what would happen - but yet it is still his fault - even though in addition she admits to not telling him to stop, so he didn't - again - he was still to blame. She puts the blame on SO. MANY. PEOPLE. like they were suppose to be able to read her mind. The last person on her list is the one who kinda tipped the scale and push her over the edge - when all he did was try to help. He gave her options: press charges, confront him, or let try to let it go (aka therapy) and because she didn't like those options, she added him to her list and killed herself and all I can think is .... "are you serious? What else were suppose to be offered? No one can rewind time" Most everything that happened to Hannah could have been avoided if she used even HALF of her brain. So no one is to blame but herself. No one can read minds and how she talked made it seem like everyone should have read hers. Even when she "pleaded with her eyes" - Okay yeah no. I'm sorry. People that see pleading are called empaths. Most people than not CAN'T READ FACES!!! So you can't blame them for something they can't even do. Good grief! This whole book was a mess. It sets a HORRIBLE example for teenagers, heck, for ANYONE who reads this really.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Good book. Very sad and scary to think that this sort of thing happens to teenagers every day.