Thirteen Reasons Why

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Where do I even start with this book? It's just beautifully devastating. So here I go with my review and hopefully I get what I want to say out! :D

Clay's life is normal till her receives a package in his front steps of his house after school. Clay thinks its some practical jokes but really it real. Its his used-to-be friend Hannah Baker, her last words till she took her own life, like her own diary without the paper and ink. Clay listens to the cassettes, hearing the truths on why Hannah ended her life. The 13 Reason Why.

Each tape really freaked out Clay. If he was one of the reasons when will he be mentioned? Even with a bittersweet, far-away romance, Clay doesn't know why he is a reason.

There everything starts...Through the whole book I was fighting for Hannah the whole time. She deserved to live, to see the world thought a different way. The world was all ready to much to handle and the pain had to stop. Then you realize..Hannah is DEAD! People out there in the world do the same thing Hannah does, but you can be that person that can stop them from doing suicide. You can save a person's life. The reason Hannah ended her life was because she wasn't strong enough. Strong enough to say something or not act based on what the circumstances are.

Jay Asher weaves a beautiful debut novel that will leave you breathless and make you realize that things like suicide is a tough issue but you shouldn't shove it under the rug and hope things get better. This book makes you see things from a new eye. Suicide. Death. Reasons. A hearth-aching novel, valuable, its a book you can't get out of your mind. Its amazing!



“A lot of you cared, just not enough.”


“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.”


Tweet Review:
Real, True, and honest 13 Reason Why by Jay Asher is amazing and hearth-aching in every way! It will leave you fighting for Hannah, the main character and realize once you can save a person from committing that last straw: suicide.

Short Synopsis: Hannah Baker commits suicide. A week later Clay Jensen gets a box filled with twelve casette tapes each side labeled 1-13. These tapes are Hannahs explanation and her list of blame. What these 13 people did, said or in Clays case, didnt say are Hannahs 13 Reasons Why.

History: This book came upon me in the 5th grade. I remember it pretty well actually, it was a recommendation from my ex best friend Heather. I've been reading big books since about 2nd grade. Harry Potter was all I would read from 2nd to 3rd grade and a bit into 4th. My grandma would actually check my bookbag for books and take them out if she found any because the teacher would complain that I didn't pay her any attention, only my books. Sad right? A little bit I would say. But since the day Heather read Th1rteen R3asons Why and told me that I should read it too, I fell in love.

A Little Snip:
A shoebox-sized package is propped against the front door at an angle. Our front door has a tiny slot to shove mail through, but anything thicker than a bar of soap gets left outside. A hurried scribble on the wrapping addresses the package to Clay Jensen, so I pick it up and head inside. I take the package into the kitchen and set it on the counter. I slide open the junk drawer and pull out a pair of scissors. Then I run a scissor blade around the package and lift off its top. Inside the shoebox is a rolled-up tube of bubble-wrap. I unroll that and discover seven loose audiotapes. Each tape has a dark blue dumber painted in the upper right-hand corner, possibly with nail polish. Each side has its own number. One and two on the first tape, three and four on the next, five and six, and so on. The last tape has thirteen on one side, but nothing on the back. Who would send me a shoebox full of audiotapes? No one listens to tapes anymore. Do I even have a way to play them? 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 plays tapes. I drag a stoll in front of the workbench, drop my backpack to the floor, then sit down. I press Eject on the player. A plastic door eases open and I slide in the first tape.

Dun Dun Dun!
Sorry, Just couldn't help myself ^_^

My Take: The first thing I noticed about this book was...wow this is deep stuff, the writer must really be a very thoughtful and amazing person. And the second thing I noticed is that this story is addictive. Maybe a one, two day read tops?

Let me just say that I LOVE Clay. I would have been all over him if I was Hannah. (but I'm not *sigh*) He was very sympathetic and true to her and I mean putting him on her tapes is harsh to me. You hear you're a reason for someone killing themself and you're supposed to be happy? I don't think so. She should have just sent him a letter saying how much she needed him and how she really liked him. Not put him on a tape with other people who ruined her life. So mean D:
Some of the stories of the people that started it all made me want to cry. Especially since on involves rape, and another one has a creepy guy who stalks girls and takes pictures of them from outside their bedroom window, and to me this book is a great example of how you're judged and not trusted because of your past. A few wrong relationships and mistakes and everyone in school thought Hannah was a whore. And that's how the snowball effect started.

"I wanted people to trust me, despite anything they'd heard. And more than that, I wanted them to know me. Not the stuff they thought they knew about me. No, the real me. I wanted them to get past the rumors. To see beyond the relationships I once had, or maybe still had but that they didn't agree with.—Hannah Baker"

Being in highschool I know exactly what it's like to be judged and torn apart for your past or through what people THINK you're like, not what they know. I'd recommend this to anyone and everyone. So if you have the chance to read it, pick it up. Who knows, it might teach you a lesson or two.

"If my love were an ocean,there would be no more land.
If my love were a desert,
you would see only sand.
If my love were a star-late at night, only light.And if my love could grow wings,I'd be soaring in flight.
—A Poem from 13 Reasons Why"

Title: Thirteen Reasons Why
Author: Jay Asher
Genre: YA

Where I got it: ODLC (the e-book library)

One sentence: Clay Jensen finds cassette tapes recorded by his classmate and crush, Hannah Baker, who committed suicide weeks earlier, and he discovers that he is part of the thirteen reasons why she killed herself.

Themes: Suicide, guilt, lies, truth, judgment, teenage angst

Main character: I really loved Clay. He seemed down-to-earth, and though he is touted in school as the “perfect guy”, I found that his character was much more multi-faceted than that. His emotions were easy to connect with and believable.

Secondary characters: As much as I liked Clay’s character, it was the character of Hannah that really struck me and raised such mixed feelings. As much as I dislike the idea of suicide and have negative emotions toward someone who would put themselves and their family through such a painful experience, I found that I didn’t hate Hannah. I understood and connected with her, even if I didn’t agree with her ideas, and that really made her decisions and actions hit home for me.

Writing style: The alternating narration between the cassette tape playing and what Clay is doing at the same time threw me for a loop at first, but I grew to really appreciate the parallels between Clay and Hannah and their unique emotions

Plot: The plot truly intrigued me from the beginning, the idea of receiving cassette tapes from a girl who had just committed suicide. I thought it was suspenseful, emotional and kept me thoroughly entertained as there were few dull moments.

Best scene: The thirteenth reason kept me on the edge of my seat, especially using a twist on what we had come to expect.

Positives: Characters, entertaining and suspenseful plot, writing

Negatives: There were some ideas that Hannah held that I didn’t agree with, but they really worked to characterize her, so I suppose that this negative is almost a positive.

Ending: Loved it. It drew everything to a close in a bittersweet moment that had me jumping.

Verdict: A fascinating and heart-wrenching read that reverberates in the reader.

Rating: 9.0 / 10

Reader reviewed by Stephanie<3 Devours Books :D

Thirteen Reasons Why is about

Clay Jensen, somewhat shy, Californain high school student, returns home from school one day to find a box sitting on his doorstep. Upon opening it, he discovers that it is a shoebox containing seven cassette tapes recorded by the late Hannah Baker, his classmate and emotional crush who recently committed suicide. The tapes were initially mailed to one classmate with instructions to pass them from one student to another, in the style of a chain letter. On the tapes, Hannah explains to thirteen people how they played a role in her death, by giving thirteen reasons to explain why she took her life. Curiosity and fear of exposure keep the people on the list listening to the tapes, and Hannah has given a second set of tapes to another character who will leak the tapes if they are not passed on. Through the audio narrative Hannah reveals her pain, and her slide into depression that ultimately leads to her suicide.
Here are the "Thirteen Reasons Why" :
The Thirteen Reasons

#1. Justin Foley, the first boy Hannah had ever kissed, who lies and exaggerates the event saying that they had gone further. This gives Hannah a negative reputation at her new school.

#2. Alex Standall, the boy who put her down as the "Hottest Ass in the Freshman Class" on his Freshman ClassWho's Hot / Who's Not list. This action perpetuates the reputation of promiscuity, and causes her to become the object of sexual harassment.

#3. Jessica Davis, one of her first acquaintances. She was jealous of Hannah due to the fact that Hannah had been put on the Hot list and Jessica herself was on the not list. Jessica also liked Alex, assumed the rumors that Justin was perpetuating were true, and abandoned Hannah as a friend.

#4. Tyler Down, a boy who was peeping in Hannah's window and taking pictures of her. Hannah and another girl (Courtney) attempted to catch him in the act. This causes Hannah to feel unsafe in one of her last sanctuaries, her own home.

#5. Courtney Crimsen, a girl who most consider nice, who often hurts people unintentionally. Hannah had thought that they had become friends after playfully attempting to catch the stalker/peeping Tom, but Hannah discovers that Courtney, too, has been manufacturing and perpetuating rumors.

#6. Marcus Cooley, who went on a date with Hannah on Valentine's Day. The date was a joke, but he realized that Hannah might have taken it seriously and went to the diner. When he finds her there, he tries to force her to allow him to touch her in a sexual manner.

#7. Zach Dempsey, who witnesses the confrontation between Marcus and Hannah, offers assistance, but is rebuffed by Hannah. Possibly out of spite, he later steals her "compliment letters", which were a part of a Peer Communication class, when Hannah was in severe need of positive reinforcement.

#8. Ryan Shaver, the editor of a school newspaper, who befriended Hannah out of a common interest in poetry, shared private poems with her, and Hannah shared her private poems with him. Ryan published one of Hannah's poems which he had stolen, and her private poem was dissected and ridiculed among the student body.

#9. Clay Jensen (co-narrator), whom Hannah connected with and fell in love with, but at this point in her life she was having difficulty connecting with anyone on an emotional level. Clay was not on the list, but she sent him the tapes because she regretted never getting the opportunity to know him better. Clay conversely feels guilty that he didn't try harder to understand Hannah, who he had affection for in return.

#10. Justin Foley (again), who after leaving Jessica Davis passed out in a bedroom at a party, allows Bryce Walker to enter the room and rape her. Unknown to everyone, Hannah was hiding in the closet, and did not help Jessica either. She holds herself and Justin partially responsible for Jessica's rape.

#11. Jenny Kurtz, a cheerleader who helped hook Hannah up with Marcus. She was giving Hannah a ride home when she hit and knocked over a stop sign. Jenny refused to report it and, when pressed further, kicked Hannah out of the car. Later that evening, a senior citizen was injured and a student from their school was killed in an accident due to the missing stop sign.

#12. Bryce Walker, who engaged in manual sex with her after another party, ignored her apathy towards him. Hannah consented to this activity to try and force herself to the conclusion that committing suicide was the right choice.

#13. Mr. Porter, the counselor whom she hinted to about her plans to commit suicide still allowed her to leave his office and failed to follow up properly. His poor advice was the last straw for Hannah.


This book pooints out important reasons a person might end their life...and it is a book that many people should read..
Jay Asher did an amazing job.

~Stephanie<3DevoursBooks:D

Reader reviewed by sammy

This book is about a a high schooler who wants to just leave the tapes Hannah baker makes alone but he's scared that someone will figure out everything. about him so he has to listen just to see, what he did to cause her to do what she did.

I liked this book because i love mystery and this book goes hand in hand with mystery. I also liked it because because it's  just a great book.

I'd recomend this to 5th grade - 12th grade. And adultsalso they might like it to. 

Reader reviewed by sariebearie08

I don't really know where to begin. For me this book was like driving past a car accident. You know it is going to make you feel terrible, that what you are going to see is awful - but you have to look anyways. I was completely and utterly engrossed with this book. I simply could not put it down, I needed to see how Hannah's life kept snowballing out of control.

Everything was beautifully written, and I loved how all the stories were intertwined. I do not want to give anything away - but Hannah's story really made me think about how a seemingly small act can really affect a person. I also really appreciated how realistic the events were - nothing was particularly far fetched. I would definitely recommend this book, especially to fans of books like the Virgin Suicides or The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Reader reviewed by The Bookshelf Sophisticate

I waited entirely too long to read this book. I'm not sure if it was the serious issues I could tell this book was about from the summary that made me hesitate, or if my TBR list was just growing too long or what? But I waited too long and I'm sorry for that. All I can say to those of you out there who haven't read Thirteen Reasons Why, is to go out right now and get yourself a copy and start reading.

I'm in love with Jay Asher's writing. To be honest, I thought I was a part of this book. Not just reading the words and turning the pages, but I felt like I could hear Hannah's words for myself, and see the places on the map that Clay was visiting for myself. Asher is that talented, he takes you inside his writing and does not let go. As Clay listens to Hannah's story he decides he won't be able to take breaks or spread the stories out. It's almost like ripping off a band aid - you just have to get it over with. Not just so he can find out how he played a role in the grand scheme of things, but because he needs closure and the it's the type that can only come from knowing the whole story. I was right there with Clay, I couldn't stop reading, I just had to get the full story.

This is not a light read, I found no humor within these pages and yet I couldn't, and didn't want to stop reading. Even now, I'm finished and yet still Hannah and Clay are with me. I think Thirteen Reasons Why will be sticking with me for a very long time. I'm not usually one for books with strong morals being forced on readers, or lectures about lessons to be learned, but this was different. Asher made me look at things in new ways and I'm not sure you can go back after something like that. I learned a valuable lesson from this book and I'm grateful for that. Clay says in the beginning of the book that he'll never be able to get Hannah's voice out of his head, and to be honest I don't think I will either.

This story was amazing. It was emotional and heavy, but also moving and beyond memorable. I feel grateful to have read this book and cannot say nearly enough about how highly I think of Asher's writing and technique and his amazing gift for story telling. I may not be able to look back at this book and want to re-read it over and over again, it's just not that type of book. But I also can't bear to part with it. I'm not sure I'll ever read another that can even come close to being it's equal. I will never forget Hannah's story.

Reader reviewed by Ruthie

This book made me cry, forced me to stay awake at night and it stole my heart. Jay Asher outdid himself when writing this book. Hannah and Clays voices were ordinary, in a good way. They were each purely human and they each had their flaws. This book made you beg Hannah to keep her life, even though you know she already committed suicide. The way the tale was told through the tapes was heart-wrenching and again very real. I absolutely loved this book. It was great and I would recommend it to anyone who's mature enough to handle it.

Reader reviewed by HoopsStar27

1. cassette tapes show another side not many people know about thanks to the tapes left by Hannah in the book

Reader reviewed by Kanksh

After a girl you knew committed suicide, a mysterious package with seven audiotapes appears on your doorstep.  What do you do?  Well, if you're one of the recipients, you pop the tape into a player and hit play.  Your life will never be the same.  Why?  Because you are one of the Thirteen Reasons Why.

When Clay Jenson hits play, he hears the voice of the late Hannah Baker.  And then he finds out that because he received the package, it means that he's one of the reasons that Hannah swallowed those pills.  Clay listens on.  Throughout the night, Clay listens to the tapes, following her instructions to go to different places.  For if he doesn't, these tapes will come out in a public manner, exposing everyone on the tapes and what they did to Hannah Baker.

So why should you read this book?  Here are thirteen reasons why:

1.The idea is new and fresh, a change from your normal realistic fiction
2. The writing style is convincing, from the final words of a suicidal girl to the thoughts of the boy listening to them.
3. The book is powerful and will stick with you forever.
4. The characters are well developed - even Hannah Baker is developed well through her words.
5. You will feel emotionally involved.
6. The mystery of why Clay is on these tapes will keep you reading until well past the middle of the book.
7. It will draw you in from the very start.
8. It will leave you feeling satisfied.
9.It's about a difficult but pressing topic and may help you more fully understand the concept of suicide.
10. You'll be able to make your own guesses.
11. It's a great work of dark fiction.
12. It will greatly move you.
13. It is one of the best books I've ever read (and believe me, I've read a lot)