Thirteen Reasons Why

This book is about a young girls suicide and what led her to that point.Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his class mate who killed herself.
Listening to each of the tapes he learns about different stories of her life from her first kiss, to what made her feel so hopeless and lost.

This story was so heart wrenching and thought provoking I really think they should read it at high school!!! We always hear about children who are bullied who feel lost and get forgotten..THIS BOOK IS A PERFECT LESSON FOR TEENS, SOME THINGS CANT NOT BE TAKEN BACK.

4.5 stars

I'm not sure why I waited so long to read this book, and let just say this book is powerful as it's one that will make you think. It will make you think about things you did to others as a teen and it will make you think about the things you do now, even the little things that can and do effect people for better or worse. Thirteen Reasons Why took me back to high school and made me think about all things that happened then. The good, the bad and everything in between. It's not just the big things that effect people, but it's the little things that we don't even think of that can change someone's life, like the story's main character Hannah points out.

This is the first book I've read by Jay Asher and what a phenomenal job he's done with Hannah's story. Not only is the book from her perspective via the tapes she has sends to those who effected her life before she killed herself telling them how they did so, but it's also told from Clay's point of view. His thoughts and feelings are played out as he wonders when he'll be mentioned on the tapes, and why. Like those before him, he wants to know what it was that he did to make Hannah do what she did. Through Clay's listening to the tapes I felt like I got to know Hannah more. Her story is heartbreaking, intense, sad and I couldn't help but want to reach out to her in so many ways.

Like Clay, I wondered how no one started to see the signs. It was so heartbreaking knowing all that Hannah endured with the vicious rumors, and lies that were going around about her and her withdrawal from everyone. It was frustrating that no one did anything to tell her she could get through this, or to say they were sorry. I wanted so badly to tell Hannah she was better than they were and she was stronger than she knew she was. This is a book I highly recommend to teenage readers and fans of YA. It will make you realize that the things we say and do, no matter how insignificant we think it is will/can have a lasting impression on people. The story also proves that it takes one person to speak up to be the support that someone else may need to change their life for the better. This is a thought provoking book with a powerful message and I highly recommend picking it up. There are some things discussed in this book that may not be suitable for all readers.

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)

Reader reviewed by Erica

Thirteen Reasons Why is a darker book that is not forgetable. It wasn't a book I could necessarily say I "enjoyed" but it was a real eye opener and a great book. It deals with the horrors suicide. Jay Asher does a great job with the plot in the story, making sure readers are drawn in and kept there, then leaving with a message. There was quite a bit of suspense throughout the book.

Hannah was such a strong narrator telling her own story. She filled the tapes with such life that it seemed you were right there with her the entire time, instead of listening in on her life. Clay was my favorite character, he was so easily likeable.

I liked that the ending seemed to wrap up nicely, and that the entire story was told. There weren't any loose ends to leave you wondering, "What exactly happened there?"