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! ( )

Just awful. I think I'm too old to appreciate the things that were supposed to have pushed the main character to suicide. She just seems like a childish brat to me. ( )

I did enjoy listening to the book. I love clay and hannah POV but i just wanted to see the other characters in the present. I got that in the t.v show and missed it here. ( )

I did enjoy listening to the book. I love clay and hannah POV but i just wanted to see the other characters in the present. I got that in the t.v show and missed it here. ( )

Full video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrJ6APg3DvA
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