Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher

2012 Book 96: Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher (6/28/2012)

Reason for Reading: This has been one of my top 5 LT recommendations for a while now, so I thought I'd try it out.

My Review 4/5 stars

Upon returning home from school one afternoon, Clay Jenkins discovers a box of cassette tapes in which his crush Hannah Baker explains the thirteen reasons why she committed suicide. Over the course of one night, Clay's perception of life morphs as he reacts to Hannah's tragic story. I was prepared to be annoyed at this book--I thought it would glorify vengeful suicide. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I was immediately drawn in to Hannah's story. I could hardly put it down. I was impressed that there was very little bitter vengefulness expressed. Mostly, she just wanted to be understood. Her story shows the reader in horrifying detail how the little not-so-nice things we do might have a huge impact on others. It's a story that tells us to look at the way we treat other people...and to pay attention to the signals that they're sending. It is a heartrending story, and was emotionally difficult for me to get through, but I think it has the potential to change the way teenagers view their own actions. It's also an amazing hard-to-put-down story.