Friday, February 29, 2008

Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher

Hannah Baker committed suicide. And she left one thing behind: a set of seven tapes which tell the 13 reasons why she ended her life. The tapes document all the events and connections that led up to her death. And guess who gets to listen to those tapes? The 13 people who are in Hannah's story. One of them is Clay Jensen and as much as he doesn't want to listen, he has to in order to find out the role he played and learn why Hannah did what she did. Also, in order to make sure that all 13 people do what she wants, she has made a set of duplicate tapes that are to be released to the public if one of the people doesn't follow through in listening and passing the story on. Now, the 13 people have to listen, absorb the truth, and have their lives changed for ever.

Wow. That's all I can say about this book. Wow. As you can see, I also finished the book Blue Bloods today and so I started reading this one. And once I picked it up I literally could not put it down. I had to read for a straight four hours to get through it and there was no other way I could have done it. It is such a harsh story but it really draws you in. Being able to see into the mind of someone willing to go to the extreme of killing themselves is a scary insight. But as you read, you can actually start to see why she might be motivated to do something so dramatic. It is also heart-breaking to be there with Clay to witness his part in Hannah's death. Knowing that you had a part, whether you were aware of it or not, in someone's death has got to be crushing. I really felt for Hannah as well as Clay while I was reading. Also, this isn't just a light-hearted story, it really has depth and perspective to it, which makes for an amazing book. Th1rteen R3asons Why really touched me and I don't think I'll ever be able to forget this book. I would recommend it without a doubt. It has a powerful message and it really sheds some light on a hard topic.

7 comments:

  1. isn't this an awesome book!! i felt wow as well! if you like this book i suggest you read ninteen minutes by jodi picoult, (if you haven't already) another book with a powerful message.

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  2. I think I have that on my list of books to read. I've heard good things about it!

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  3. loved this book. i thought it was beautifully written

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  4. I just discovered your blog and will definitely be adding you to my blogroll! :-)

    Thirteen Reasons Why was one of my favorite books from last year. It definitely stays with you long after you've read it.

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  5. I really liked 13 RW. I thought Clay was such a great narrator. I was really worried to find out what he'd done to Hannah, because I didn't want to dislike him!

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