Today, I read Thirteen R3easons Why by Jay Asher. A friend of mine recommended it, so I borrowed it from the library. It was slightly different from how she described it, but it was still good.
This book is mainly in the point of view of Clay Jensen, who, one day. gets a box of audio tapes on his porch. There is no return address on it, so he gets suspicious. He plays the first of the tapes, and he hears the voice of the other narrator: Hannah Baker, who had committed suicide a couple of weeks before.
The tapes were like her suicide note: each side of each tape has a story, connecting to the reason she killed herself. Each story has to do with a different person, who ends up on her list of people to get the tapes and pass them on to the next person. Another, unrelated person, knows who does, and if one person doesn't the tapes go public.
This book is filled with drama, half-suspense, and heartbreak. I seriously cried a few times, a very rare thing for me, especially with books. I really liked it, but I thought Hannah had no right to make the list, the tapes, or kill herself. Most of the reasons were her own fault. I'm going to explain, and for those of you who don't want it spoiled, you can skip over this part. I'll get back to the main review in bolded words so you'll know when to stop scrolling
Reason One: She could have decided to take it slower, to get to know the real Justin, who would spread rumors, instead of rushing to get her first kiss. Then, a lot of the stuff that followed might not have happened.
Reason two: see reason one.
Reason three: see reason one
Reason Four: See reason one.
Reason Five: Why did she ask a random girl to come catch a peeping tom??
Reason six: She could have listened to her gut, which was very smart.
Reason Seven: She could have never gone to Rosie's, never seen Zach, et cetera.
Reason Eight: She could have kept her poetry private in the first place. Don't share what you don't want getting out!
Reason Nine: Hannah could have told Clay about everything! He was open and ready to talk! But no, she had to stay and cry about it. Sure, Clay could have stayed, but he didn't know because she wouldn't tell him!
Reason Ten: She was right across the hall! Hannah could have stopped Bryce, but, again, she had to hide in the closet and cry. She refused to stop another girl from going down the exact same road as she was going down.
Reason Eleven: Hannah could have called the police. That innocent senior would still be alive. But, again, guess what? She had to think about her own problems.
Reason Twelve: Need I explain?? She was fed up with the world that she actually didn't care what happened.
Reason Thirteen: Why is Mr. Porter's story the last one, the one whom could "take the tapes to [h-e-double-hockey-sticks]"? He was just trying to do his job as counselor! He didn't know what was going on because, guess what, Hannah wouldn't tell him! Hannah herself chose to leave.
Enough of my ranting, I need to get back to the main review. In all, I think they needed to go deeper into Clay's character. What did people say about him? Why was he so perfect (except when he lied to his mother and everyone else that night he listened to the tapes)? Who was Skye, whom Clay went after at the end of the book? This was a good story, and I recommend it, but at the same time don't recommend it.
