A Review of the Book "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher

Title: Thirteen Reasons Why

Author: Jay Asher

Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group

Year: 2007

288 pages

From the Back: Clay Jensen doesn't want anything to do with the tapes Hannah Baker made. Hannah is dead. Her secrets should be buried with her. Then Hannah's voice tells Clay that his name is on her tapes - and that he is, in some way, responsible for her death. All through the night, Clay keeps listening. He follows Hannah's recorded words throughout his small town and what he discovers changes his life forever.

Personal Thoughts: Thirteen Reasons Why was an extremely powerful and emotional book. If you've ever experienced someone in your life dying by suicide, you've probably had many questions, especially wondering why the person chose to take their own life. This wonderfully written book tells a story about a young girl who takes their own life and leaves clues behind to tell people why she did it. In  thriller-like form, Jay Asher writes Hannah's story in a way that was both chilling and heartbreaking, all at the same time. You can imagine what it would feel like to be in Clay's shoes as he listens to the voice of a dead girl tell him all the reasons she thought that end her life was her only way out of a terrible situation. This book is a page-turner, you won't want to put it down. But you will need to decompress after reading it.